GETTING BACK INTO IT

My year of photography in 2024 was one centered around a collection of events that provided opportunities throughout the year. In early January I had been thinking about the quiet year I’d had (as far as photography goes) in 2023 and felt like a good new year’s resolution would be to “get back into it”.

My first highlight came early on. On January 3rd a large summer storm looked to be approaching so I decided to finish up early with my work in order to prepare my gear and find a location before the storm arrived. I rushed home, showered, packed my bag and in the meantime, had decided to head to Lincoln’s Rock in Wentworth Falls. I knew of a cave there in the sandstone escarpments which would provide shelter as the storm passed. Sitting in the car about to leave, I quickly checked the weather radar again and realised that I wouldn’t make it to the cave before the storm. Not wanting to miss it, I opted to drive to my local lookout at the end of my street and arrived at the incredible view of the Jamison Valley filled with energy and drama. I decided there was no time to be playing about with my tripod and lens choice, so grabbed my camera with a 24-85mm zoom and took a couple of quick shots. With thunder roaring all around me and not sure what to do next, I decided the best thing was to take a hand-held panoramic of the entire scene as I could see the rain approaching, which is the image you see here. After taking those shots I was thinking “ok what now?” then BOOM!!! Lightning struck somewhere incredibly close to me. I didn’t see it but could feel the energy in my hands! I ducked instinctively and saw what looked like some ash falling in the air about 10-20 metres away from me after I looked up. An incredibly close call which prompted me to quickly pack up and leave. By the time I got back to my car the rain had arrived and I sat down inside questioning my decision making while witnessing intense wind and rainfall.

My next highlight was a holiday road trip with my kids to Uluru and Kata Tjuta in central Australia in July. This was the first big holiday I had organised with them since their mum and I had separated in 2022 and what could only be described as an “epic adventure!” Over 3 weeks we drove 6,800 kilometers (4225 miles) mainly through rural and outback Australia with many interesting stops along the way. The trip was an incredible opportunity to create some fantastic memories with my children with endless photo opportunities for us all. These images are a selection of many from our trip together, which I feel deserves its own article in a future photo-essay.

My final highlights of 2024 would provide an opportunity to witness and photograph two special events in the world of Astrophotography. In early October I’d seen some information online about Comet C 2023 A3 and eagerly noted the Comet’s date of perihelion and closest approach to Earth in my Calendar. During the week before that closest approach, I then discovered that a strong solar storm was forecast to hit the Earth, potentially providing an opportunity to witness the Aurora Australis, wow!

It is incredibly rare to see the Aurora in the Blue Mountains, as one generally would need to travel to a more southerly inclination, so I was initially skeptical about witnessing it here. On October 12th however, I was amazed to see a pre-dawn photo of the Aurora over the Jamison Valley shared in a local Whatsapp hiking group and hoped for clear skies for the coming night. That evening my three children and I ventured to Olympian Rock, hopeful of an evening light show over the Three Sisters and Mount Solitary. Our timing couldn’t have been better. As we arrived, a slight magenta hue seemed to be hanging in the sky and a quick photo with my phone revealed that indeed, the Aurora was there! By the time I got my tripod and camera set up the Aurora intensified, becoming much more visible to the naked eye and allowing me to capture this panoramic image comprised of 8 separate photographs. I’d always hoped to be able to witness and photograph the northern or southern lights someday and it just blew my mind away that I’d been gifted the opportunity to do so just down the road from home.

And finally, the Comet. I’d tried and failed to see the Comet at its closest approach to Earth. I drove out west looking for clearer skies and a clear view, but the clouds just followed me and the sky still seemed too bright an hour or so after sunset. But no matter, I knew there would be more opportunities and that the Comet would be setting later with every passing day. On October 19th I managed to get my first image together with my kids again and their German grandparents, an amazing family experience. I wanted to see if I could do better though and maybe capture the comet closer to the horizon, with an interesting foreground to complete the image. A quick look at a map revealed that an image taken from Sublime Point in Leura would enable me to Include The Three Sisters in Katoomba. That would be perfect! The first night was good and confirmed my plan, but the clouds eventually moved in and blocked my view of the comet before it was close enough to the horizon for a tighter focal length. The next day though, the skies were kind and I managed to capture this image of Comet C2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS directly over The Three Sisters.

Looking back at these images and with 2025 now underway it’s fun to ponder: What events will pop up through this new year and what opportunities would I like to create? Only time will tell, but I look forward to the uncertainty, being spontaneous and working on projects with the Stolen Echoes team.

MY YEAR IN STREET PHOTOGRAPHY