Over the course of the past 10 years, I have occasionally dabbled in various photographic ventures both above and below the water. Usually, the obsession is a natural by-product of wanting to share my hobbies with the world and doing so requires a method of capture.
The methods I chose for each of these adventures were primarily determined by the activity itself, in that scuba diving required something waterproof and mountain biking required something small and lightweight. I’ll be the first to admit however that all of this existed under the veil of “affordability” and it was with that in mind that I always planned (and continue to plan) the solutions I pursue.
Since moving to Australia in 2018, I’ve continued mountain biking and also started bow hunting, and the GoPro generally continues to work fine for capturing both of these. What I did not however anticipate is the absolute stunning beauty of our humble camping spot, winter sunrises over Lake Eildon, wild kangaroos, birds and deer exploring the camp ground and the general fresh, peaceful beauty of Delatite Arm Reserve. I quickly started foregoing the Sunday morning hunts for a stroll in the pine plantation and equally quickly realised that nothing I owned was able to capture this world’s beauty as accurately as my memories, which was ultimately what I wanted to share.
As fate would have it, a close friend of mine was about to move overseas and upon hearing my recollection of the weekend’s camping adventures and need of a camera, mention was made of her own, relatively short-lived photography hobby that existed now only as a bag in storage, filled with trinkets that would satisfy my own newfound needs for capturing what I saw in nature. We had a chat, made a deal and voila!
I’m now the proud owner of a Nikon D700 DSLR, widely regarded as an incredibly capable camera even now, 15 years after it was released. And like a phoenix from the ashes, it has risen from deep storage for the second chapter of its life in the hands of a keen, albeit decidedly amateur photographer.
I leave you with one of the first pictures I took after cleaning it: Our new cat, Lucy 🙂
Felis Catus, the humble household cat. This one a newcomer to our household, the fluffiest Maine Coon and giver of endless purry-affection