Under the Milky Way

| cjlevinson

The Milky Way
Stretches across the sky:
I see your face
In the stars

I took these shots in Newcastle last week. I’ve always loved the stars and have often wanted to try to shoot the Milky Way but there’s usually too much light pollution around to shoot it properly. I took these at Nobbys Breakwall and while there was still light pollution, it was dark enough to get a few shots. I was pleased with how they came out, particularly not having done a lot of astrophotography before. Not bad for a first attempt!

Photos and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2019

Harlequin Bug

| cjlevinson

I found a little beetle; so that Beetle was his name,
And I called him Alexander and he answered just the same.
~ Forgiven by A A Milne

A harlequin bug (Tectocoris diophthalmus) on the outside of our house. I grabbed my camera and macro lens when I saw it and took a few quick shots, this one came out well. Nice and sharp.

It’s very pretty, gorgeous colours. Looking at it reminded me of the poem Forgiven by AA Milne which I used to love as a child.

Photo © CJ Levinson 2019

Around Newcastle

| cjlevinson

I took these photos during a walk in Newcastle yesterday afternoon. I didn’t think I was going to get much of a walk in originally as it was very overcast when I left but it cleared up quite nicely by mid-afternoon.

The water was very wild though and the waves at the Bogey Hole were huge and a lot of fun to shoot. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of trying to shoot a gigantic wave smashing into the rocks while not getting drenched yourself!

Photos © CJ Levinson 2019

Newcastle Ocean Baths in Black & White

| cjlevinson

The Newcastle Ocean Baths is my favourite spot to shoot in Newcastle. There’s just something about the light and all the interesting areas to shoot and the rich textures that really inspires me when I’m there. I think it’s almost impossible to get a bad shot there.

I did a photo challenge at the Baths with my Newcastle photography group last weekend. The idea was to try to shoot in a way that you normally wouldn’t so I used a filter on my camera to shoot entirely in black & white. At the time I thought it was going to be quite limiting but it was actually fantastic. There’s something about seeing your composition in b&w at the time rather than converting it later that feels really liberating and I almost felt like I was seeing the place with new eyes.

I’ll have to do the challenge again from time to time just to change things up. Maybe try shooting with a different lens too. I hope you like the photos.

Photos © CJ Levinson 2019

Belmont Baths Sunset

| cjlevinson

I wandered down to the new Belmont Baths and Jetty to shoot the sunset a couple of days ago. It’s a great time of year to shoot at the Baths at the moment as they’re rarely very busy and the sun sets right across the lake so you get beautiful light and colour.

I took the chance to get a few photos of the new amenities block as well. It looks very nice and really completes the area. It’s been fun watching it all go up over the last year.

Photos © CJ Levinson 2019

Old Toronto Station

| cjlevinson

I’ve been wanting to shoot the old Toronto railway station for a while now and I finally got the chance a couple of weeks ago. The station is an interesting piece of Lake Macquarie history – it originally opened in 1891 and was active right up until 1990. It’s now been repurposed as the Lake Macquarie Heritage Centre and the line and station are still mostly intact. Wandering around you can really feel the history and it’s a great area to photograph.

I hope you like the photos. I’ll have to go back at some stage to shoot a sunrise.

Photos © CJ Levinson 2019

Cliffs at Redhead Beach

| cjlevinson

Rocky towers
Rise from the sand,
Silent guardians
Of this ancient land

I took this at Redhead Beach a couple of weeks ago. The light was beautiful and I loved the contrast between the shadows and the orange rocks and the blue sky. The whole scene reminded me a little of the temples and tombs at Petra.

Photos and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2019

Belmont Jetty at Dusk

| cjlevinson

A purple and yellow sky
Dotted with clouds
Marks the end
Of a long day

This is from a couple of weeks ago, by the new Belmont Baths. I’m really enjoying exploring the baths and jetty, there are a lot of fantastic opportunities for photos, particularly now there are less people around.

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2019

Between Speers Point and Warners Bay

| cjlevinson

Walking by the water
The sun on my back
A breeze on my face:
Peace

This shot is from a couple of weeks ago. I was actually walking in the opposite direction but noticed how beautiful the light was and swung around in time to capture this moment. It’s easy to forget to look behind you but sometimes that’s where the best shots are.

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2019