Tasmania is renowned for its outstanding wilderness and natural features.
Frenchmans Cap is one of the many highlights and to quote the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service:
Frenchmans Cap is one of Tasmania's most challenging multi-day walks.
It is also very rewarding. The track was in good shape, Barons Pass was a little tricky with my pack size, but with the recent addition of the new hut, it is well worth the effort and comfortable. As a photographer, I often prefer to camp as I have a very different sleeping pattern to most bushwalkers. I aim to avoid waking others up at 2am as I prepare for a sunrise shoot. Having said this, it is great reassurance to know that there is a very well setup hut available if the weather does turn - as it so often does in these locations.
During this visit, I was carrying 9kgs of camera gear as my plan was to capture a motion-controlled time-lapse. In addition to the camera gear, I have a tendency to pack for durabilty and reliability rather than lightweight gear and I was carrying plenty of gear to provide comfort for an approaching cold front. One saying that I love is along the lines of
there is no bad weather, only bad equipment.
The hike began in glorious sunshine, with a strong south-westerly wind forming late in the day and I pushed through to Lake Tahune - arriving late on day 1 after numerous shoots along the 20 plus km journey.
From a photographic point of view, I am always looking and planning to take images when the weather has a bit of excitement to it. That said, the blue sky and sunshine were well received. It may not appear to be the case, but the wind was absolutely howling when this photo was taken.
The next few days were spent in misty drizzle, which is one of the reasons why I went, typically these types of conditions emphasise the atmosphere and add to the drama of such a beautiful location. It also ensures that even the most durable of wet weather gear becomes drenched.
To my surprise, some of my favourite photographs from this trip, were images taken on the clear, blue-skied first day. This is one of my favourites that captures the late afternoon glow of the sun setting behind the quartzite face of Frenchmans Cap.
Taking a photograph directly into the setting sun can lead to silhouette type images, however my plan was to take multiple exposures to capture the details within the shadows whilst maintaining the highlights and tones within the sky.