Byron Bay, the easternmost point on the Australian mainland, is located in the far north of New South Wales. An hour flight from Sydney to Ballina, followed by a half hour drive north takes you to this idyllic coastal town, known for its stunning scenery, backpacker-friendly culture, vibrant arts and music scene, and of course its world-famous surfing. Click to read more and watch my video showing you Byron Bay surfing spots (and see me surf, aka. kook on a pop-out).
Postcard from the Road (Top of the World Edition)
Dear friends of TGB,
Here is a photo of yesterday’s Toronto skyline. I shot this from the CN Tower (once the world’s tallest free-standing structure) Observation deck through a curved window that was reflecting the lights from inside the room. This made for a difficult shot to begin with.
Add the fact that I was using my new camera and new lens (and I am very unfamiliar with it) as well as having no use of a tripod, I was wondering how this was going to turn out. Well, the answer was “pretty well.” I used a circular polarizer on my lens so that I could use a lower ISO setting (125) and slow down my shutter speed further. That way, I could get the streaks of light from the moving traffic, get the clouds and the steam rising from the buildings to have movement as well. If I used a higher ISO with no polarizer, I would have had too much light; if I used a faster shutter speed, I would have no light/cloud motion. So this was a fun experiment that worked out pretty well! Oh, and I did this while drinking a beer as well, so we killed two birds with one stone. I look forward to taking photos with this new camera when I head out on my next adventures. Our blog posts should be even more vibrant in the not-too-distant future as a result. Hope you will enjoy them.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out our recent posts featuring Cuba and Bali, please have a look.
Best,
TGB
Camera set-up details are below
Nikon D810 / 16mm focal length, ISO 125, F/4.0 at 15.0 seconds, circular polarizer, no tripod, one handed shot with beer in other hand.
Intro: Asia is arguably the region where I can add the most value on this site; I grew up there and have been traveling around the region since childhood. The first time I visited Bali was in 1988 and I’ve had the good fortune of returning many times since, including most recently last summer. 25 years later, much has changed thanks to development, a growing population, and sadly, terrorism. Locals and longtime Baliphiles may tell you that they long for the good old days or that the place to be has moved on to nearby Lombok or beyond. But if you can accept the higher prices, the rush hour traffic, and the growing pains that come with rapid development, the “Island of the Gods” still offers a rare combination of stunning natural beauty and infectious energy.
Continue reading TGB’s DEFINITIVE BALI TRAVEL GUIDE: INTRO TO BALI (PT 1)
