Two seascapes from the winter of 2022. Both of the pictures are of Encounter Bay from Rosetta Head (Kongkengguwarr) . This is a headland, 97m above sea level
I pretty much stand in the same location and I'm looking in the same direction east by south east --- the camera is basically looking across Encounter Bay to the coastline of the Coorong.
During the winter months I have been photographing the clouds and sea of Encounter Bay on the early morning poodlewalks. This photography has generally been before sunrise from the eastern side of Rosetta Head. The clouds usually disappear after sunrise
An example:
These are not just cloud studies nor just light studies as often it is the play of light on the water that attracts me as well as the clouds.
The clouds, light and colours change rapidly between 15 minutes before sunrise and 15 minutes afterwards.
I have been taking advantage of the recent overcast weather conditions to photograph in the Spring Mount Conservation Park. The park is small (2.79 square kilometres), consists of mature stringybarks (both Eucalyptus obliqua and E. baxteri), and looks as if it provides a good habitat for the yellow tailed black cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus). We only see these cockatoos in Encounter Bay when they feed on the pine cones in the late summer/early autumn.
The Spring Mount Conservation Park is on a ridge lying between the Inman Valley (in the south) and the Hindmarsh Tiers Valley (in the north). It is in a high rainfall area and I discovered that it can be raining there whilst it is sunny on the Victor Harbor coast, which is just 15- 20 minutes away by car. I have been mostly photographing on the Inman Valley side of the park, as well as walking along the roads along the edge of the park such as the Mt Alma Rd and the Strangeways Rd.
The photo above was made whilst I was walking along Strangeways Rd with the poodles. This road runs east from Mt Alma Rd then south dropping down through farmland in the valley to Sawpit Rd near the Inman Valley Rd. It's a loop. We only walked a couple of kilometres along Strangeways Rd. I have yet to explore the rest of this road in the car. Nor have I walked along the trails within the park.
This picture is from Mount Alma Rd looking north across some farmland towards the Spring Mount Conservation Park in the southern Fleurieu Peninsula:
The Spring Mount Conservation Park is situated on a broad ridge that stands between the Inman Valley and the Hindmarsh Tiers Rds. The trees in the park are mostly mature Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) and Messmate Stringybark (E. obliqua).
I have returned to making some more photos of the coastal architecture at Victor Harbor on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. This is a break from the daily photos of the bushland and coastal rocks made whilst I am on the morning and afternoon poodlewalks.
Most of the new coastal architecture is cheaply built holiday houses that would probably last only a generation. They don't even have foundations. The builders just plonk a series of concrete blocks in 4 corners. There is no concrete slab.
This particular house is situated on Encounter Lakes is more up market and better built. Encounter Lakes is a new housing estate built around a human made saltwater lake situated along Bartel Boulevard at Encounter Bay.The houses are basically built for retirees: one level and low maintenance. The emphasis is on lifestyle.
Another version of a retiree house, this time one along Franklin Parade in Encounter Bay that is facing the sea. Franklin Parade is seen as a prime location.
The cashed up retirees are leaving Adelaide and moving down to live beside the sea on the southern coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula.
During the transition from summer to autumn this year I started a study of clouds from the top of Rosetta Head in the southern Fleurieu Peninsula. I was building on these earlier photos.
From Rosetta Head I was usually looking east north east.
The clouds were above Encounter Bay, and the photos were made in the early morning, generally before sunrise. The photo above is an example.
The cloud formations that move across Encounter Bay around Victor Harbor are often quite dramatic.
The photos of the clouds are usually made from on top of Rosetta Head in the early morning:
The cloud shapes are constantly changing.
During the school holidays a funfair or amusement park is set up near the causeway to Granite Island. It is a tiny public space for Girder Family Amusements: a space between the holding pens for the horse drawn carriage to the Granite Island Recreation Park and the barbecue area in the Soldiers Memorial Gardens.
But a seaside town must have a funfair with its ferris wheel, dodgem cars, inflatable double slides etc etc. It is tradition--just like the horse drawn carriage to Granite Island and the Cockle train to Goolwa. There for the family day tourists.
Below are some more images in the ongoing series of suburban architecture at Victor Harbor in South Australia. These photos, which were made just prior to the Covid-19 lockdown whilst I was on an early morning poodlewalk with Kayla. They are part of photography as placemaking.
This is at a time when the global digital photographic market is contracting and stagnating, resulting in Olympus selling off their camera business (a Micro 4/3 system) to a private equity firm. Covid-19 has increased the stagnation as it has bought photography to more or less a standstill since February 2020. One consequence is that there will inevitably be more consolidation in the camera industry and that the emphasis of my photography is on the local due to national travel restricted and international travel untenable. There will be more walking locally.
This white house is on the western end of The Esplanade. It overlooks the beach, is opposite a caravan park and it is near the mouth of the ephemeral Inman River. Kayla and I often walk past it on the return leg of the walk that we do along the Esplanade beach from Kent Reserve.
This house is at the other end of The Esplanade and it looks out to Granite Island.
Domestic coastal architecture is primarily a space for living within. Traditionally the buildings are sparse and functional. They are summer holiday houses simply built. Their exteriors are so ordinary as to pass unnoticed.
At Encounter Bay the 1940-50s houses are slowly being pulled down and grander seaside designs are being built. 51 Franklin Parade, Encounter Bay is a recent example:
