Weekend Wanderings is about the Australian Gardens that are in Cranbourne. They are also the Australian Botanical Gardens and showcase many of the native plants that you find here.
Weekend Wanderings – Australian Gardens
It wasn’t my first time there, but it was the first time for a couple of years. Our native plants often flower at odd times, so that can make them funny to photograph. It makes sense, Australia is a very dry country and plants need a lot of energy when they flower.
They need to produce flowers when they won’t be their most vulnerable. That usually means Autumn or late winter, early spring. By the time the summer is approaching most of them are finished for the year and getting ready for the heat and lack of water.
While at the gardens yesterday there were a lot of plants, but not many flowers. The friend I was with was photographing the banksias, which she loved, but for me the day was more about trying out the Fujifilm X-T3.
Fujifilm X-T3
It was a good opportunity to take it with me and try it out. I am so glad I did that. Borrowing gear can be wonderful, but you have to be prepared that you will also get all the settings that the previous person who used it will be there.
There were a few problems to sort out. The first one I noticed was that I couldn’t focus with the shutter button. It was set up for back button focusing.
I know that a lot of people love that, but I hate it. I’ve never used it, and I found that when I tried to do it I ended putting fingers on my glasses as well. That just makes them dirty and I hate dirty glasses. Could be that I am a bit weird and I use my left eye to look through the viewfinder. When trying to focus with the button at the back it was too awkward.
Fixing problems
Trying to work out how to stop that was harder than I thought.
Next problem was that there didn’t seem to be any option to shoot in RAW.
When I got to the gardens I realised that taking photos was a little weird as well. Each image has to be approved, or something like that. It didn’t take me long to work out that it was set for double exposures. Thank goodness for Google, and I found out how to turn that off.
Google wasn’t so helpful with the other two. When I tried to search to turn off the back button focus all I got was results to show me how to set it up. I tried to reverse it, but it didn’t work.
In the end I just did a factory reset and that worked. I could focus how I wanted, and the ability to shoot in RAW was there as well.
All set
It is all set now. I think anyway. Hopefully, the frustrations will be gone and I can just enjoy the camera now.
Camera bay
I took the Peak Design Travel Backpack with me as well. It was very comfortable to wear and it is going to work really well in New Zealand.
Gallery
I have a few photos now. Most of them were taken with theFujinon XF10-24mmF4 R OIS Lens, though I did originally have the Fujinon XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR Lens on the camera. However, with the problems that I was having with the camera, the lens was a bit heavy, so I changed it. The first image in the gallery was taken with it.
I hope you are having a good weekend.
Sadly, my photography these days is limited to an android where one simply clicks. Maybe just as well. I don’t think I would ever relearn the subtleties. Still, I miss not being able to take shots of such excellence.
Android can be good. I got a Pixel 3 when they came out and I love taking photos with it. It can be very cool. YOu might get back to it one day, maybe you just need a break. Thank you Colonialist.
I love those decks. I will call them Lilly Pad decks. I don’t own a piece of water where I can put them but I do own land so I can do a version of this. Awesome shot. Very calming and inspiring.
Yes, I think they meant to imitate them that’s for sure. I hope you can get them one day, they are cool.