I remember doing this workshop back in 2014, and it was such a fun experience. Sadly, I never did any more workshops up there, but I have these photos. I thought it might be nice to show the post and the photos again.
Recently, while I was in the Mallee, I had the opportunity to teach a workshop to some people up there. The workshop was focused on Landscape and Night photography. I do love teaching, and to be able to teach a workshop in a place like that was just amazing. There are some things that I need to work on when I am doing them, but I am happy with how they are run, and people do seem to enjoy them, at least that is what they tell me. The workshop was based around a town called Nyah West, which is sort of north of Swan Hill, a town or small city in the northern part of the state of Victoria.
Nyah West isn’t the vibrant town it once was, but still, I was shocked to see a sheep wandering up and around the main street. It was having a lovely time eating the grass that is in front of some of the old shops.
We did go to the old house, but it was very warm, and I didn’t take too many photos myself. I was helping other people and showing them how to do things on their camera. I have to admit I was also very worried about snakes, which turned out to be justified. This time of the year, and for the next few months, snakes are going to be a real problem in places like this. For those that aren’t aware, most of the snakes we have in Australia are poisonous, and if they bite you, you will die, unless you get to the hospital very quickly. I just found a site, a cheery thought really, check out the poisonous snakes, Facts and Figures: World’s Most Venomous Snakes. Thank goodness they all sleep in the winter. Though the two we see the most are the brown snakes and tiger snakes.
The conditions out at the salt pans. It wasn’t as hot there as it had been at the old house. It was a very bright sun, and since it was behind the lakes, it meant we had to take photos into the sun, so getting shadows of the dead trees seemed a logical thing to do. The trees were lots of odd shapes.
The salt pans were precarious, and we really had to watch where we were going, if you weren’t careful, you would start sinking.
It had always been the plan to photograph the sunset here. It was going to be the ideal setting, the salt pan, the dead trees, even some water, what more could we ask for, well maybe some clouds! By the time sunset rolled around, there wasn’t a cloud to be seen in any direction. It was disappointing at the time, but still, the colours were quite amazing.
I have enhanced them here, but often I find the camera doesn’t always pick up what you see. Now that I look at the images, I don’t mind that there weren’t any clouds. I like the tones and the starkness. Maybe if there had been clouds, you would have looked at those more than the trees in the water.
After dark and after dinner at the Nyah West Pub, we headed out the road again to do some Milky Way shots. I did enjoy that too, and it was by far one of the best classes on night photography I have done. I found a good formula that worked for me, and I think I would like to try it again.
The above image was the last one we took for the night. I showed a photo the other day of someone shining a torch to light up the Milky Way, and this is the person who did it. I asked her to just stand in the road, and we lit her up. The light we used was a little too strong, so I had to work on that, but I don’t mind the results. Playing with the light turned out to be a lot of fun.
I am hoping to do more workshops up in the Mallee, and I am starting to see that perhaps a lot of people would benefit from a more basic introduction to your DSLR, a class I do down here all the time, so I am going to plan another trip and do a workshop on that. I have some more photos and will put them into a gallery for you now. The weekend has started here, and plans are afoot to go out and take more photos. My daughter is very close to getting all her hours up, so she is also going with me to get more driving. I hope you have photography planned this weekend.
very beautifull picture 👍
Tahnk you Neeraj
The salt pans do look messy underfoot but the evening colours and starkness are lovely, Leanne xx
Messy certainly, but yeah, it was worth it. Thank you Jo.
I really love these photos, especially the ones with the dead trees. The one you took looking into the sun is quite striking. And the sunset shots are wonderful. That light really adds an eeriness to the scenes. Those last light photos are really wonderful. Thanks Leanne!
Thank you Tim, I have to agree with you about the light, it really helped with these.
The sunset shots are beautiful, and the sheep shots are so cute! What a fluffy guy! I did have to laugh a bit at the sunny photos. A bit unlike you, Leanne! 😆
Hahahha, I know, sunny images not my thing, but sadly I don’t always get a say when doing things like this. Thank you Lois.
I love this gallery, especially the old house and dead trees.
Thank you Egidio.
I really admire your night sky photography, it is beautiful. Would you consider writing a post on how you do it?
Thank you Sam, I don’t get to do it too often, but love it when I can. I don’t know that I am expert enough, but I could give it a try, maybe next year.
I particularly like the gaunt and barren scenes that you’ve shown here.
Thank you Margaret.
The perfect place for photography 😁. I must admit to pushing the limit with snakes. So far I’ve been lucky 😊. We too have a few that are toxic, and plentiful of course.
It is a good spot, I haven’t been back there since, but maybe I should take another visit. We have so many poisonous ones here, that we never take advantage, especially as tiger snakes and brown snakes will come after you. Not good.
We have plenty toxic ones also, here they avoid people and I have only seen one truly aggressive. A small Pygmy Rattlesnake, and he was aside my house, angry with me LOL. All went well and he was herded to the woods.
You are lucky that they aren’t typically aggressive, we have two around us that are, and they are the ones we see all the time. Scary. When I used to ride my bike if you saw a tiger snake it would rear its head up ready to strike you.