1st July 1950 Page 412 - Vol. 57 No. 7 Australasian Photo-Review
PICTORIALIST ON TOUR
By H.N. JONES
Sydney Camera Circle
My favorite photographic subject matter is Landscape, although, to my way of thinking, it remains the most difficult. The reward comes with a deep feeling of satisfaction when one has searched long (and generally far) and succeeded in obtaining a picture showing perhaps a fine group of trees or some aspect of open country reasonably well composed and lighted.
Unlike other subject matters, such as portraits or still lifes, in which the material can be arranged and lighted by the photographer himself so as to obtain the effect so desired, a landscape can only be photographed as presented to the photographer by nature. So it is that, when a subject which lends itself to a pleasing composition in line or mass has been discovered, the lighting must also be considered—very often this involves waiting for some considerable period of time before the sun is in the position which will give the effect desired, or the cloud arrangement is satisfactory.
Last autumn, I made a motor tour with a friend to the Southern Tablelands, where I succeeded in capturing a few reasonable pictures.
A well-known English pictorialist once said that if he could obtain four really first-class landscape pictures during the course of a year, he considered he was doing well. Remember, he said “first-class” pictures — a standard which, I imagine, would probably rate acceptance for exhibition in the leading salons. Of course, there are still available a great many pictures which, although not in world class, would be rated in front rank, so whilst we are looking for the one of “super” salon quality, the lesser fry need not be despised.
We duly set off on our trip, making Canberra the first stopping place. Of course, any likely-looking subject observed along the route suggested a halt but, generally speaking, there is not a great deal of suitable matter along that portion of the highway — unless it is fortunately emphasized by a dramatic lighting effect or perhaps by an interesting sky. Often, too, a scene will appear to be rather pictorial when viewed from the car yet, when approached from that closer viewpoint which is nearly always necessary, the whole scheme has changed and is no longer attractive. This is specially the case where hills or mountains are the main subject matter. I recall an occasion late one afternoon when traveling by train to Sydney from Tumut. I noticed some beautiful back-lighting effects on the hills around Gilmore and decided that on some future occasion I would make a much closer inspection of those hills. The opportunity duly arrived on this last trip. I soon found that the only way to secure the effect as originally seen from the train was to employ a very long focus or telephoto lens, for as soon as the hills were approached sufficiently near enough to obtain a suitable viewpoint using the regular lens, I was too far beneath them and consequently lost all the attractive foreground and middle distance as originally viewed.
At Canberra, the autumn tints on the trees produced a feast of color, the yellows and golds of the poplars being particularly beautiful. This time of the year is ideal for exposing color film and the area around the Hotel Canberra abounds with color subjects, there are flower beds and lawns to provide the foreground interest, while the poplars alongside the white building itself are a useful aid to composition and balance.
For black-and-white work, a late afternoon shot of the poplars against the light is usually most effective. The main difficulty is to isolate your subject matter so that unwanted material, such as buildings and contrasting types of trees, is eliminated; sometimes a near view of portion only of the subject will solve this problem, and very often result in a better pictorial composition. Personally, I feel that the inclusion in a 1 print of two quite different types of trees spoil the entire effect — hence my reference to the elimination of other trees.
The area from Canberra to Cooma is mostly open country, and any possible pictures would mainly depend on clouds and cloud shadows for their pictorial status. A few isolated poplars occasionally serve as useful leading lines or foreground subject matters to support the middle distance and the distant hills.
DROVER’S CAMP TALBINGO
EUCUMBENE RIVER ADAMINABY
TUMUT LANDSCAPE
RIVER GUMS JUGIONG
The country from Cooma through Berridale to Jindabyne does not offer much beyond the usual attraction of white snow gums which are very decorative trees, not high but very shapely on their lines, both singly and as attractively composed groups; however, they usually require a suitable sky to help them. At Berridale, there is a very fine poplar group and an old blacksmith’s shop — two subjects which unfailingly attract most photographers. Jindabyne has little to offer other than the nearby picturesque Snowy River. A few miles further is The Creel, which is very pictorially situated on the Thredbo River. Here, there are numerous opportunities for both black-and-white and color enthusiasts.
Proceeding on to Adaminaby, one finds good subject matter of the open country variety — particularly around the Eucumbene River. Remember that early morning or late afternoon is the most suitable time to work as, at such hours, there are present those long shadows and interesting light effects which provide the charm and mood for a picture.
On through Kiandra to Talbingo, there is again very little beyond the snow gums, but if one takes the time to look around there is always the possibility of exercising one’s “seeing-eye,” But on occasions when time is limited, it is not always possible to wait and search for the opportunity of obtaining something worthwhile. In our case, we were working to a time-table with the principal stop at Tumut, which is ever a popular hunting ground for the landscape worker. The 25-mile stretch from Talbingo to Tumut shows promise of a variety of good pictorial material, especially along the river. This fact was evidenced at one very attractive spot where we noticed a drover camped near the river; good fortune was with us as the lighting conditions happened to be very favorable, not to mention the atmosphere provided by the smoke from billy-boiling fire. This setting was one of those chance opportunities seldom encountered by a pictorial photographer. Remember, always be ready for the unexpected exposure.
Leaving Talbingo, we traveled through the Tumut Valley for some miles before finally arriving at Tumut. Subject matter in this valley is plentiful, especially the popular area from Blowering to Tumut Plains. This is mostly of wide open type country with fine hills for background use and provided the clouds are good, it is particularly ideal for landscape work. As well as its landscape potentialities, this valley also has to offer a range of attractive subject matters from big river trees, to sheep grazing and dairying. I might mention that the Tumut Valley is included in the big Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric scheme and, in course of time, will be flooded by one of the dams and remain forever a loss to the pictorial photographic world.
If car transport is unavailable, this valley can be visited by the school bus from Tumut; for instance, on one occasion with two friends we boarded the bus at Tumut at 7.30am and proceeded about ten miles out along on one side of the valley to the point where the bus crosses the bridge at Blowering to return along the other side of the valley. Just beyond the bridge we alighted and walked on and on until at length we were overtaken by the bus on its afternoon trip. In this manner we had six or seven hours rambling which, after all, is the best way to obtain the most from your available subject matter. For the car owner a good plan is to drive to a likely place; then proceed on foot in search of your subjects, as it is only seldom that the good ones are seen from the road. Furthermore, the viewpoint from the car often becomes entirely different when you alight and approach your subject on foot.
Pictorial subject matter abounds in the Tumut area, and nearly all of it is within walking distance no matter what direction be chosen. In and about the racecourse are various types of trees, gums, elms, poplars, willows and so on, while the elm drive, with its large trees, offers opportunities for interesting light and shade effects. Nearby runs the river, where a number of basket willows and several stray poplars fringe the banks. Another good hunting ground is the Common near the railway station; here, large gum trees lend themselves very readily to attractive compositions, while grazing cattle are usually on hand if one desires a particular center of interest.
Returning via Gundagai, Yass and the Hume Highway, we came across the scenic Gilmore Valley which presents very good opportunities for landscapes of the rolling hills variety. Once again, it is most desirable that all these subjects must have suitable skies with passing shadows and good foregrounds. Along the Murrumbidgee River near Jugiong, there are several outstanding river gums which should be sufficient to stimulate the interest of every camera enthusiast in the district. Traveling on to Yass, we encountered more undulating country, once again the light of late afternoon is the best for this type of photography, as the folding hills can rejoice in the necessary light and shade. The country from Yass to Goulburn does not offer much on account of the scrub nature of the trees and I shall refrain from commenting on the photographic possibilities between Goulburn and Sydney as this country is generally well known to N.S.W. photographers.
I realize that these brief notes apply to a specific area which many of my readers may never visit—nevertheless, I have endeavored to include a few general principles which, I believe, will be helpful to budding landscape pictorialists. To them I wish “happy hunting" in this delightful field.