There are so many little islands all around here. It is fantastic as the waters are alive. We saw about 20 sharks in the shallows chasing Turtles around, huge schools of fish feeding, whales and heaps of eagle rays in large groups. This morning we drifted over coral reef and visited several sandy islands. This place has it all.
We had an hour each in the chopper with the door off. We were able to get out on the skid as we had a harness on. Unfortunately the pilot said that is we went into the drink getting out of the chopper was going to be a little harder, great, why did he tell me that. Still we made it and had a ball flying around getting pics like this one.
Well here we are again, same old, same old. Exotic location, helicopter, 5D2 and a bit of sunshine. I love escaping the cold. Having a great time up here working for Apache. Getting some great pics of what is an amazing place. We have seen some great stuff, heaps of sea life and wildlife. Have an excellent shot of an eagle and a seagull fighting over a fish. This is a paradise. Having fun with my bro, Jamie Paterson and artist Larry Mitchell. Is this supposed to be work???
Flying to Exmouth tomorrow for more fun in the sun.
Hi all I will be away from tomorrow on a shoot with Jamie Paterson and my bro, doing some aerials and other landscape type stuff for Apache Energy. Will let you know how it all goes when I get back. Should be a fun trip with heli’s an other aircraft at our disposal. If I don’t reply you will know why. Cheers
I think I have found a better way to reach a large audience, might have to ask Ken if I will be sent straight to hell for impersonating a Christian!!! Well the title isn’t incorrect it just depends on how you read it. I like christians, but I couldn’t eat a whole one!!! Man, am I setting myself up again??? Just joking as we all know,……… hopefully!
Here is a compilation I knocked up a little while ago for a local Bottle shop, being a good Christian I don’t mind a drop of red wine. Still I didn’t sell the concept so I have been sober ever since!
Thanks to everyone for such awesome comments, I was quite humbled by the support everyone has given me and it almost bought a tear to my eye. I was ready to chuck it all in last night but realise that would be like saying goodbye to my friends. Even though a lot of you I haven’t met we all share a common interest in photography so we will always have something good to talk about.
The blog is pretty hard to keep up with and this is part of my frustration but it goes with the territory. I enjoy looking at everyone else’s blogs when I get time and as you know these things take time so please don’t think I don’t see what your all doing. Posting comments is getting harder to do so remember I’m still out there checking for new awesome images to inspire me too.
I’m proud of this community we have and welcome anyone else who wants to be involved. I am going forward now with a positive outlook and to offer more great images and posts to keep us all enthused about photography.
Now once I get things under control here I have a photo comp to run. I have booked the cabin on True North for the Sydney trip as first prize next year but want to get it up and going asap. So now is the time to get out and shoot, your hard work could get you on the trip of a lifetime. I’m thinking about booking on this trip myself. Now if there are any companies that want to throw up some minor prizes for free publicity let me know.
thanks again everyone, oh and Canon and I are friends again!!
Cheers
Christian
Can I tell you something about having an opinion, as soon as you have one there are always people willing to challenge that opinion. I guess I created this debate about some hot Nikon gear coming out, and I didn’t lie about it. Wether I should have mentioned it, that is something I should have thought more on. In the end people love to have a go at someone, shit I’m as guilty as the rest.
My comments were aimed at Canon for something they did that pissed me off, there I said it. Part of me knew it was going to bite me in the bum and it did. I have people in Canon pretty disappointed with what I posted. It is a shame they didn’t give me a pat on the back when I was talking up the 5D2 and the range of lenses and printers that I have bought over the years.
I am just about done with this blog and the whole photography crap. I have lost sight of the big picture, to create the best landscape photos I can. I hardly have time to do that now. I’m always blogging or emailing, it has to stop one day.
You know the shit that goes on between photographers, wholesalers and camera manufacturers, what a load of crap. Why does it happen, because we are all trying to make a living from this capper. If all we wanted to do was create beautiful images how awesome would it be. It’s all about money, and don’t worry, I’m trying to make money too. We are so consumed by it we become greedy and protective of our markets.
I think I need to go back to my early days when working up an image was something I had time for.
p.s. don’t worry I’ll regret saying this in the morning and have to start sucking up to people again. More friggin politics!
Well I am in crisis mode and also depression mode as my 13 days on True North have come to an end. I hope Mark and I didn’t rub it in too much about how awesome the trip was. And just a note, no I am not on the payroll at Northstar cruises, I just seriously had the best holiday of my life. In fact it is probably as good as anything I’ll ever do in my life and something that you have to experience to believe. A big thanks to the crew and Mark and Craig for allowing me to get on and also to the great people I met also. Do yourself a favour and save up, it is money well spent. Now its on to the next adventure, 4 days in a heli shooting landscapes for Apache with Jamie Paterson and my bro. That is going to make a few jealous too!! hehe. What do you reckon Jamie??
Seems my Nikon post has ruffled a few feathers at Canon. To make it up to them I want to talk about the new 17mm TS that I purchased from Team Digital in Perth. I hope Nikon have had a look at this lens as it is amazing. I have been blown away by its sharpness and it was evident when in live view at 10x magnification. I have the 50mm f/1.2 and the 85mm f1.2 and they are awesome lenses but this is better again. It is a weird looking bit of kit with a bulbous front element and bloody scary to use as that bit of glass can scrape on anything so easily. Don’t know if there is a lens hood for it but I think it needs one. Maybe someone from Canon could enlighten us. The images I have are so sharp and will post some as I get a chance, I am in crisis mode or is that suck up mode. Still a little bit of controversy earned me 36,000 hits on the blog in under two weeks and a few people to take notice. Sorry Canon you still make bloody good gear, if you have any news you want to spread let me know!!
Also a big thanks to Ben at team digital for letting us use two TS lenses to help make our minds up to get one. Cheers buddy, and thanks for the great service!! 
I have had so many heli flights on this trip I feel like I could fly one of those things. Rainor our pilot is a legend and will put the heli in our shots when ever we want. The pic of Steep island was pretty cool with him hovering just in the shot. Michael was on the heli taking video of us on the hill. Expect to see that on Vimeo soon.
Two days to go, what a bummer.
Shoot in Black and White and point the camera towards the ground. We have been out in some awesome landscapes but if the light isn’t doing it, it can still be hard getting a great shot. Still it is always possible to get a photos of something. Saw some great rock art today and tomorrow we hit King George falls. Did I mention I caught my first Barra yesterday. The one I lost was close to the magic 1 meter mark, that thing was a beast, glad it got off though, would have been a shame to kill something so awesome.
The trip will be ending soon, I think I might leave with a tear in my eye. The crew are amazing and work so hard, we don’t do Jack!!! In fact if you asked nicely they might even wipe your bum for you so you absolutely don’t have to do anything.!!!
Had a heli picknick at Eagle Falls today, wooooowww, it was the best.
I have in my hand a list of all the new Nikon gear that is going to be released over the next year. I have to get permission to talk about it from my mates at Team Digital. Will keep you posted, I’m pretty excited. Thanks to Nikon Rumours for posting my comments, it has sent my blog balistic. Cheers
Have had some good and bad light so far on this trip but awoke to an awesome day at Hunter River. The temperature has been perfect hot and muggy, better than cold and wet! Included a pic of the boat for those who unsure what a weapon True North is. It is so awesome pulling up to it in the tenders or landing on it in the heli.
We also have seen some great wildlife like the eagles etc. Had some great sharks just hanging off the back of the boat this morning and expecting to see more crocs later today. Just got back from a flight to Mitchell Falls. Pretty impresive but the light was too harsh for great shots. Still we got out and had a look around before flying back to the boat for a cool drink. I will be dragged from this boat kicking and screaming when we finally dock in Wyndham. I love it and you will too if you are lucky enough to get on for a cruise.
Also the PNG cruise I am doing is trip 1 now as trip 2 is sold out already, such is the popularity of this cruise.
It is just under half way on my trip on True North and the weather is just getting better. Last night we did a group shot lit only by the moonlight. It was pretty good fun as there were probably 50 people on the front of the boat all trying to be still after a couple of hours of serious drinking. Will post the shot later. This trip is a dream, if you have the chance of doing it don’t let that chance go by. Five of the people doing this trip have now booked to do PNG with me next year for more photo fun.
As a side note my post about the new Nikon cameras coming out got put on a Nikon rumours forum, the result over 11,000 hits on the blog in one day. Now that is some serious numbers, you hearing this Canon???
Hi all, well the trip is getting better and better and to think I still have over a week left to go. Yesterday we had two heli flights, one for the sunrise to the top of the mountain at Raft Point and the other over Montgomery reef. The landscape is big epic and Australian, so I love it. True North is a dream come true for photographers, I have never experienced a trip like this before and probably wont again, well till he next trip on this amazing floating hotel. Time to start saving for the PNG trip next year. Markie has been going hard, trying to keep up with him but the guy is a machine. Today he was showing off his swan dive at Kings Cascades!! Will talk more about the trip when we get more internet time. Hope the weather is good back home 
The title says it all, this trip is just getting better. tonight it is Raft Point which is just unbelievable and tomorrow morning a heli flight to the top of a mountain for the sunrise. So much ground still to cover. Ah the simple life!!!
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