Down to Gonzales Beach
A week or two ago I did a series on the erratic that sits in the middle of Gonzales Beach in Victoria, and of other scenes in the bay during blue hour. Today are some views as one comes down the path to the beach, and the first shot I took of the erratic once I got down there. On my walks I typically come down onto the beach in it’s middle (like this time) or at the west end and walk along to the east staircase that goes up. One of these shots is of that staircase, with terraces of picnic tables on the slope.
This graffiti is rather interesting – a few of the stones dressed up as animals with the rest left as stone. It is kind of nice like this, but it if spreads to too many stones it will just be messy and annoying.
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This is one of the few remaining beach houses from the 20’s or 30’s – most have been torn down in the past 10 years or so, and replaced with the likes of the houses in this post.
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To view gallery click on any thumbnail below, navigate with the arrows and escape to return to this page.
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- The way down from Crescent Road
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- Tropical fish, lost.
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- Waiting to eat lost tropical fish
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- Erratic at low tide, to WSW
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- Further along the way down
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- Descending from end of Foul Bay Road.
Canon 5D MkII, Nikkor-N 24mm/f2.8 lens, f 2.8, ISO400, each comprised of 3 brackets, +/-2 EV;
except staircase ISO1250, 2 brackets (one was too fuzzy from hand holding at less than one second….).
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burnt embers 
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What a fabulous spot in Victoria. You do it total justice my friend! I just love how subtle your bracketing processing is, Ehpem, you use the technology just perfectly to accent the vision you’re expressing here. Fan-flippin-tastic!
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Hi Toad – thanks for flapping those flippers over this one :). I am trying to be subtle, though sometimes it does not work and at other times it does not seem what is needed. I like how some of these ones turned out for sure, and others I am convinced did not need brackets at all, but doing them is part of learning.
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I like Erratic and Low Tide a lot – the stone’s location in the exact center of the shot is very commanding. I also like the beach house shot, and I like the house itself WAY better than the ones in your other post.
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Thanks Melinda. Sometimes the centre seems exactly right for a feature like that.
Your taste in houses aligns with my own (and I could have predicted you would like that shot, for some reason…). Sadly you/we are contrary to much of the architectural profession, or at least that segment of it which gets these kinds of commissions. One of the those other houses even featured on the cover of Architectural Digest a few years ago.
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Actually, I was surprised that I liked the stone in the center of the frame, as I am more a fan of asymmetry. And, without even seeing it, I can promise that I HATE the house that was on Architectural Digest.
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🙂
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How nice to be able to walk to such places! Lovely shots.
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It is indeed nice to have such places within walking distance Karen. After living in some pretty awful cities over the years we feel very lucky with where we have ended up.
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Top photo makes me want to shout “walkies!”, grab the dog and head out for an adventure. Funny how including a road in a pic gives it a sense of infinite possibility. I think that is why I love your series of the Ross Bay storm drain . The way it leads often out to an unseen end. It could go on forever in some of the pics.
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Hi Katherine! That storm drain is a path sometimes seemingly without end. Knowing how cold the water is I am never tempted to follow that path, and besides it could lead to some kind of dreadful underwater creature. You are allowed to walk dogs on Gonzales Beach in the winter, but not the summer when so many people are sunbathing (it is one of only two sandy beaches in the urban areas around here). Sadly, at either end of the winter is the migratory bird season and those that set down here are often disturbed by enthusiastic canines.
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Bad owners not the pooches fault. I am not a great swimmer. Just a great imaginer!
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I agree about the owners.
I prefer to imagine swimming too, and the idea of walking out of a picture into another world or unseen place of some kind is very compelling!
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The graffiti image of the Fish is superb. The artist chose just the right shaped stone for that. and the shot of the erratic is a first class piece of B&W work. The contrasty processing really suits it well.
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Thanks Andy! I suspect the stone shape must have inspired the fish since it fits so well.
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Even the graffiti is nice out your way. This looks like a geat place to live and the views are fantastic. Makes for great photos, too.
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Some of the graffiti IS nice Ken. I should have included a shot I took of a big octopus on one of the retaining walls along the beach – it was painted over with a flat grey last summer, but was a nice splash of blue for a few months last year.
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Preciosas
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Thanks Nosht!
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