Atherton Tablelands

A taste of the Atherton tablelands.

The enormous Curtain Fig near Yungaburra

Strangler fig tree roots detail

 

The mighty Cutrain Fig

The mighty Curtain Fig near Yungaburra

 

Camping on lake Tinaroo

Camping on lake Tinaroo

Flocks of water birds heading south just on dusk

Flocks of water birds heading south just on dusk

Many many flocks passed as the light faded.

Skeletal leaf remains by lake Barrine

Skeletal leaf remains by lake Barrine

Lake Barrine

Lake Barrine

Lake Barrine is one of a few volcanic craters from about 12,000 years ago. Its about 65m deep and was formed from magma super heating the ground water under rock and material that trapped its expansion until a very large explosion blasted of the surface material leaving a crater to slowly fill with rain.

 

CairnsA (7 of 29)

CairnsA (6 of 29)

Hairs on the fronds of the Lawyer Cane vine

Hairs on the fronds of the Lawyer Cane vine

 

Lawyer Cane vine

nasty grappling hooks on the Lawyer Cane vine

 

 

Detail of lower section of the vine

Detail of lower section of the vine

 

Detail of the hooks

Detail of the hooks

 

The beauty of transmitted light. Looking upward in the rain forest

The beauty of transmitted light. Looking upward in the rain forest

 

The 5km track around lake Barrine

The 5km track around lake Barrine

 

Bushturkey

Bushturkey

 

Trees are trellises for the many vines in the forest

Trees are trellises for the many vines in the forest

 

Young leaves, caught in the sun light. Transmitted light once again.

Young leaves, caught in the sun light. Transmitted light once again.

 

Massive Rough barked Kauri trees on Lake Barrine, estimated to be around a thousand years old!

Massive Rough barked Kauri trees on Lake Barrine, estimated to be around a thousand years old!

 

A forest of vines

A forest of vines

 

Who can resist climbing such a vine

Who can resist climbing such a vine

 

Great ropes

Great ropes

 

Gillies Range lookout. A hang gliders loft point.

Gillies Range lookout. A hang gliders loft point.

 

The great Cathedral Fig

The great Cathedral Fig

Standing under this tree is truly awe inspiring!

 

In the canopee!

In the canopy!CairnsA (25 of 29)

Another world

Another world

...another world

…another world

 

The strangle fig has an amazing habit of joining back together with it self. Roots dangle way down and then join back up with another section of the tree, seamlessly blending into the wood.

 

 

There are so many fantastic subjects in the forest on the tablelands.

I had a book put in front of me of the plants and animals of the tablelands that blew me away. One aspect of the photography that really caught me was the incredible depth of field. It didn’t seem possible with conventional photographic equipment. More depth of field in my macro photography would be a breakthrough. How are they doing it? I had to know. Reading a little more about the process the photographers used revealed a process that is both challenging and time consuming. I felt I had the skills and tools to attempt the process.

CairnsA (28 of 29)

Classically shallow depth of field. A nice feel at times and very limiting at others.
5D MK3, Canon EF 100mm F2.8 @5.6

I could have stopped down to F11 for more depth of field but much of the flower would still be far from sharp. Going much beyond F11 would degrade images sharpness.

 

5D MK3, Canon EF 100 F2.8 @ 5.6, 18 images merged

5D MK3, Canon EF 100 F2.8 @ 5.6, 18 images merged

The composite image is created from 18 images with focus shifted slightly between frames and merged in post processing.

I am thrilled to add this effective but time consuming process to my photographic toolkit.

 

 

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