Benz World Blog » Sunset

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.

Cruiser Charging

Jason Benz — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 11:52:03 +0000

This amazing looking car is named Priscilla and was put together by the Australian Technology Network, which is a collaboration between five universities in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia. This makes it Australia’s only national team. It arrived in Coober Pedy today at the 2nd charging station for the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge. The Cruiser class of solar cars are allowed two charging stops between Darwin and Adelaide. Whereas the Challenger class cars do the whole 3000km with only the power of the sun they collect en route. I met the designer of the body today who is also a mechanic. He offered to tune up the engine in my van as he could hear it was struggling to keep up with the solar cars.

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

Stanage Sunset

Jason Benz — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 05:36:14 +0000

Stanage is a tiny town at the tip of a peninsula and the end of a 100km dirt road. It sticks out into the Pacific ocean surrounded by islands where the continent fragments into the shallow turquoise waters at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef just north of the tropic of Capricorn in Queensland, Australia. The town is encircled by rocky headlands separated by wide open beaches where unseen creatures create intricate patterns with millions of small sand spheres. The beach camp faces west so the setting sun reflects in the ocean every evening. A rare occurrence on the east coast. Anywhere else in the world this sea view would be priceless. Here local volunteers maintain a free camp along the coast between a boat ramp and the general store. Both are kept busy by the transient population. The Plumtree store sells gas refills and can fetch anything you want in their twice-weekly supermarket run. This all makes Stanage a popular place to escape the worst of the winter chill.

Fishing seems to be the main pastime here although I photographed one guy sat on a surfboard looking out to sea. He beckoned me over and announced he was about to surf in crocodile infested waters. I asked if he thought that was wise. He just grinned and looked back at the ocean. Not wanting to discourage his obvious enthusiasm I said I had heard people have been seen swimming here. Well, he liked that. Without hesitation, he grabbed his board and started running towards the sea. Had I accidentally encouraged someone to risk their life? I went back to the van to switch to a longer lens, by the time I got back he had attracted some onlookers. One couple said they had been visiting for 30 years and never seen anyone try to surf here. Try to? As if the only problem was lack of surf, not the risk of becoming a giant reptiles’ snack on a stick!

I am currently in Mackay for a few days to restock. On Monday I will be going to Cape Hillsborough National Park for 4 days. After that, I will be exploring the Coal and Sugar region west of here before going North again to see the sublime Whitsunday islands. Although Birds, Boats and Beaches are a lot of fun to photograph it is mining and machinery which seem to be in higher demand. Currently, Mechanography accounts for less than 10% of my portfolio on Shutterstock but almost 50% of the income so these opportunities cannot be missed.

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

Surfer Silhouette

Jason Benz — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 01:08:24 +0000

This beautiful sunset appeared through a misty cloud at Goolwa Beach in South Australia. I had positioned myself so this surfer would walk in front of me to produce a silhouette and make the shot. Unfortunately as she approached she saw my camera and put her hand over her mouth thinking she was about to ruin it. I tried to explain it was OK but the moment was lost. Fortunately I had captured a body surfer earlier so I could Photoshop in his head and shoulders. Split toning was also used to create some extra colour.

Glen Innes

Jason Benz — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 03:32:54 +0000

This is the town of Glen Innes in New South Wales, Australia. It is twinned with Pitlochry in Scotland, UK. I suspect there have been a number of Scottish settlers, since many of the places in the area have Celtic names.

This shot was taken in what photographers call the golden hour. This is the hour before sunset or after sunrise, when the light is warmer, and it is easier to balance the exposure between the sky and the land.

We left Sydney on Monday and spent our first night camped at Burning Mountain. It was assumed to be volcanic, although when geologists investigated it was discovered that the smoke was due to an underground coal seam, which has been burning for thousands of years.

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

Opera Evening

Jason Benz — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 14:03:05 +0000

The Sydney Opera House is a remarkably photogenic building, which is helped by its position on the water in the harbour. There is a clear view from almost every angle. If you walk over the Harbour Bridge you can even look down on it. This shot was taken from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair in the Royal Botanic Gardens

Streaky Pier

Jason Benz — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 07:19:12 +0000

This is a silhouette of the Pier at Streaky Bay in South Australia.

I have spent most of last week going over all the old posts in this blog. I have been adding tags and links to make the site easier to navigate. Travel and Stock Photography can encompass just about everything so it has been interesting to discover what the more common subjects have been. Here are a few of the more common tags at the moment. 81 of Australia, 73 of UK, 67 of Water, 56 of Buildings, 45 of Trees, 44 of Transport, 43 of Cities, 42 of Night, 36 of Augmented Reality and 35 for Red, Blue, Sky and Sand.

Solar Nuke

Jason Benz — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 02:19:12 +0000

This sunset was taken in South Australia on this coast.

Parham Sunset

Jason Benz — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:17:11 +0000

This sunset was taken in a place called Parham 70km outside Adelaide in South Australia. Very little photoshopping needed here. The sky that night had an intense concentration of colour on the horizon.

Burley Griffin

Jason Benz — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 05:16:23 +0000

This is Lake Burley Griffin in the Australian Capital Territory. Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect who was best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia‘s capital city.

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