Heatwave Day 4 - An Early Start

With a predicted top of 41 for Thursday, I thought it would be nice to see a sunrise during this epic week. Whilst we didn't reach the predicted 41 we still made it to a healthy 38 (100 on the old!) and the decision to get up for sunrise was a good one. By evening a heavy layer of clouds set in with little to offer, not even the forecast chance of thunderstorms. Friday's temp is set for another crack at 40 before some relief late in the day. The first three images from the morning shoot are all quite nice, though I think the 4th one here is special .... once again an occasion where I was just heading home content with what I had in the camera, when the sunrays really caught my eye, and this often photographed set of boat sheds  on the north shore was an ieal spot to make the most of some of the best rays I've seen.

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Heatwave Day 3 - Awesome! Part 2

Here's another couple of images from Lake Learmonth on Wednesday evening. Is it just me, or is there a face in the clouds in the second one here?! These are a bit earlier than the previous post....you can see how calm the water is. Once again, an amazing evening!

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Heatwave Day 3 - Awesome!

The heatwave continues here in Ballarat, though on Wednesday we only managed 39C (102.2!). Had a great thunderstorm come through above Lake Wendouree around 4.30, but the real action was an awesome sunset out at Lake Learmonth. The heat is having a big impact on the water level out there, and its revealing some great rockery along the shoreline. I know I say this quite often, but this was one of the best I have seen for a long time...here's a couple to get things started. 
Forecast is for 40 today....really looking forward to it, I'll have this heat anytime if it keeps providing such amazing conditions!

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Seven Sensational Minutes

Just a follow up image from Tuesday's excitement at Lake Wendouree. This is a combination image of 5 different frames, shot over a 7 minute period all from the exact same spot. When I am shooting lightning like these images, I have the camera set up on a tripod to keep things perfectly still, and the shutter speed is usually set on around 30 seconds. With the shutter open for the 30 seconds, if there is a bolt of lightning then you catch it. I could have also taken this image in the one go if I had the camera set up for a very long (7 minute) exposure, and it would have been a lot easier, too!

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Heatwave Day 2 - Wow!!

On Tuesday the temperature soared here in Ballarat.....peaking at 41.3C (thats 106.3 in the old scale!). And I was happy to see the clouds roll in across the afternoon, as this quite leads to great, unsettled conditions that can produce stunning images. Watching the sky closely I figured south shore of Lake Burrumbeet might be a good choice, not so much for the direct sunset (which was pretty good!), but more so for the reflected light across the spectacular skies. As things started to develop I waded out onto a small sand bar to get this composition....and it wasn't until I got home to go through the images that I realised I had caught the lightning! Up to that time there had been intermittent flashes on the northern horizon and I've got to admit when I shot this I didn't even see the bolt that makes an already great image even better. A couple of weeks ago after an epic sunset from almost the same spot I stated that the image from that night was already in this years top ten....I reckon its now been beaten!
As I was coming home and it was getting darker I watched the lightning start to intensify and I thought by the time I got back to Lake Wendouree that it may be worth a stop to see whats happening in the view across Lake View Point. I set the tripod up and shot off a number of images and was thrilled to catch this one. The lightning is so reminiscent of images I capture in winter of the spindly tree branches that line parts of the Lake. Its really worth clicking on these for a larger look!
Day 3 of the heatwave is forecast to reach 39C....lets see what happens again during the upcoming day!

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Heatwave 1

Well, the heatwave here in Ballarat has started with a bang.....Monday's temperature made it to 36degreesC (thats 96.8 F). So, once again with no clouds to be seen in any direction, I headed out of town to around the Mollongghip area hoping to work with the nearly full moon. As you can see, the moon was discarded in favour of the many sheep. First one looks like he was right for a long time to come, whereas the others in the barren paddocks, were really scratching around to find a few morsels....especially tough on them with that huge irrigator just out of reach. 
Forecast top to day is 40 (104)....can't wait to see what happens!

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Two Towers

Absolutely no clouds to be seen in any direction on Sunday evening.....though we still had the moon, which is full on Thursday. So something a bit different today after an evening stroll around the city centre of Ballarat. We are heading into extreme hot weather for the whole upcoming week....it will be interesting to see what I can find.

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