photography Archives | Rambling Feet

Alone with the SS Ayrfield Shipwreck, the Floating Forest of Sydney

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the bright screen but the image in front of me took me by surprise. The SS Ayrfield stood proud of the water against the backdrop of a cloudless sunrise, her rusty hull glowing in the sunlight that gleamed off the water. What fascinated me the most, however, was the lush foliage growing out of the shipwreck that she sported like a tiara.

While I had set my desktop wallpaper to change periodically, I didn’t expect any of the images that greeted me whenever I opened my laptop to be that captivating. I had to find out where this marvellous sight was photographed. As it turned out, it was not in a remote place but in Homebush Bay, a Sydney suburb.

It’s true: I hadn’t been to that part of Australia in 25 years, and a desktop wallpaper was one of the reasons I returned.

[Read on]

5 Tips for Catching an Angkor Wat Sunrise Like a Pro

‘Tuk-tuk, sir? Tomorrow you go see Angkor Wat sunrise?‘

That’s the call of tuk-tuk drivers waiting for business in the temple town of Siem Reap. It’s also one of the most popular and spectacular things to do. Getting the most out of the DIY experience requires planning, however. Forgoing it will only result in stumbling, scuffles with rude tourists, photos of their selfie-sticks and plenty of frustration.

In this post, I’ve put together five tips that will ensure you get the best out of this magical phenomenon and lose the least sleep – all for just $7 more.

[Read on]

How to Photograph Glow Worms in the Abbey Caves

The man at the front of the boat points towards what looks like a starlit sky, one in which no known constellations can be discerned. The people sat in the boat follow his finger. They strain their necks, gazing in wonder at the sight above them. Despite the brightly lit visitors below, thousands of bright blue specks barely illuminate the outline of a rock ceiling. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful sight.

This is the sort of image that features prominently in any guide or brochure promoting New Zealand’s famous glow worm-filled caves. It has been successful in tempting visitors to fork out upwards of NZD45 for a tour. Those same photographs are a problem though; their existence doesn’t mean that you can get the same kind of photos with your camera – if the guide permits it in the first place.

However, if one is reasonably fit and prepared to get wet, you can get set some good (if boat-less) photographs of the glow worms at the Abbey Caves in Whangarei, a 2.5-hour drive from Auckland. Unlike Waitomo, there won’t be any crowds to deal with too, and it will probably stay that way for some time. [Read on]

Photos of 11 Postcard-Worthy Places in Bad Weather

Part of the fun of travelling around the world these days involves sharing photographs of famous places with everyone back home. Bad weather can ruin those moments, especially if one’s on a tight schedule. Without some photoshop magic or filters, everything appears dull and flat.

However, as The Rolling Stones once sang,”you can’t always get what you want.” So look on the bright side: no-one can buy a bad weather photograph on a postcard and pass it off as their own.

The following is my collection of photographs of tourist attractions as you have never seen them, with better photographs that I found elsewhere for comparison. [Read on]

These 10 Photos Show the Funny Side of Travel

Humour is all around us, whether it’s in street art, someone having fun on the job or a lucky moment, and there as’t been a lack of it whenever I’m away from home. From these photos you can probably tell more about what I find funny than what the people in these countries do. [Read on]

10 Views of Auckland’s Sky Tower

I have not written much about my time on the North Island in New Zealand, apart from the Koutu boulders, even though I spent 10 weeks there. Three weeks were spent in Auckland, making it the longest time I spent in a single place after Christchurch, and it was really difficult to miss the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest structure (for now).

The 328-metre Sky Tower is one of Auckland’s most popular attractions, and like the Eiffel Tower, the Space Needle, Cristo Rendentor and other iconic structures around the world, it makes a great reference point to take one’s bearings from. I couldn’t help but look for it whenever I got a great view of the city, and I took too many photos from different spots on the map.

Like the other places mentioned above, one can take a trip to an observation deck near the top. There is an uninterrupted view of the city and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf to be had. On a clear day, one can see as far as the Coromandel Peninsula. [Read on]