Benz World Blog » Red

Slow Travel

Jason Benz — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 04:15:29 +0000

The start of 2020 has been very relaxing. For the first time since I can remember, I have no deadlines. Last year I set myself so many targets I often had to drive past photographic opportunities like Uluru because there was no time. This year I have been free to thoroughly explore each location and experiment with subjects under a range of lighting conditions.

My electric mountain bike has been invaluable this year. I finally got an inverter so it can be recharged off grid. Each sunny day I pick a direction and cycle about 10km stopping frequently to shoot. Even if it is rough dirt tracks and steep hills the 10 year old bike battery still has enough juice for a 20km round trip anywhere. By the time I get back to the van its 150watt solar panel has collected just enough sunshine to recharge the bike.

On rainy days I planned to process images but at the moment I am having so much fun flying up and down hills there is almost no power left for the laptop. The upside is in 2020 I have travelled more miles using renewables than with fossil fuels. In 2019 I drove so much the van battery could be topped up with the alternator. Now I am travelling slowly I need the power from the sun more than ever. I plan to add a 350watt solar panel to the van so I will no longer have to ration laptop time to a few hrs per month. Hopefully increasing the output of fossil free photos from photons.

I realised the reason I am getting so much enjoyment from this bike is because it is the first time I have ridden a mountain bike on a real mountain. The tough design is great for going downhill on any terrain and because it is electric it is happy going uphill too.

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

Paul Janeway

Jason Benz — Sun, 23 Apr 2017 23:06:26 +0000

This is St Paul and the Broken Bones on the Crossroads stage at Bluesfest 2017. Lead singer Paul Janeway is a force of nature. His passionate performance of authentic southern soul led a band with a massive groove factor.

UPDATE: St Paul will be back at the 30th Bluesfest in 2019. It is guaranteed to be a great show.

UPDATE: The band will return to the festival in 2023, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website. A few days after the Easter festival they have shows in Melbourne and Sydney, tickets from Bluesfest Touring

This image is available for download here.

Complete Madness

Jason Benz — Sun, 16 Apr 2017 13:58:09 +0000

This is the Suggs from the band Madness playing the Mojo stage at 2017 Bluesfest. This was the final performance in their tour of Australia. I was thrilled to see them play as Complete Madness was the first vinyl record I bought with my brother more than 30 years ago. It was a their first compilation album and they played the same songs in the set tonight. Suggs is just as funny as he always was and the band messed around on stage like a bunch of school kids as they did one hit after another.

This image is available for download here.

Flaming Torch

Jason Benz — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 15:01:04 +0000

This flower is from an epiphytic bromeliad. We have a small colony of them growing on the Frangipani trees in our garden in Queensland, Australia.

This image is for Molly Path who is fond of my floral photography.

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

Ferry Meadows

Jason Benz — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 08:21:59 +0000

This was taken at the 2010 Ferry Meadows firework display in the UK.

The photograph was re-processed using only Camera RAW.

The stock photos from the event are available here.

Mulgildie Pub

Jason Benz — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 10:03:41 +0000

Tonight we are staying outside the Mulgildie Pub in Queensland. I am starting to notice a trend developing in Karen’s choice of campsite. I can hardly complain as pubs in Australia have everything a traveller on the road could need. This one arrived on the back of a train from Gayndah in 1927.

John Mayall

Jason Benz — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 12:59:22 +0000

Yesterday evening we saw the Grandfather of the British Blues movement, the one and only John Mayall. He put on an outstanding performance with his latest group of american bluesmen at the 2015 Byron Bay Bluesfest. He has launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac and many more blues stalwarts. During the performance on the Crossroads stage he played keyboard, guitar, harmonica and then found time to sign autographs and chat to the audience in the front row. It is hard to believe he is 81 !

This image is available for download here.

Wadi Rum

Jason Benz — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 11:36:30 +0000

This red desert landscape is Wadi Rum in Jordan. It was taken 7 years ago with my old Olympus E-330. Developed with Camera RAW, no Photoshop.

If it looks familiar, it has appeared in many films as the surface of Mars.

Karen is in Sydney this week to see Don Giovanni at the Opera House.

Pyramid Wall

Jason Benz — Tue, 20 May 2014 13:30:50 +0000

This is the great Pyramid on the edge of Cairo in Egypt. I was trying to use the wall to lead the eye and give a sense of scale.

It has been a busy week. We have both been working in the day and moving furniture in the evenings. Tomorrow we hope to collect our fridge which should be the last big thing to move in to our new house. I will then give our van a well deserved oil change and service.

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

Outback Crawl

Jason Benz — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 02:06:43 +0000

Our Broken Hill Tour has started to resemble an outback pub crawl, mainly due to the offers of free camping and the type of thirst which can only be achieved from driving hundreds of miles on dirt roads.(using the word road in it’s loosest possible terms).

The locals are always friendly and welcoming. This may be due to the fact our arrival often increases the local population by a third.

This is Leo who we met at one such pub. He is polishing opals. Opal mining is the reason many of these tiny communities exist.

Our van has continued to supply a series of minor engineering challenges. However as it was one of the last fully mechanical vehicles, nothing has yet has been beyond a simple roadside fix.