Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/11/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Helen and I have just completed the Overland track from Cradle Mountain to Lake St. Clair in Tasmania's high country. Its a 6 day hike, over tree roots, rocks and through mud holes, and is not for the faint hearted. We took the "supported" version, expensive, but gave you a guide, who pushes you along, cooks your meals etc, and huts at each nights stop with a shower, toilet, heating/drying room and comfortable bunks. The "luxury" side of our trip helps, but the track still has to be "tamed". We were lucky with weather. 4 days clear 1 day rain snow and one day of clearing weather. The group before us went up the first days mountain climb in driving rain, a torture we were to escape. I was pretty tired at the end, and grateful to having 3 days to recover (I return to work tomorrow). My boots probably need a bit of "adjustment" when worn for 8 to 10 hours for 6 days. Training had me in them for 6 hours, but not days in a row. Photographically I took the M9 with 2x tri-elmars and the 90 elmar c, a small flash, 4 batteries, a small gitzo tripod and 5 SD cards. I used only 2 batteries over the 6 days. Little chimping and only 3 sec review. Helen took the E3 oly with 12-60 lens and 4 batteries and 3 CF cards. She got onto the third battery. The light was (at least for me and the cameras) very demanding. Bright white cloudy skies, patchy sunshine and deep dark rain forests. Even using 3 stop EV shooting some scenes are too contrasty. I will need lessons in how to do HDR later, and almost every image needs lots of RAW work to become presentable. Thank god for RAW. I will put up a web page as I work through the best images, but in the meantime will post some here for you to make comments etc. So here is my first offering: http://tinyurl.com/24t6wus Day One on the track. Boots clean ;-) Alastair