The winter glow

After a few weeks of rain and wind, finally we've had some good weather for landscape photography. On friday 29th July, i headed down to Cold Tea Ck, Belmont. I have photographed this location before, but nature didn't really turn it on for me that day. I wandered on the the jetty and looked out over the lake...I had a feeling that this day would be better. The windless afternoon produced a glassy lake and the winter glow of the sun as it set proved to be a magical sight. I quickly set up my tripod and worked on my composition, trying to include enough of the jetty to get the reflections on the still water and enough of the sky to get the gradient of colours. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the few slivers of clouds in the sky lit up and threw their reflection on the lake. Overall, i am pretty happy with this image, but would have like a touch more cloud cover to really give this image some pop.

Image edited in Lightroom.

Cold Tea Ck Jetty (Squids Ink), Lake Macquarie

India - my secret beach paradise

India...my secret beach paradise!

I can already hear you thinking - "beach paradise...really?" Well read on and you will soon see what i mean.

The last stop on my Jan 2011 holiday was India. First up, Delhi and Agra, then to my home town, Goa.

We couldn't visit the north of India without seeing the Taj. We were lucky enough to see the taj at sunrise and sunset. Amazing! I don't think my picture does it justice. We were also able to walk into the taj, pictures were not permitted inside.

Taj Mahal, Agra

We also visited another Mughal historical site called Fatehpur Sikri. The architecture here was amazing and the colours of the buildings were rich with earthy tones of red and brown. This is one of the doorways i liked. Notice the intricate symbols above the doorway, probably all handcarved.

Doorway, Fatehpur Sikri

One of the eye catching scenes in Agra were the endless fields of crops. It was a real sign that India is still very much a country that lives off the land. Sure they have the big cities, but as you move out things seem to be stuck back in a time gone by. The following image kind of brings out this "days gone by" feeling. I don't think you would see this in most farming towns these days in Australia.

Ox and cart carrying wood

So you are thinking..."where is this beach paradise?". Well here it is. Ladies and gentlemen i give you, Goa.

Cab de Rama was an old Portuguese fort. Here we are standing at the top of one of the vantage points, quite some way above sea level. What a great spot! looks like something out of a getaway TV commercial. Pictured here are my fellow travellers, the TVI crew (Thailand, Vietnam, India Crew)

 

Cab de Rama, Goa

Another beautiful spot in Goa, is Dona Paula. Clear waters and a stunning coastline. Interestingly there is good fishing here too. I lost an absolute lunker some years ago off the jetty at Dona Paula.

Dona Paula, Goa

The following photo was taken in Betalbatim. My aunty lives in this village (suburb). I was actually riding my scooter to the beach when i saw this and just had to stop for a photo.

Reflections on the lagoon, Betalbatim, Goa

One of the real pleasures of Goa are the beaches and the beach shacks. Food and alcohol only steps away from the temperate seas. This is living!

Betalbatim Beach, Goa

And just to cap it off, a beautiful sunset.

Oh what a feeling, Betalbatim, Goa

So there you have it, India. It's more than just the taj mahal and scenes from slumdog millionaire. Hopefully next time you are planning a holiday you will consider Goa. I've even got a place you could stay.

Cheers
Roy