Melbourne Gathering Soon?

[Poisson Du Jour]

An adorable lot, aren't they?
With some wearing a a curiously very severe expression (Mark and Christine, it's only a camera eyeballing you, not an assassin!!).

 

[Joachim_I]

Ralek, why limit yourself? Take the Hassy and two backs for colour and B&W and you are ready for any situation. Sounds like a great trip, enjoy!

 

[ralek]

I 'm not a young and strong woman. I wanted to travel light. With all my cameras, my bag will be very heavy. I am afraid to drive a car (it is different than in France), so I think to travel with greyhound. And the Australian landscape are very colored. How it is in B & W

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Hi Ralek,
Photograph the Australian landscape — especially the outback — in colour, as the hues run wild and rampant and will delight and inspire. On long trips, especially bus trips, consider taking less equipment: less chance of anything getting lost and if you are walking some distance, you won't have to worry about the safety of the equipment you are not taking on your walk(s). We drive on the left in Australie, and in the outback, long distances separate towns and communities. Greyhound services most major Australian cities and Alice Springs to Darwin, and there should be some connecting services to take you to places of interest like Uluru (Ayres Rock), among many others. Consider what film you will need and make enquiries as to its availability in major cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth. Above all, bring a keen sense of adventure!

 

[ralek]

Oh thanks Garyh. I think to take plane from Sydney to Alice spring and start a sort of "safari" to visit Uluru area. I will camp. After Alice Spring, I don't know exactly if i go to Darwin or Cairn. i search to exchange my Paris apartment and it will depend what i will find. For me it's not easy to write in this forum. I didn't understand correctly how write and read answers. I need practice...
This year I studied grand format. I hope to buy one but it is impossible to travel with.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

What is "grand format", Ralek? DO you mean large format? There are large format photographers here on APUG!

 

[ralek]

YES. It is large format. "grand" format is french word. In first, i saw than you are an Australian group. In second, large format group. I had a very good teacher and i will continue in September to practice with his camera. In France, large format camera is very expensive.

 

[munz6869]

That's a great group photo!! A good record of the day. My, me and Christine ARE serious aren't we? I think it's the 2 second exposure - normally I'm staring far more "maniacally" in photos...

Marc

 

[munz6869]

Ralek - I travelled with my Wista throughout Sweden & Switzerland last year - walking everywhere - and I am not the biggest nor strongest person!!! Also, I took far too many accessories that I possibly didn't need... yet I was fine (but did eat a lot more than usual!!). I think if you can be troubled to carry a bag with a large format camera, you might be very happy with the pictures you bring home indeed!

Marc

 

[Molli]

Welcome Ralek, have you done a search at www.flickr.com? Type in the places you're visiting in Australia in the search box and take a look at the photos others have taken of those areas. It might give you a better idea of how you would like to shoot them. I must say, however, that the red sand and rock comes out beautifully in colour. Do a search for Uluru and you'll see what I mean.
As I don't have access to the gallery here at APUG, I'm unsure if images are tagged in the same searchable manner to suggest doing that. Could someone please verify that and point Ralek in the right direction here?

 

[w9cae]

I am keen on photographing the sailing vessels any others ? Not too familiar with Geelong except I need to head over the bridge to get there.

Just plugged in the info into my iPhone and it looks simple to find guess an early morning start to saturday 6am ?

 

[Molli]

Scott, if you're going over the West Gate, it becomes Princes Freeway which runs all the way out to Geelong. It's a really easy run. Alternatively, you could drive down to Sorrento and get the ferry across and then you'd probably have dolphins keeping you company Of course, that would add an extra hour or so to your trip and the cost of taking a car over... but...dolphins!

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Probably got to be a Subscriber to have gallery on APUG I think.

 

[Molli]

Saw your photo, Mike. Just to set the record straight, I wasn't eyeing off the Wista, I was smiling over at the beautiful boy serving coffee at the stand!

By the way, my first ever roll of black and white film is currently hanging in the shower recess. Thank you to those of you here who told me I could only be half as stupid as I look, ergo, I'd manage

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Scott, if you're going over the West Gate, it becomes Princes Freeway which runs all the way out to Geelong. It's a really easy run. Alternatively, you could drive down to Sorrento and get the ferry across and then you'd probably have dolphins keeping you company Of course, that would add an extra hour or so to your trip and the cost of taking a car over... but...dolphins!

True dinks, I second Molli. Just beware of rear-facing speed cameras on several overpasses e.g. they are not in front, but behind the bridge and they catch a huge number of drivers! The first of these ridiculous things is near Werribee Open Range Zoo.

 

[Molli]

Yep, Gary, you're right. The gallery is for subscribers only - a subscription is next on my shopping list once my bank account recovers from the Freestyle ransacking. I should have looked to see if Ralek was a subscriber before making the suggestion to search here.

 

[Molli]

As well as Gary's warning about speed cameras, try to avoid winding up at Tullamarine! I did the reverse a few years back. Heading to the airport, overshot the mark and wound up in Geelong. I like to take the loooooong way around!

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Saw your photo, Mike. Just to set the record straight, I wasn't eyeing off the Wista, I was smiling over at the beautiful boy serving coffee at the stand!

By the way, my first ever roll of black and white film is currently hanging in the shower recess. Thank you to those of you here who told me I could only be half as stupid as I look, ergo, I'd manage

That's very odd. The stand and its gaggle of toy boys, is in the opposite direction, so (...how exciting!), Molli is actually eyeing me off, I win, LOL!!!

 

[w9cae]

I am smack in between Sorrento way & west gate bridge but going across the bridge would be quicker. I did the ferry once with my motorcycle from Queens cliff. I will plan on being down there with some nice early morning weather.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

The ferry is better, you'll have the Roarin' Forties as a tailwind from Queenscliff to Geelong!!
Finding the way onto WestGate Bridge is the fun part. And it is slow to 60km/h now and is an absolute bottleneck most times (4 lanes chopped to 3).
You could also catch a very early morning train to Geelong and from Geelong Station it's an easy walk to the Waterfront and along the beach. Highlights: The Carousel, Western Beach (expansive views over Corio Bay), Shark Fins installation, Eastern Beach (the 'hip' place to be, with eateries galore and the uber-expensive variety on the opposite side of the road). Sailers Rest is a good dig for a cuppa or a beer. Nowhere to shelter in bad weather except La Parisienne restaurant. The beach is the place to be today and I imagine thousands would be there.

 

[Molli]

Ah, Gary, if you knew me better you wouldn't call it winning

(And the boy was on a break and had wandered over to the spot I just happened to be facing.)

 

[Wyno]

Hi Ralek,
I use an 8x10 large format camera and I used it in December to take black and white photos at Alice Springs. A few of the photos are on my Flickr site. Link below. Back in 2004 I took a 4x5 LF camera to Ireland shooting Fuji Velvia and had a great time. I got a lot of strange looks from people who must have thought I was mad. Welcome to the forum and I hope you have a great time here in Australia.
Mike

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40218037@N05/

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Ah, Gary, if you knew me better you wouldn't call it winning

(And the boy was on a break and had wandered over to the spot I just happened to be facing.)

Mmmm. I still think it's a sexy piece of buff machinery ... the WISTA, I mean!!!
I'm actually in red hot pursuit of an identical one at the mo'...

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Hi Ralek,
I use an 8x10 large format camera and I used it in December to take black and white photos at Alice Springs. A few of the photos are on my Flickr site. Link below. Back in 2004 I took a 4x5 LF camera to Ireland shooting Fuji Velvia and had a great time. I got a lot of strange looks from people who must have thought I was mad. Welcome to the forum and I hope you have a great time here in Australia.
Mike

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40218037@N05/

So there's a baby brother to the Big Wig Tachihara? What were you doing in Ireland, Mike? Did you kiss the Blarney Stone? If so, what happened? I know!! The brass knobs on your Tachihara broke off. Tch, tch.
Cain ake crock é Blarney...

 

[wotalegend]

By the way, my first ever roll of black and white film is currently hanging in the shower recess. Thank you to those of you here who told me I could only be half as stupid as I look, ergo, I'd manage

Excellent news Molli. It gives a great sense of satisfaction, doesn't it, when you pull the film off the reel and see that you actually have negatives. After a long time at it I still get the same thrill every time. (It doesn't take too much to thrill me). Now get stuck into the other 19 rolls so that we can do our next Freestyle order. I already have my wish list on the way.

Cheers, Peter.