Highlining

Sep

2018

Mountains and Oceans

Saturday

A weekend spent in the mountains and on the coast is a weekend well spent in my book.

This last Saturday I was in the lower Blue Mountains near Glenbrook shooting one of the Adventure races from Maximum Adventure. We shoot 3 of these races a year and they are a lot of fun. It makes competitors do a bit of orienteering while trail-running, kayaking and mountain-biking there way around a course. Always a very social atmosphere.

Paddling on the Nepean
Heading back up from the river.
Heading down to the river
With everyone looking out for him there was not much chance of Wally getting lost.

I tested out a new flash system dipping my toes into the Godox system and checked out the AD200. It will hopefully last me a bit longer than the usual speedlights that I use at the races and tend to burn out on a regular pace. Mixed early results but will give it another good nudge this weekend and hopefully have some more to say afterwards. I may even try to read the instructions beforehand this time.

Sunday

Then for Sunday, it was down to the coast for a sunrise session at a highline. Although the sun didn’t cast its usually morning colours thanks to a big cloudbank sitting on the horizon it was a beautiful morning none the less. Sitting there watching the highliners doing their stuff while surrounded by nature. Whales swam and jumped in the oceans below and black cockatoos flew overhead. A good weekend indeed.

Sunrise highline session at the coast
What a morning!!! A sunrise highline session on a 220m line while whales swam past in the ocean below.
Highlining at the coast
A young humpback whale takes to the air
Black cockatoos checking out the show
Highlining at the coast
Look closely, he’s there

Sep

2014

Highlining Project Pulpit Pt2.

The crew have returned to Pulpit Rock near Blackheath in the Blue Mountains and given the big Highline another attempt. Under some beautiful weather, the lines were set. And the attempts at crossing began. We were up there the whole weekend which also gave me the chance to sneak in a few landscapes. Below are a few of the images I captured over the weekend. Enjoy!!

Mar

2014

Highline Festival, Australia

Call it an unofficial festival call it just a coincidence that so many highliners happened to turn up at the same spot but happen it did at a spot not far from Sydney. Despite the wet and windy weather a group of highliners came together to set up lines and help boost the popularity of the new sport. Highlining is the big brother of slacklining, a sport that has been rapidly growing in popularity of late. Highlining is done at such a height that an unrestrained fall would lead to serious injury in the best scenario.

It didn’t slow those who gathered though and many people who attempted their first highline were happy to get up and take a few steps. People came from Melbourne, Brisbane, Germany, Austria, and France. The clouds also came by for the weekend making for some beautiful atmospherics. Unfortunately the clouds also brought with them rain showers.

Jul

2013

Shane Yates, Highlining at Manly. POTM

Shane Yates walking a highline at Manly on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

I took this photo last weekend at Manly. We had planned on a sunrise shoot but it never worked out that way. The sun just didn’t want to agree with us first thing in the morning and hid behind the only cloud in the a beautiful blue sky. I chose this image from all the ones I took on the day because of the boat. I think it really gives you some idea of just how high the highline is. Highlining is like a slow motion action sport. It all takes place at a very relaxed pace but it has all the adrenalin and focus of the faster sports.