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My last full day in the beautiful Northern Territory. This morning we drove out to East Point Reserve for sunrise. Darwin is such a such a flat city so the cliffs provide an interesting spot to photograph as the sun hits them in the morning. I missed a trick though, there are some really lovely, tessellated rocks that would provide some really nice landscape shots at the right time of day. I'll have to put it on my list when I go back.
Following sunrise, we headed to Dudley Point to explore the gun emplacements and the wallabies. To be fair, I was more interested in the wallabies as it would be the last time I could use the Canon RF 100-500 f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM and RF 70-200 f2.8 L IS USM before handing them back to Canon. The image of the Agile Wallaby below is shot at a fairly high ISO but is still tack sharp. I had just been shooting some wallabies under a tree, so the settings had stayed right up there... but as with the Yellow Water Cruise, I realized that this lens can handle it. Fairly important if you're a keen nature photographer, as early mornings and narrow apertures don't really mix but having the versatility of the telephoto lens is a must.
Probably the best thing about the RF lenses, besides the results, is they are so light, and small, compared to their EF counterparts. Not only did this make them easy to walk around with all day, but it also made them very travel friendly. I had been considering selling off some of my smaller camera bags because my gear had outgrown them, but with the new Canon "R" gear, everything fits perfectly again. So happy!
Dudley Point is home to various military buildings and the gun emplacements are pretty interesting. I wish I had more time to visit the Museum and learn more about this area and its significant place in Australian History.
We spent the afternoon in the super awesome Winnellie Art Space which is home to the Darwin Camera Club. Peter led a post-production workshop for a few hours which was aimed at anyone interested in learning how to get the most out of their images. Peter's photography style relies on post-production, and selective editing, so if you ever see him advertise a workshop in your area, jump on it. You're guaranteed to learn something.
As my time in the Northern Territory and Darwin drew to a close, I felt it only appropriate that I spend my last sunset at Mindil Beach, and exploring the Markets. Heart full, and wallet empty I came away so grateful for the new friendships, the opportunity to immerse myself fully in nature for a week, and ready to return home.
Thank you to the AIPP NT Chapter, and the incredibly organized Sharon Jones for putting together an exciting itinerary. Thanks to Peter Eastway, for the dad jokes, and entertainment over the last few days, oh and for the workshop events!!! And a massive thank you to Luke Paterson, of NT Bird Specialists for sharing his love of birds, and in-depth knowledge. I may just become a birder yet! Finally, I have to thank Canon, for the opportunity to try out some of the new RF lenses.
Back to sunny Sydney, and some birthday celebrations!
