A timely reminder today that just because you've set a day aside for a romp in nature to take some images, doesn't mean the weather will agree to your schedule. However, that did allow for a joyous trip around the countryside in which I covered approximately 530kms through central Victoria, chasing dynamic light. I even managed to schedule it so I would be in some of my favourite territory for that magical golden hour, which promptly became the silver hour (and tarnished, at that) which was nothing short of unspectacular. Therefore I kept driving, listening to some upbeat tunes for company.
While I did manage a couple of fun shots, for the most part the day was daubed with overcast skies and a steady mundane drizzle which contravened all good intentions - not all a loss though, I have penciled a few locations to return to when the weather throws me a happy turn for a future date between me and a camera.
While I couldn't capture some of the things I saw, I did sketch them out with words, so a brief sample of my observations:
- I find the one true One Tree Hill... it’s in Victoria, in the Yarra Valley, and creates quite a striking silhouette against the rain
- I have no idea what to do when my GPS drops out during my lunch break... does anyone even sell the Melways anymore? And I seemed to hit on a happy algorithm today where it took me the scenic route rather than down the main highways... how do I make that happen? When did I become so hopeless without my phone and the helpful lady inside it who tells me where to go?!
- Driving through the Rushworth Forest, I swear an emporor penguin tries to flag me down for a ride
- The only McDonalds I have seen in over 400kms wasn’t even a McDonalds... it was McDonald’s nursery. Not sure of any affiliation... suspiciously similar lettering and shade of red on the signage...
- A family of grey kangaroos dining outside of Bendigo, I barely even see them - they look like granite boulders that have been there for one million years and will never move... they truly belong to this land
- I desperately love this country and the long drives that it allows... somehow I find a way to truly clear my mind on the road and reconnect to all the colours, sites and smells of this land on which I am a privileged guest