The Best Pictures of 2011
Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
This is an image of the Pinnacles in Cervantes located north of Perth. They are ancient rock formations located in Nambung National Park. You can choose to walk or drive around these limestone spires. We did the walking first and drove on the way out. Don’t miss out on the biodiversity centre – it’s very educational.
Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
This picture was taken during an Easter trip to Western Australia. We decided to go see Margaret River and this camel was residing at a cheese factory – no joke! There was an ewe too but she was camera-shy. The place is called Harvey Cheese where we had a delicious cracked black pepper cheddar.
Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
To take this picture, I went through a lot of suffering. First of all I woke up at a hostel at 4.45 am in order to make in time for sunrise which according to the meteorology bureau here in Australia was at 6.00 am. This photo is taken from the path up to the summit of Mt William in the Grampians region just as the sun is rising. I guess suffering walking up a dark mountain at 5 am and the low altitude of walking inside a cloud was worth it for a view like this.
- Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
This is from the National Rhododendron Gardens in Olinda,Victoria. Taken in early spring when the flowers were at their finest and brightest, this free park is a must visit attraction. This path instantly reminded me of Anne of Green Gables for some reason.
Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
I generally attend two camps with my photography club, one in autumn and the other during spring. This time as part of spring camp, I went to Lake Fyans to see the sunset. We decided to go off the beaten track and was rewarded with shots like the one above.
Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
This is a shot I took during my autumn camp as we had a lunch break in the town of Benalla. I thought the rich red autumn foliage and the white crossover bridge made a nice contrast especially with the bright blue skies above.
Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
This is Lake Catani in the autumn. It is located in the alpine region of Victoria and you need to get there by dirt road. The silver trees you can see are remains of brush that was damaged by forest fires. Bush fires are very common in country Victoria and it is hard to stop it in high wind season.
Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
This is in the region of Bright in Victoria and it’s not too far from the border of Victoria and New South Wales. It was taken in the vineyards of Boynton winery. I was fortunate enough to have the bird with the beautiful plumage in the shot taken during sunset but my 18-55 mm lens was much too basic to encompass more zoom.
Copyright: Sarasi Peiris
This was taken at the base of The Horn close to the car park. Glancing through the hut windows reveals a stunning panorama of dipping hills, other mountain peaks and valley that spreads for miles. This taken on a very cold but sunny autumn afternoon that felt like it was winter so I enjoyed the climb up to the summit as it invigorated me.
This image was taken at the cafe just across from William Rickett’s Sanctuary (I have images from there too so let me know if you would enjoy a post about that sculpture park). A waitress told me as I enjoyed my latte that this kookaburra was a regular visitor there which is probably why he is on the entrance sign. The surroundings of this cafe were so beautiful that I felt as if I had stepped into Narnia.
Note: All 10 images were taken by a Nikon D40 DSLR with a basic lens. Make sure to enlarge to view.
The Best Pictures from 2010
Photography has been a hobby of mine for almost five years now once I got my Nikon D-40 for my 21st birthday. This hobby has become a staple of my holidays since my family is into taking rigorous walks in National Parks and State Reserves to various Lookout Points and I regularly attended the photo camps held by my camera club. So I figured I might share some of my favourite snaps from 2010.
The Boathouse at Cradle Mountain © Sarasi Peiris
This photograph was obtained after walking the 6 km Dove Lake circuit in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. A goal definitely worth attaining after sore legs since a 10 minute walk would have sufficed from the other direction.
The Dam Bridge at Maroondah Reservoir Park © Sarasi Peiris
This was taken during a camp trip to the Yarra Valley. The flight of stairs and then the additional track to the lookout point is recommended for the view from above. Just be fit or you’ll be panting.
Yering Winery © Sarasi Peiris
After being treated to a wine tasting, I explored Yering Winery. This view from their expansive balcony large enough to hold over a hundred people caught my attention because of the stunning colours.
Dingo at Healesville Sanctuary © Sarasi Peiris
Wildlife photography is something I usually shy away from because my basic lens cannot do it justice. However this dingo was so cute I couldn’t resist. Given their appearance, it is hard to believe these are wild dogs.
Apollo Bay © Sarasi Peiris
This picture appears very generic thanks to the countless reproductions of scenery taken from the drive on Great Ocean Road. However this picture I took during the Easter photo club camp appeals to me as one of my best.
Blue Lake at Mt Gambier © Sarasi Peiris
During the return trip from our April vacation, we had a stopover in Mt Gambier. After waking up at sunrise we went on a walk around the perimeters of Blue Lake. What’s one night of missed beauty sleep for a view like this?
Glenelg Beach © Sarasi Peiris
This lovely expanse of ocean was the view from my hotel balcony on Easter Sunday. Located in the South Australian seaside town of Glenelg, this beach is a great sight to behold.
Wineglass Bay © Sarasi Peiris
This was a day I was particularly thankful for good weather because the 3 hour walk to Wineglass Bay is not what anyone would dismiss as easy. Though if you feel able to handle it , some great photo opportunities abound.
Erskine Falls © Sarasi Peiris
I was feeling far too cold and wet to go down to the bottom of the falls and at 6.30 pm on a cold autumn day, it was not really enticing. But I love the contrast between the waterfall and surrounding foliage.
Victor Harbour © Sarasi Peiris
This photo is of Victor Harbour in the Fleurieu Peninsula on the way to Adelaide and this causeway is the route the horse-drawn tram uses to carry passengers from the mainland to Granite Island.
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