Benz World Blog » Light

Forest Rain

Jason Benz — Sat, 08 Apr 2017 00:07:07 +0000

This photograph was taken at Judd’s Lagoon just outside Yuleba in Queensland, Australia.

There is something magical about the light in a forest when the sun shines through the rain.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

New Year

Jason Benz — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 14:01:59 +0000

Happy New Year 2017. This is The Lake Broadwater Conservation Park Campsite. I was photographing the stars when the camp next to us put something combustible on their fire. After 2 weeks on the road exploring the Maranoa region of Australia we arrived back on the Gold Coast yesterday.

Leaf Rain

Jason Benz — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 11:52:10 +0000

The colours in this leaf on the grass in my garden caught my eye. It is the dry season here in Queensland, Australia but no one told the rain. The Gold Coast has a subtropical climate. This time of year is the build up to the hot wet summer but sometimes it arrives early.

This image has been accepted by Shutterstock for Stock Photography and is available for download here.

Grace Potter

Jason Benz — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 09:06:05 +0000

This is Grace Potter on the Mojo stage at the 2016 Bluesfest in Australia. She returned to the festival with a new band after an awesome performance in 2014 with The Nocturnals. In 2015 she released her first solo album “Midnight” in over 10 years. She still has the flying V and is not afraid to use it. The set ranged from old classics to new songs with no shortage of slide guitar and drums rocking out. There was nothing tame or dilute about her performance. It was high energy music delivered with power.

This image is available for download here.

Vintage Trouble

Jason Benz — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 13:19:30 +0000

This is Vintage Trouble playing the Crossroads stage on the final day of Bluesfest 2016. They were definitely a highlight of the festival. It is impossible to overstate the amount of energy lead singer Ty Taylor puts into every performance. One review said “imagine James Brown singing lead for Led Zeppelin” I can’t think of a better description of this supercharged tight four piece band.

UPDATE: Vintage Trouble are confirmed to play the 30th Byron Bay Bluesfest in 2019.

UPDATE: Vintage Trouble will be back at the festival in 2023, Tickets from the Bluesfest Website.

This image is available for download here.

Joe Bonamassa

Jason Benz — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 12:59:10 +0000

Bluesfest would not be a blues festival without a sharp suited guitar shredder to lay down some licks. In 2016 Joe Bonamassa stepped up to headline the Crossroads stage on the third day of the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia. Joe’s career began opening for B.B. King when he was only 12. More recently he has been recording music with Beth Hart.

UPDATE: Joe Bonamassa will return to the festival in 2023, Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

This image is available for download here.

Film Student

Jason Benz — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 10:35:08 +0000

I often wonder how someone ends up behind a TV camera. At the 2015 Byron Bay Bluesfest, we saw film students from the local creative media institute filming bands on the main stages at the festival.

This image is available for download here.

Ska Orchestra

Jason Benz — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 03:10:29 +0000

The Melbourne Ska Orchestra put on an awesome performance on the Crossroads stage last night at the 2015 Byron Bay Bluesfest. We never miss a chance to see them. Their energy is infectious, not only will they get your toes tapping you will find yourself dancing like a lunatic and having a thoroughly good time before you can say Madness. (image download here)

The Melbourne Ska Orchestra will return one last time for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest in Easter 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: In 2026 Bluesfest will be the last in a line of major festivals closed from increasing headwinds. This began before covid, with the previous state government’s legislative “war on festivals“. The new government risks letting this trend continue through inaction. However, you can change this. If 20,000 signatures are received, the NSW Parliament must debate Bluesfest’s future. #savebluesfest if you live in the state Sign up here. For everyone else, there is an international petition on change.org Sign up here.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

Orion Nebula

Jason Benz — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 03:18:56 +0000

This is the Orion Nebula also known as Messier 42. To the naked eye it appears to be the middle star in Orion’s sword. We were lucky enough to see it at the Warrumbungle Observatory where you could attach your DSLR to the telescope. I say lucky because this is the second time we have visited this area and the clouds seem to follow us each time. Our host Peter Starr did his best to point the telescopes at various features between the clouds. We are on our way to visit the Barrick Gold Mine in New South Wales and hope to be in Sydney by Friday in time for Karen to fly back to UK.

Summer Storms

Jason Benz — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 13:41:00 +0000

It is getting hot in Australia. In Queensland the summer storms have been rolling in most afternoons for the last fortnight. Brisbane was hit by a couple of super-cells last week, and this week it was the turn of the Gold Coast. This shot was taken from our back garden in Southport. To colour this image I adjusted the white balance to match the shade of purple I saw in the sky each time the lightning struck.