Are you visiting the Sunshine Coast and looking for something different to do? Maroochydore River Boathouses have been there for decades and at sunrise they are beautiful and create haunting shadows on the river below. If you can’t get up for sunrise maybe visit for sunset instead?
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse")
Maroochydore River Boathouse Sunrise
Learning how to photograph
One of the ways I significantly improved my photography was through practice. I bought my first DSLR (A Nikon D7000) in October 2012. Within a year I had clocked up 150,000 shutter depressions! This seems an excessive amount and it’s mostly because I was learning how to photograph star trails, where you take a photo every 20-30 seconds for 3 hours, however you can never underestimate the power of practice.
When we moved to Queensland. I joined various Meetup photography groups which gave me access to photographing in a variety of places with more experienced photographers. I watched, I copied, I researched and I practised.
Maroochydore River Boathouse Sunrise
Queensland doesn’t benefit from amazing sunsets (unlike Perth) however it does offer some very spectacular sunrises with the sun slowly creeping over the ocean. One morning at 5am, I dipped my toes into the warm waters of Maroochydore River up on the Sunshine Coast.
Nestled on the banks of the river are a set of old wooden fishing houses aptly named the Maroochydore River Boathouses. Apparently these date back to 1947 and it appears that since I photographed them in 2014, they have started to fall into disrepair and the council cannot find their owners!
This is the oldest of all the boatsheds on the river and its walkway has since collapsed.
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse")
Long Exposure photography
Long exposure is my favourite type of photography and it basically means that you adjust the shutter speed to open up for longer. Most of these photos range from 5 seconds to 1 minute. The effect it gives water is a calming and flat effect. If the water is still, the photograph can look like glass with clear reflections however if the water is moving, you often get lovely swirly patterns emerging. Either way, it provides for elegant photography.
Playing around with editing
Landscape and seascape photography frequently doesn’t allow for black and white edits however don’t be afraid to play around. Sometimes you can create very haunting photos in black and white.
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse")
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse")
Don’t forget to turn around
My favourite photo from the trip is one where I was facing away from the sun and using the trees to frame the boat houses. Using Lightroom as an editing tool, I enhanced the moody colours to give it an eery feel.
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse Sunrise")
My favourite photo from Maroochydore
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse")
The golden hour: When the sun came up and everything turned orange
Making errors and learning from them
The great thing about digital photography is that you can delete and edit any photos you’re not happy with. I look at these photos now two years on and see glaring mistakes and missed opportunities. For example the photo below has visible stars; had I realised this I should have taken 5 steps back and looked for a wider frame. Still, these are the lessons you learn with practice and it gives you a reason to go back lol.
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse")
Other photos:
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After the sun has risen it becomes almost too bright to photograph.
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse")
With my back twoards the sun as it began to rise
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse Sunrise")
The sun poking its head above the trees
.jpg "Maroochydore River Boathouse Sunrise")
The risen sun now too bright to photograph and using the shed and trees to block its power