The Lake at Night

In the dark night
The world looks similar
But different;
I walk on

I took these photos along the Belmont lakefront last night. It was a lovely clear night and I thought it was a good chance to see how my new camera performed at night as well as to stretch my legs.

I used to do quite a bit of night photography in Sydney but it’s not something I’ve done as much of lately. I’ll have to do more of it. Night shots can look quite unique, particularly street photography, and I like how it can give a new perspective to subjects you’ve photographed before as well.

Photos and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018

Mr Percival

Mr Percival the Pelican

Nature’s prime favourites were the Pelicans;
High-fed, long-lived, and sociable and free.
~ James Montgomery

The weather has been pretty wet and ordinary around Lake Macquarie lately, not the best for taking photos, although given how bad the drought is in NSW I don’t think anyone minds the rain. It was nice today though, sunny with a bit of a breeze, so I thought I’d go for a walk by the lake to stretch my legs and take a few shots.

I got a new camera the other day, a Sony A6500, and I’d been looking forward to putting it through its paces. So I was very happy when I came across Mr Percival the Pelican here as he made a very good model and seemed more than happy to pose for me! I guess the fame from Storm Boy has gone to his head.

The light around sunset was beautiful and I really like how the shot came out. Simple but sometimes that’s all you need.

Thank you, Mr Percival. You can pose for me any time. 😉

Photo © CJ Levinson 2018

Seagulls by the Lake

Seagulls by the Lake

Seagulls by the Lake

A cold wind blows
As I sit and watch
The sun set
And the seagulls swarm

I took this down by the lake in Belmont this afternoon. The light was beautiful as the sun started to go down but it was bitterly cold, particularly in the wind. It made for some nice choppy waves on the water though.

The seagulls were everywhere too. Unfortunately I didn’t have any chips for them but these two were kind enough to pose for me anyway. 😉

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018

Sunset Over the Hills

Sunset Over the Hills

Sunset Over the Hills

Seven worlds will collide
Whenever I’m by your side
Dust from a distant sun
Will shower over everyone
~ Distant Sun, Crowded House

I took this a few weeks ago while walking by the lake in Belmont. It was a beautiful sunset and I loved the way the sky was lighting up just behind the hills. It came out quite well… I do love a nice silhouette! 🙂

Photo © CJ Levinson 2018

Blowing in the Breeze

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Tall grass
Sways gently in the breeze
As the sun sets
On another day

I took this a few days ago down by the lakefront in Belmont. The sky had just started to turn this beautiful orangey-yellow and there was a lovely cool breeze as well blowing through the trees and grass. I knew the sunset would make for a nice photo but I really wanted to try to capture the feel of the breeze and motion in the image too, so I thought I’d try to juxtapose the gently moving grass with the sunset. It took me a couple of shots to get it right but I really like this one… it’s simple but really gives the slight feel of motion which I was going for.

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018

Float Your Boat 2018

Last weekend was the second edition of Lake Macquarie’s Float Your Boat event. It was a lot of fun and seems to be getting bigger and better each year!

For the first night I went along with my photo group to Marmong Point Marina for the start of the event and then on to the Toronto foreshore to capture the boats in action, and then on the second night I caught them near where I live in Belmont.

The photos were challenging as shooting moving objects at night is quite difficult but they came out well overall. I think I learnt a lot from shooting the event last year and it really helped me this time. I’m very happy with them.

Both nights were a lot of fun and I’m really looking forward to next year’s event. I hope you enjoy the photos!

Photos © CJ Levinson 2018

Sunset 28/5/18

Sunset 28/5/18

As the sun sets
On another day
I find myself
Thinking of you

Beautiful sunset from earlier this evening. The sky had clouded over during the afternoon and I didn’t think we were going to get much of a sunset at first but for a few minutes the sky opened up and turned this gorgeous purple and pink. Glad I stuck around to catch it.

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018

Belmont Lakefront

Belmont Lakefront

Blue sky, blue waters
A warm breeze
Caressing my face:
I feel at peace

This photo is from a couple of days ago. I’d gone for a quick walk along the Belmont lakefront to stretch my legs and I really liked this scene when I came across it… the light was so lovely and the water such a beautiful blue that I knew I had to take a quick shot.

Ironically we had very heavy rain for the next couple of days, so much so that some parts of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie were flooded. I guess it shows just how quickly Mother Nature can change.

Photo and haiqua © CJ Levinson 2018