Australian seascape and landscape photography

Posts tagged “ocean

The Trek to Bushrangers Bay Arch

There are two public walking tracks into Bushrangers Bay that are about the same length. One track starts north-east of the bay at Boneo Road and the other track begins at the Cape Schanck lighthouse carpark, west of the bay.

We chose to walk the track from the Cape Schanck lighthouse carpark because it’s arguably more scenic and there’s a lot more carpark spaces available.

Along the sandy track there’s a couple of opportunities to look back along the coastline towards Pulpit Rock.

Further along the track the native trees enclose the path and form a welcoming tunnel.

After a bit of walking the bush track crosses the Burrabong Creek via a small wooden footbridge. Eventually the bush track opens onto the sandy beach of Bushrangers Bay. Here you’ll encounter Main Creek which cuts through the sandy beach and enters the ocean.

You need to cross the creek. You might get wet feet here depending on how much water is flowing in the creek at the time, and how far you can jump. 🙂

In the photo below, Main Creek cuts through the sandy beach on it’s way to the ocean.

After crossing the creek it’s a short walk to the beautiful rock formations and platforms where at low tide there are lots of small crystal clear rock pools exposed.

At the water’s edge the rock platforms rumble as waves slam into the steep rocky walls.

Looking back from the arch towards Bushrangers Bay, lots of people exploring the platforms and rockpools.

It was a public holiday and very busy.

When we arrived at the arch we found that much of it was in the shade with very bright background elements.

This is problematic from a photography perspective, but anyway you work with what you’re given. 🙂

Photo below – Using a nice wide lens, some ND filtering, and blending 3 exposures I ended up with a keeper that I like.

This image is available to purchase as a print here.


An Evening at Pearses Beach – Blairgowrie

A long exposure image from Pearses Beach in Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula. You can get to Pearses Beach by parking in the carpark at the southern end of Pearse Road in Blairgowrie, and walk a short distance along the sandy walking path to the beach.

Tech stuff – 20 secs, f/13, ISO100, 10 stop solid + 4 stop soft grad ND filter.

Technical stuff for the image below – 15 secs, f/13, ISO200, NISI 10 stop solid + 4 stop soft grad filters.


Dawn at Montforts Beach – Blairgowrie

Following are a couple of long exposure images from Montforts Beach taken at first light on a cloudy grey dawn. You can access Montforts Beach by parking at the Spray Point Road carpark and following the sandy walking track south. Montforts Beach is signposted along the track. It’s also well worthwhile visiting Spray Point while you’re here.

Tech stuff for the image below- 5 sec, f/11, ISO50.

Technical stuff for the image below – 2.5 secs, f/18, ISO50.


Koonya Beach – Blairgowrie

A couple of images from Koonya beach, Blairgowrie on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula.

Image below, technical stuff – 1.6 sec, f/8, ISO160, 10 stop solid ND filter.

Image below, technical stuff – 10 sec, f/10, ISO50, 10 stop solid + 4 stop soft grad ND fiilters.


Sierra Nevada Rock – Portsea

A long exposure image of Sierra Nevada Rock, Portsea.   The rock formation is on Portsea back beach, just a short walk north-west of the London Bridge rock formation.  IMPORTANT – It’s only accessible at low tide.

Tech stuff -15 sec, f/14, ISO 100, using an ND400 filter.

jim worrall, portsea back beach, mornington peninsula, long exposure, seascape, black and white


Before the dawn – Bridgewater Bay

A pre-dawn long exposure image from Bridgewater Bay, Blairgowrie, on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula.

(20 secs, f/8, iso200.)

Jim Worrall, Blairgowrie, Mornington Peninsula, beach, long exposure


St Pauls beach sunset – Sorrento

The setting sun lights up the foreshore through the arch at St Pauls beach, Sorrento, Mornington Peninsula.

Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, beach, Sorrento, sunset, long exposure, ND filter

Jim Worrall, blank and white, long exposure, ND400, Mornington Peninsula


Montforts beach – Blairgowrie

A long exposure image from Montforts beach, Blairgowrie, on the Mornington Peninsula.

Tech stuff – 30 seconds at f/13 using an ND400 filter.

Jim Worrall, Montforts beach, Blairgowrie, Mornington Peninsula, long exposure, black and white


Through the Keyhole – Bridgewater Bay

A couple of long exposure images from Bridgewater Bay, Blairgowrie, on the Mornington Peninsula.

Picture below – a 20 second exposure at f/16 using a Hoya ND400 filter.

Bridgewater Bay, Blairgowrie, Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, long exposure, ND400

Picture below – A random visitor on the beach stands relatively still under the “bridge”offering some size perspective during a 13 second exposure .

Tech stuff – 13 secs f/9 ND400Bridgewater Bay, Blairgowrie, Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, long exposure, ND400


Sunrise at Sullivan Bay – Sorrento

A long exposure sunrise image from Sullivan Bay, Sorrento, on the Mornington Peninsula.  The iconic jetty has recently started to fall to bits.  I suspect she wont be around much longer.  :/

Tech stuff – 25 seconds f/18 ND400 filter.

sullivan bay, sorrento, mornington peninsula, sunrise, long exposure, nd filters, nd400


Togs on the Rocks – Eagles Nest – Inverloch

Jim Worrall, Eagles Nest, Inverloch, Bass Coast, long exposure, nd filters, Nisi

Togs on the rocks at Eagles Nest, Inverloch.
Tech stuff – 30 secs f/9, 10 stop solid and 4 stop soft grad ND filters.


Pulpit Rock – Cape Schanck

Pulpit Rock at Cape Schanck, on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula.

Tech stuff – 2.5 secs f/20, 4 stop soft grad – tonemapped image.

Pulpit Rock, Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula, Jim Worrall


Bushrangers Bay – The Splash Zone

The “splash zone” at Bushrangers Bay, near Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula.

Tech stuff – 15 secs  f/14  ISO100 with an ND400 filter

Bushrangers Bay, Mornington Peninsula, long exposure, ND400, Jim Worrall, black and white, seascape


Shelley beach and Point King – ND group excursion

Last weekend we had our ND group excursion for beginners.  It was a great turnout with lots of enthusiastic people attending.  We started shooting at Bridgewater Bay in Sorrento in very difficult conditions with the wind blowing a continuous mist of fine rain onto our lenses.  I was both surprised and delighted that so many people stayed and had the patience to put up with these conditions, …..such a dedicated bunch.  🙂  Many thanks to Jason Cincotta and Michael Stringer for assisting with so many ND newcomers.

Later we moved onto the front beaches at Point King, Sorrento, followed by Shelley beach, Portsea , both providing us with much more friendly shooting conditions.

Pictured below – Point King jetty.  Tech stuff – 132 secs f/18.

Point King, jetty, Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, Sorrento, long exposure

Pictured below – Shelley beach, Portsea.  Tech stuff – 60 secs f/18.

Shelley beach, Shelly beach, Portsea, Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, jetty, pier, seascape, long exposure, port phillip bay

Pictured below – Shelley beach, Portsea.  Tech stuff – 136 sec f/18. 10 stop ND + 4 stop soft grad.

shelley beach, shelly beach, portsea, jim worrall, mornington peninsula, seascape, long exposure

Pictured below – Most of the crew from the group excursion, Bridgewater Bay.

ND group excursion, bridgewater bay, jim worrall, jason cincotta, michael stringer, mornington peninsula, photo excursion


Balnarring Beach Groyne – revisited

For those unfamiliar with groynes, a groyne is a low wall or timber barrier built out into the sea from a beach to prevent erosion.

On a previous visit to photograph this groyne the tide was unexpectedly low and yielded images that weren’t quite what we were looking for.  This time I made sure to arrive at peak high tide and waited for the tide to recede and reveal just enough of the groyne to catch these images.

A local resident told me that the zig-zagging planks aren’t always visible and that they’re sometimes completely covered by sand with only the posts exposed.

For those who might be interested in photographing the groyne,  it’s easily accessible. Park at the end of Seawind Rd, Balnarring Beach.  It’s a short walk down to the beach then turn right.

Tech stuff – 25 secs @ f/9 using a 10 stop solid + 4 stop soft ND grad + polarizer.

Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, long exposure, black and white, seascape

Tech stuff for the image below – 13 secs f/9, NiSi 10 stop solid + 4 stop soft grad + polarizer.

Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, long exposure, seascape, ND filter, NiSi


Jubilee Point – Sorrento

A long exposure shot from the base of Jubilee Point at Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula.

Tech stuff – 4 secs at f/16 using an ND400 filter.

Jim Worrall, Jubilee Point, Sorrento, Mornington Peninsula, long exposure, seascape, ND400, ND filter, black and white


Sullivan Bay – Sorrento

A daytime long exposure photo from Sullivan Bay, Sorrento, on the Mornington Peninsula.

Tech stuff – 66 secs f/13 using ND400 + ND8 filters.

Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, Port Phillip Bay, long exposure, seascape, jetty, black and white

Jetty at Sullivan Bay, Sorrento.


The Sphinx – Sorrento back beach

Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, seascape, black and white, long exposure Jason Cincotta at Clelsea beach   :)


The Clash of Land and Sea – Cape Schanck

Some images from the wild n’woolly waters of Cape Schanck on the Mornington Peninsula.

Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula, Jim Worrall, long exposure, ND400

Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula, Jim Worrall, long exposure, ND400

Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula, Jim Worrall

jim worrall, Mornington PeninsulaAbove – Behind the scenes.

Jim Worrall, Mornington PeninsulaAbove – Behind the scenes.


Bushrangers Bay – The Boiling Ocean

Following are some images from an excursion to the wild coastline at Bushrangers Bay on the Mornington Peninsula.
I highly recommend the 3km hike from the carpark at Cape Schanck lighthouse to Bushrangers Bay. The scenic track follows the coastline along clifftops and through bush.
The best time to visit Bushrangers Bay is at low tide which allows access to the rugged rock formations.

Bushrangers Bay, Mornington Peninsula, Jim Worrall, seascape, long exposure2.5 secs f/8 using an ND400 filter.

Arch, Bushrangers Bay, Mornington Peninsula, Jim Worrall, long exposure, seascape, ND4004 secs f/8 using an ND400 filter.

Alan Wright, Mornington Peninsula, Jim Worrall
Pictured above, my friend Alan lining up his next shot at Bushrangers Bay.
Pulpit Rock at Cape Schanck can be see on the horizon.


St Andrews Beach – Long Exposures

A collection of long exposure images from St Andrews Beach on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula.

seascape, beach, Jim Worrall10 seconds, f/13, iso100.

Jim Worrall, long exposure, seascape, black and white30 secs, f/18, iso 100.

Jim Worrall, seascape, long exposure, black and white15 seconds, f/14, iso100.

Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, seascape, long exposure, black and white48 seconds, f/8, iso200.


Explosion at Cowrie Beach – Phillip Island

jim worrall, phillip island, australia, seascape, black and white

A wave explodes against rocks at Cowrie Beach on Phillip Island. 1/60th second at f/8.


A Splash of Dawn – Koonya beach Blairgowrie

Sunrise at Koonya beach in Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula.

Mornington Peninsula, back beach, Jim Worrall


The Blowhole Track – Flinders Back Beach

A series of long exposure images from The Blowhole Track at Flinders back beach on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula..

Tech info – 360 sec f/8 iso 200
Jim Worrall, Flinders, Mornington Peninsula

Tech info – 30 secs f/14 iso100
Jim Worrall, Blowhole Track, Mornington Peninsula

The Blowhole Track – Flinders.
20 secs f/11 iso100
Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, long exposure, ND400

Following are a couple of shorter exposures –

Tech info – 1.3 secs f/8 iso100
Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula, ND400, long exposure

0.4 sec f/8 iso100
blowhole track, Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula


Sunrise at Cape Schanck

This was certainly one of the more memorable excursions that my photo group has undertaken, …and in a bad way.
The rock selves at the end of Cape Schanck are hazardous at the best of times. On this particular visit two of our group members were caught off guard and knocked into water by an unexpectedly large wave.

Thankfully both guys are OK and came away from the experience with minor injuries. It could have been a lot worse.

Pictured below, the view from the rock platform at Pulpit Rock, Cape Schanck, looking across to Bushrangers Bay as the sun rises.

Pulpit Rock, Jim Worrall, Cape Schanck, Mornington Peninsula

Pictured below, Pulpit Rock at the end of Cape Schanck.

Jim Worrall, Mornington Peninsula


Sierra Nevada Rocks Selfie

An 8 second selfie at Sierra Nevada Rocks at Point Nepean, Portsea.
I’ll definitely be making a return trip to this awesome structure.

Jim Worrall, Portsea, Point Nepean, Mornington Peninsula


SS Speke revisited – Kitty Miller Bay – Phillip Island

A series of long exposure images from the SS Speke shipwreck at Kitty Miller Bay on Phillip Island.

Kitty Miller Bay, Phillip Island, Jim Worrall

Kitty Miller Bay, Phillip Island, Jim Worrall


Kitty Miller Bay, Phillip Island, Jim Worrall

Kitty Miller Bay, Phillip Island, Jim Worrall

Below – A long exposure from Kitty Miller Bay, Phillip Island.

Phillip Island, long exposure, Jim Worrall


Tempest Rising – St Andrews Beach

A couple of long exposure images from St Andrews beach on the Mornington Peninsula.


Jim Worrall - St Andrews Beach - Mornington Peninsula - long exposure - black and white


St Andrews Beach - Jim Worrall - Mornington Peninsula - long exposure - ND400


Alienscape – St Andrews Beach

A couple of long exposure shots of rock formations at St Andrews Beach on the Mornington Peninsula.

Jim Worrall - long exposure - Mornington Peninsula - ND400

Jim Worrall - ND400 - long exposure - St Andrews Beach - Mornington Peninsula


The 8 Second Selfie – St Andrews Beach

Here’s a bit of selfie fun from St Andrews Beach on a quiet afternoon.
Jim Worrall - long exposure - selfie - ND400 - St Andrews Beach

……and here’s the reason why it’s best not to swim, dive or surf here. 🙂
Jim Worrall - long exposure - ND400 - Mornington Peninsula