I decided to head out for a really full day of shooting waterfalls as Victoria has experienced a very wet late winter and early spring and there is flooding in many parts of the rural areas. Spring is always great time to photograph waterfalls, as all the creeks and rivers have risen and started to fall again, which means plenty of water, but not flooded to their maximum. My plan was to include at least 3 waterfalls that I had not really photographed properly before and they included Turpin falls just north of Kyneton, Trentham falls and finally Sailors falls just south of Daylesford. It made a good circuit for the day without back-tracking… the tracks at each spot were slippery and very wet but I managed to get down to the bottom of all three falls and create some really good images, even battling excessive water spray and wind. It was a long day, what with the continuous wiping of my lenses and then trekking down to each waterfall and back up again…and so was quite glad to get home and spend a few hours in front of the computer working on them, I can tell you! I have posted a small selection of these images that I have completed, below.

This year’s photographic workshop to Norfolk Island was extended out to 11 days. It is something I had thought about for a couple of years and on reflection it was a great decision. There is so much on this Island to offer the photographer that in the past, I tended to rush the sessions a little, to squeeze in as much as possible. Judging from the feedback of the participants on this years workshop, everyone had ample time to savour all the scenic delights, explore a little on their own and have some valuable down-time. There was enough space to incorporate some photoshop and critiquing as well which is always favourably received.  It also meant that I could indulge in showing the group a few secret locations I love which normally I don’t have the time for. No other operator offers the amount of tuition and locations and so, I want it to be the best possible workshop for any wishing to avail themselves of this. A big thank-you to all 16 participants, it was wonderful to have you all join me and for me to share this delightful south pacific setting with you.  Next year I will again be conducting the workshop here on Norfolk and the Dates are September 12th to the 23rd (a little later than the usual August start due to a huge golf week on the Island) Anyone wanting to join us, please drop me an email….costs and more information will be available in a week or so from today. Place are filling fast and the 2017 is already more than 50% full.   Please enjoy a selection of my images taken on this workshop as posted below.

The launch of my latest coffee table book in conjunction with last years workshop in 2016 has proved to be a total success. My sincere thanks to Becki at the Norfolk Island Travel Centre for her backing on this publication. To date over 50% of the first edition of the book has been sold. It is the official gift presented to visiting dignitaries by Government house. It’s also available to anyone wishing to pay postage and packing from the Island. Just contact the travel centre to obtain your personal copy.

I was thrilled to receive 3 Silver awards out of my total of four entries in this years APPA’s. The Australian Institute of Professional Photography runs these annually and is strongly supported in the professional photographic community. I have now reached the Associate level officially, which I am extremely happy about. Looks like I have to work hard now for a couple of years to reach my Master’s level with AIPP. My congratulations too, to all those who received similar awards for their wonderful images. The standard was extremely high across all sections and particularly the Landscape section that I entered. I have attached my two favourite images here that won silver.

A short trip and a rest and  to visit our son Adrian on the Gold coast. A time for relaxation and chilling out, but still with camera in hand I managed to shoot some lovely pics. Adrian had organized a fantastic afternoon of whale watching out from Brunswick heads on the Northern New South Wales coast. Blue Bay dive and Whale watching adventures is to be commended for their amazing trip. Adrian uses the company for his diving trips and the use of the smaller boat means an intimate encounter with these phenomenal gentle giants of the sea. We encountered several young male Humpbacks and their antics were a delight, near us and at times under the boat!  We stayed out to right on sunset! What an experience… I also had a wonderful afternoon with Petra Hennig, a lovely lady who lives on the Gold coast and does diving at times with Adrian. Petra is a photographer with passion and a delightful eye for composition, so we headed up to the hinterland to shoot the Killarney Glen and waterfall. Thanks! Petra for showing me this delightful place. So, most days we walked the beaches, ate gorgeous food and sipped lattes and just watched the world go by!

Panama Whale Watching: Whale Watching Season in Paradise

Some personal photography one fine Winter’s day a couple of weeks ago. I hit the road early and toured the Macedon Ranges, including Woodend, and also the countryside around Hanging Rock. It was certainly great to be out enjoying the scenery!

It was time for a coastal getaway with my wife Ann and some personal photography, so late last month in July saw us heading up to Narooma, Bermagui and the coastlines and National Parks in that area. Winter is quiet and peaceful, days spent driving around and having seafood based lunches, afternoon oysters and Champagne and heading out at dawn and Dusk for some great photography. Here on this post are a few of the many lovely images I was able to capture during our time spent up  this along beautiful and pristine area of New South Wales.

I had been invited to be the Keynote speaker and run  a workshop at this year’s Victorian Association of Photographic Societies Convention. It was held in Albury over the weekend and on the Monday  I spent a day coming home through central Victoria. It was a stormy weekend and the rain quite never let up. The Autumn colours were remarkable, the leaves still there on the trees and also scattered on the ground and the vibrancy of the greens in the landscape too, was really incredible. This part of Victoria had had good rains in the month of May, so the countryside already looked its best. I have showcased a couple of my favourite images here on this posting of the Autumn colours in the Albury botanical gardens and a couple of images that were shot near Bonny-Doon on the way home.

There are still two places left on this magnificent photographic workshop to Nepal. If you are interested, send me an email and I can email you back a comprehensive PDF. Its all inclusive inside Nepal, great scenery, wonderful food…. meet and greet the different cultures – no trekking, just fantastic opportunities to photograph all day every day!

What another amazing experience! I have just returned from conducting another tour of the beautiful and Spectacular Autumn scenery of New Zealand’s south Island. With 14 participants and one wonderful Coach Driver ( A big Thank you to Barrie Thomson ) we started our journey up through the Arthur’s pass and onto Lake Moana. First night was at Punakaiki and the Paparoa National park. Shooting the Pancake rocks and the great coastline near dusk, just beautiful. On down to Greymouth and Hokitika gorge, where some of us nearly got drowned in the torrential downpour! Great countryside and misty conditions. Next stop, Fox glacier and Franz Josef Glacier, with a special dawn shoot at Lake Matheson. Misty and full of sunlight, awesome and our first glimpse of Mount Cook bathed in morning light! Moving further down the coast we photographed around Haast and the coastlines both north and south of here. A beautiful dusk shoot near Jacksons Bay with the mount Aspiring National Park as a back-drop was simply wonderful! Next day, a drive over the Haast Pass and photographing the scenery, including the rainforest and waterfalls. Time in Wanaka for the most delightful skies and Autumn tonings, in and around the lake including an afternoon of visual delights at Glendhu Bay. Dawn to shoot “That” tree, but squeezing into the melee of about 150 Chinese photographic tourists! Still, we managed some lovely shots and everyone was happy!  At least we had Glendhu bay almost to ourselves and what a delight that was, pastural, sheep, old buildings, colours, trees, skies, reflections…just wow!  heading up North towards Twizel and more colour, through the Pass, and onto Lake Pukaki. The afternoon spent along this lake and views to Mt cook National Park.  For the next three wonderful days it was the absolute visual delights of the Aoraki Mount Cook national Park, with the walks into the Hooker Valley and Glacial Tasman Lake. Our group photographed the late afternoon light on the icebergs at the mouth of the river, had the joy of a lake trip to see them up close, took a long flight over the glaciers and mountains for absolute wow images, and shot dawn and evening images of mount Cook with gorgeous light, for the whole time we were there!! Just awesome… we even managed to squeeze in a star-trail lesson and shoot the milky way!  Our final destination (when we finally got there, after more autumn colours and tonings, lakes, mountains and scenery) was Queenstown. Two days here to Shoot down along Lake Wakatipu, Autumn colours and Farmland in and around Glenorchy and the Paradise Valley, and… two visits to Arrow-town with stops in and around the district! It certainly was an Autumn colours and Mountain spectacular tour! My sincere thanks to all the Participants, you were a lovely bunch indeed, we had a marvellous journey together and I loved every minute of it, sharing this stunning destination with you all.

Four days of beautiful light, squalls, and dramatic skies as we travelled around the Island continually searching for the wonderful photographic opportunities this magnificent place affords. I have now run workshops to the Bass Strait Islands including Flinders Island for over 20 years and still the place totally amazes me. All the participants of the workshop enjoyed great hospitality with our Hosts Marianne and Mick at the Flinders Island Cabin Park and delighted in the food provided by the Island Providore’s Ken and Carolyn Stockton…especially the magnificent Bar-b-que at Trousers Point on the first day of our arrival. A big Thank you to Gordon Brown at Aus Air for another smooth and totally awesome flight to and from the Island.

I will be running another workshop down to this most alluring Island again in 2017  The dates are April 6th -9th and bookings are open. To participate in this workshop you can simply drop me an email at: ianrolfephotography@icloud.com  Download the PDF in the Workshop section of this Blog.

To Order a copy of my beautiful Hard bound book of the Island just drop me an email… the cost is only $68.00 and 12.00 postage and packing. 168 pages with over 140 images!