Ayres Rock Trip 08

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silhouette uluru

As from my previous posts I’m sure you all know I did a short trip to Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park. My decision to go there was done at the last minute as I had to cancel my planned trip to Kangaroo Island in SA due to poor weather for the images I wanted to capture.

I stayed at Yulara (Ayres Rock Resort) which is the purpose built township for all the tourists that visit the area. The place is pretty much one looped road with all the hotels veering off it.

As I said previously there are a lot of restrictions and rules once you enter the park. As you drive along all the good advantage points are marked as "no stopping areas" and there are signs indicating if you stop you will be fined. Ouch. So your option is to run the gauntlet and park anyway or park at the designated car parks and prepare yourself for a good walk. Either way it’s all about getting the shot in the end.weathered

I don’t think any serious photographer can go to the park without encountering, being questioned or having a run in with a ranger. They are everywhere, like the cops on New Years eve. My encounter was just a polite warning that I couldn’t stop in a certain location. (Got the shot though).

The best light to shoot the area in (no shock here) is sunrise to early morning and late afternoon to sunset, during a clear day the light is very harsh and there is a blue haze over the rock and Olgas. But if you hunt around you can still get a nice composition or two.

When photography is your career and you invest money into a trip like this you need to get the shots you want and maximise each moment. This would be the first time I have headed out and shot and wished I had an assistant with me. My entourage of equipment is for ever growing.

" I have quite a few planned trips for next year so keep an eye out on the blog as a casual assistant position will be advertised. "

Over all the park is very impressive and easy to navigate. It’s a place that I will definitely return to over the coming years and seasons to get different views and colours and maybe a few clouds one time will be nice.

8 thoughts on “Ayres Rock Trip 08

  1. ‘Weathered’ is one beautiful shot, I love the foreground detail and composition. Was this taken on film, the grass would make it difficult to stitch wouldn’t it?

    Sounds like you had a good trip.

  2. Looks like a great trip, they can be a little over protective of the rock. There would be thousands of images that have not been approved that would be for sale.

    I like the silhouette version of the rock very clean and simple, might just need to remove the tree on the far right.

    These on the 617?

    Will be happy to help out as your assistant on your next Grampians shoot.

  3. Thanks guys… the Silhouette shot is digital and the vertical is on film.

    Thanks Matt yea the fallen tree branch was a nice find. Pays to do a bit of a walk around the area your shooting. Just got to watch you dont walk in the area you want to shoot. Did that once when I was there. Arrr.

    Tom: Yea I thought about removing the tree but for some reason I left it in to show the grandeur of the rock. As for the Grampians assistant gig sounds good to me me.

  4. I like the weathered shot a lot, might just be a tad crooked that horizon thingy though 🙂 That must be a Kata Tjuta dome in the background? Wonder if they’ll spot that, think you’re only allowed to always show all 3 big domes.

    The media office when approving images will usually notice if you shot them outside of any approved areas. There are so many beautiful angles on Uluru and especially Kata Tjuta that we can’t show unfortunately.

    Great work Matt, look forward to more. And carrying film and digital gear I can see how you might run out of hands!

  5. very nice.

    love the first image, but yeah, as Tom said it’s the sharpness that attracted me to it. so am unsure about the tree. i see why you put included it though, and that does show the scale of the rock.

    and the second image is just awesome! everything about it just yells outback Oz.

    man those rules (yourself and Flem pointed out) must make it pretty difficult for people such as yourself to go to an area like that. to have to write off so many compositions must be torture. i guess that’s why there’s only a handful of compositions you see from the region??

    saw your calendar the other day. post office was closed so it was only through the glass. not that you miss it anyway 😛
    the thing is massive! you weren’t mucking around with it were you 🙂 great work.

  6. Sure thing Fletch sounds like grounds we can negotiate on. Your experience with the 617 will come in handy though it’s problem is a bit of a mystery illness. I’m about to call about the patient and see how it is going.

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