Chasing Light

I was wondering what to post first on my new blog on my new website.

So I thought I would start with one of my favourite landscape pictures.

I fist fell in love with landscape photography whilst I was a teenager and a budding photography student.

It was the work of the great Australian photographer Ken Duncan which brought my attention to the world of landscape imagery.
I would often visit the local picture framing store at Macarthur Square and marvel at Kens work. With the dream of one day shooting my own landscapes and sharing them with the world.

So back to my picture. It was the American summer of 2012 and I happened to be in the City of Sin Las Vegas for a Martial Art competition. One of my other passions. Ill get to that another time.

So with a free day to spare I decided to take a chopper ride out to The Grand Canyon. A common trip for tourist.
With a 5 seater chopper we headed off to the site late in the day for sunset. I was lucky to be with fellow travellers who were prone to air sickness and were more than happy for me to fly in the front seat rather than the back.

A crucial seat in the scheme of photography, as you can shoot through the front and side window without annoying the hell out of your fellow passengers and also gaining a clearer shot.

It was a good 30 minute flight out to the Canyon. Its a pretty impressive sight from the air but we then landed on a chopper friendly spot to walk around and see it from  land.

Due to the lateness in the day, the Canyon was mostly in shade and not great for pretty pictures. Maybe an hour earlier it would've been perfect light but that would've been an afternoon tour not the sunset tour we were on.

So due to that, I thought I had blown the chance to get a great picture from the day and I should have taken an earlier flight. But it wasn't over just yet.

So after we landed and my chance of a great shot of the Canyon had faded. We hopped back in the chopper to head home.
I continued to shoot from the front on the way back as we flew head on towards the setting sun.

It might not have been pictures of the Canyon but still shooting from the air as the sun was painting a picture of reds and yellows, was still worth the trip.
As we continued on our journey the sun had almost completely lowered and we had hit twilight.

The sun had now almost set and we were now presented with the softer shades of blues and purple as the lights of Vegas beckoned over the horizon.

To which this picture had now presented itself. With the Canyon in our rear and the city over the other side of the mountains. A now  perfect blend of hues and a clear sky had become one and my trip was now complete.