Port Melbourne
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This panoramic view of the Melbourne Skyline is one of the best locations for this kind of image. It's not very well known, but is sure to become so with three water level platforms or jetties for setting up camera gear located along the path that leads to the Lookout. Each is about 150 meters apart providing a different angle of view. At the end of the trail, the Sandridge Lookout is an elevated platform at the very end of new fully automated container terminal in Port Melbourne. The platform provides views stretching from St Kilda and beyond through to Sandridge Beach. CRAZY MUSIC: Whether intentional or not, the structure of the Lookout creates an awesome range of 'musical tones' as the wind velocity increases. At first, it's kind of nice, but over time can become quire annoying.
It could well be argued that this capture is over-exposed. But I love the effect. It gives the photo an etherial look, particularly with the smoothed water caused by a long exposure.
There's a saying in Melbourne that you can experience four seasons in one day. The weather moves in from the west and with nothing to hold back the weather systems, what you see in the morning is unlikely to be what you experience a few hours later.
Port Phillip Bay is a long inlet, some 95 kilometres from the entrance to Port Melbourne. The bay is very shallow, so the navigation channel for large freighters is well marked and constantly dredged to maintain an adequate depth. This photo and the next two are different compositions of two of these markers.
Although heavily overcast, these photos manage to capture a few moments of a colourful sunrise. This long exposure view is from Sandridge, looking north-east across the Sandridge Beach Apartments to the CBD skyline five kilometres behind them. I was please with the reflection in the water even though it is just before 7:00am.
Navigation Markers #2 (long exposure)
I like this minimalist shot. If it weren't for the shoreline in the distance, the ocean would blend right into the sky.
This shot was taken just over ten minutes after the previous photo. The balloons have disappeared and the influence of the rising sun was less evident with less colour.
Navigation Markers #3 (long exposure)
Sometimes just changing from a landscape view to a portrait changes the photo entirely. The bluish tint is the result of the changing light as the sun climbs higher.
Panorama view of Westgate Bridge from Westgate Park in Port Melbourne. The water in the foreground is a salt water lake. I started raining when I took this shot, so the dark nature of the shot is reflective of the conditions at the time.
