Beached Rock - Hawkesbury River

Jeff Catford

Beached Rock - Hawkesbury River

Beached Rock – Hawkesbury River

The Hawkesbury is one of Sydney’s bigger rivers. It’s not an urban river like the Parramatta and Cook Rivers. It’s more a sedate and dignified rural river with a bit of a bohemian National Park edge to it.

The Hawkesbury is also schizophrenic in that it starts out as the Nepean as it begins its grand encirclement of Sydney in the far west under the shadows of the Blue Mountains’ escarpment. It then wiggles and jiggles northwards along the coastal plain and becomes the Hawkesbury as it turns east, cutting deeply, here and there, into the iconic Sydney sandstone to leave magnificent walls of brillaintly honeycomb coloured rock that reflect the morning and afternoon sun with a light that all who have grown and flourished in its glow hold deep in the core of their being.

Ultimately The Hawkesbury opens into Broken Bay, Sydney’s northern harbour, and empties, largely surrounded by National Parks and little in the way of settlements, into the Pacific.

This image is of a tiny beach on The Hawkesbury River near the Webb’s Creek Ferry. The mist rises off the river, glowing in the new day’s sunlight, but, left, forlorn and forgotten, out of sight and out of mind, is this rock, beached and stranded like a sad, sad walrus.

It made me smile.

© Copyright – 2009 Jeff Catford

Beached Rock – Hawkesbury River was featured in:
DSLR Users Only – 3 A Day – June 2009
Collage and Landscape photography – June 2009

Kit:
Nikon D200 – Sigma 10~20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
Manfroto tripod
Nikon MC-36 Remote

Exposure:
10mm
f13×7 exposures – 1/1000sec ~ 1/15sec

Post Processing:
Photomatix – yes, it’s HDR – with help from PSE, Topaz Adjust – and the usual faffing about_

Best viewed LARGE

Thank you for looking and thank you for your comments.

Beached Rock - Hawkesbury River belongs to the following groups:

Atheism, Australian Landmarks and Icons, Collage and Landscape photography, Dawn and Dusk Light, DSLR Users Only - 1/24 - Camera & Lens In Description Please., Fine Art of Landscape Photography, HDR Photography (3 Photos per 24hr-day), Landscape Photography, Scenery, Take Me Higher (Dynamic Range) and Topaz Filters with Photoshop Available for sale as

Greeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Canvas Prints, Framed Prints and Posters
Beached Rock - Hawkesbury River by Jeff Catford
Beached Rock - Hawkesbury River by Jeff Catford
  • IngaR

    IngaR

    very nice, Jeff!!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you IngaR .. :-)

  • Misty Lackey

    Misty Lackey

    this is great!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you for your comment Misty and thank you for dropping by.

  • Jason Ruth

    Jason Ruth

    very nice and v ery subtle with the HDR, well done.

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you scatrd. Yes, I did hold back on the HDR. I should’ve waited for a rainbow though… :-)

  • Karl Williams

    Karl Williams

    Oh yes .. nothing quite like a bit of mist to get the photographic juices flowing. Nice one, Jeff!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you Karl. The photographic juices weren’t the only juices that were running.. I was starving and needed breakfast!! .. :-)

  • Veikko Suikkanen

    Veikko Suikkanen

    Congratulations! This work has been featured in the group DSLR User Only!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Wow!! Thank you Veiko. I’m really chuffed. And thank you for the favouriting and adding me to your watchlist .. :-)

  • Shaun Whiteman

    Shaun Whiteman

    Great shot Jeff, lovely composition my friend!! I lived in Glossodia for a few years many years ago and visited the river many times!!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you Shaun. The Hawkesbury is a wonderful river. The Sydney sandstone is what does it for me.

  • Iris Greenwell

    Iris Greenwell

    Beautiful! Good timing!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Iris, thank you for stopping by and commenting. And thank you for your portfolio… yep, I just went and had a very enjoyable peek.. :-)

  • Chappy

    Chappy

    Love the foggy effect.. well done and congrats on being featured.

    Chappy

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you very much for the comment and the congratulations Chappy. It is very much appreciated… :-)

  • athex

    athex

    Great work – love this

  • Jeff Catford

    Jeff Catford

    Thank you athex. A comment from you is very much appreciated.

  • John Segon-Fisher, RPA

    John Segon-Fis...

    Beatifully rendered light.

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you John. The light was rather nice.. sometimes it pays to get out of bed early. Oh, and thank you for the fave too.. :-)

  • David Hibberd

    David Hibberd

    Simply beautiful
    Davo

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thanks Davo. Very much appreciated.

  • Scott d'Almeida

    Scott d'Almeida

    fantastic

  • Jeff Catford

    Jeff Catford

    Thank you Scott. Always appreciated.

  • Brendan Schoon

    Brendan Schoon

    WOW, amazing shot, great composition and the mist is truly fantastic!! Great lighting, such a magnificent place to be! Very well done.
    Brendan

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Brendan, thank you for your very kind comment. From you, it is much appreciated.

  • M G Pettett

    M G Pettett

    A beautifully atmospheric capture!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you Mike. I appreciate your comment very much. And thank you big time for the fave too! :-)

  • David Lewins LRPS

    David Lewins LRPS

    Wonderful image, full of atmosphere with excellent light and exposure.

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you David, I really appreciate you stopping by and commenting.

  • EarthGipsy

    EarthGipsy

    Beautiful, mystical image – thanks for the info too, very interesting indeed.

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you so much EarthGypsy, I think it is a little bit mystical too.. :-)

  • Barbara Brown

    Barbara Brown

    Wow, the mist is wonderful!! Great capture!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Thank you so much Barbara. I’m really glad that you like it.

  • David Lewins LRPS

    David Lewins LRPS

    Sorry Jeff, I had to have another look! The light in that rising mist is superb.

  • Jeff Catford replied

    David, please feel free to drop by as often as you like.. :-) Thank you for this 2nd comment. I think that’s a first for me.
    The mist was special. I remember well how it just glowed in the sunshine.

  • Kieran O'Connor

    Kieran O'Connor

    Wonderful capture Jeff!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Kieran, your comments are always appreciated. And so are your faves… :-) Thank you for both and thank you for your own portfolio.

  • LeighN

    LeighN

    This is a great shot Jeff, the way you’ve captured the mist and light on the river makes me feel like I’m almost there. I’m sure the rock isn’t too sad with a view like that ;) Another one for the pool room!

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Ahhh Leigh, your comments are always a delight to read. Thank you heaps for this one and thank you for the addition to the pool room.

  • Rosalie Dale IPA

    Rosalie Dale IPA

    I have never made it out there early enough for morning mists – stunning shot! Excellent processing.

  • Jeff Catford replied

    Getting a comment from you has made my day Rosalie! Thank you.You are very kind.
    But I must say … you should should set your alarm clock for ‘early’ and get down to somewhere like Wisemans Ferry and watch the Hawkesbury mist slowly and gently rise and rub the sleep from the eyes of the sandstone walls. It’s just magic… :-)

  • Rosalie Dale IPA

    Rosalie Dale IPA

    One day Jeff … !!!

  • Barbara Brown

    Barbara Brown

    Love the misty river!

  • John Vandeven

    John Vandeven

    Wow Jeff this is just wonderful…..As is all your shots.

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