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Smartkits Australia Competition 2023

During July I was asked to come out to Wherool Flat, NSW and document the carport extension build that Jim and Denise Brydon had completed on their home. Jim was wanting to enter his new build into the Smartkits Australia annual competition. This year the competition saw 130 entries from across Australia utilising the kits from Smartkits Australia. When I was photographing the carport I knew that Jim & Denise had done a really fantastic job on this massive undertaking.

Over the years I’ve photographed allot of varying commercial properties and I was keen to showcase this build as a great addition to the current house. So with a ladder in hand we wandered the property getting the strongest angles and perspectives that represented the new addition. Here are the images that I passed onto Jim for entry in the competition….Oh yeah, their entry got second place in the Smartkits Australia competition in 2023!

Thanks for viewing…

Ben Pearse is a professional photographer residing in the beautiful Blue Mountains, Australia.

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Winter Magic Festival 2023

It was great to see the return of the annual Blue Mountains Winter Magic Festival at Katoomba on Saturday 24th June 2023. Nice sunny weather on the day attracted a big crowd of festival goers who enjoyed the parade and all the other activities and performancers throughout the day. It was nice to wander the festival and grab a few photos over the day when something caught my eye. Once again it was a great effort by all the volunteers who put in allot of time and effort to ensure we get to enjoy a great Winter Magic Festival….

Here a few images I captured during the day

Ben Pearse is a Blue Mountains photographer based in Katoomba-website

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Saskia Everingham-Blue Mountains Portrait Prize 2023

This image of artist Saskia Everingham is my entry into the annual Blue Mountains Portrait Prize 2023 exhibition held at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre in Katoomba, NSW. This image had been in my head to create ever since Saskia turned up in my studio to document these felt art pieces for an exhibition she was entering…

I’ve been documenting Saskia’s artwork in my studio for several years. Each time she arrives I am intrigued to see her latest artworks and hear the creative processes behind the new body of work. Artists are always fascinating to me as they take a deep dive into each new project, totally immersive in their creative pursuit…This time the artist and not the art, takes centre stage.

Saskia has been involved in the Arts all her life. Born in Australia, she grew up in Italy and England, which gave her exposure to many disciplines. She has an Art Diploma from TAFE and a degree in Creative Arts from Wollongong University. Moving through sewing and quilting, she settled on wool felting as her main medium, finding that it offered the sculptural qualities she was seeking. Her work has been featured in several publications including Felt Magazine, Textiles Downunderr and Oz Arts and she has won a number of awards, including the Eden Gardens Unearthed Award in 2021, the North Sydney Art Prize Site Award and in 2022 a Meroogal Women’s Art Prize, which includes a solo exhibition in the Shoalhaven Regional Art Gallery.

Saskia has lived in the Blue Mountains since 1995 and has raised her family there. Deeply immersed in the community, she has been Exhibition Coordinator at Braemar Gallery in Springwood, Community Arts Coordinator for Winter Magic and a presenter on 2BLUFM radio. She has also been a recipient of a City of the Arts grant, has sat on numerous committees and was part of the duo that set up Mind the Gap, a non-profit designed to activate empty shops for Creatives in Katoomba. The Mountains continues to inspire her.

Photographic print | A0 | Cotton Rag

Some Bts phone shots from the exhibition opening

Ben Pearse is a Blue Mountains portrait and wedding photographer based in Katoomba NSW.

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Snow in Katoomba, Blue Mountains-August 2022

There had been a slight chance of snow a couple of times throughout July-August here in Katoomba, however it never quite eventuated. Forecasts on the 22nd of August were starting to look good for some snow falling here in the upper Blue Mountains in the late afternoon on Tuesday 23rd. I had seen some video online of some good falls happening at Shooters Hill (1355m), one of the high points in the central tablelands, and it was starting to look promising for Katoomba.

At around 6.45pm I could see the first proper flakes and within an hour it was starting to settle on the ground. As I stood on my porch watching the cars go up the road in the snow, I had the thought of getting a long exposure image as the car travelled along Lurline street. I grabbed the camera and a umbrella and setup on the footpath and waited for a lone car doing about the right speed for what I wanted. I had estimated I needed about 15-20 seconds to expose the shot correctly and get the red trail I envisioned.

After waiting for a few faster 4WD to exit the street, I saw a car approaching, quite slowly. With the shot pre-framed, I pressed the shutter as it entered my frame and then ended the exposure after 20 seconds. When I looked at the back of the camera, I knew I had the shot I envisioned and it was time to go and warm my hands by the heater….This is the fifth image in the “atmosphere” series which explores the transitional atmospheres within a landscape or urban environment.

Snow in Katoomba, Blue Mountains, August 2022 — Snowtrails – Lurline street Katoomba

The next morning we went out before sunrise looking to see how much snow was around. I was a little dissapointed to see that we didn’t get any more falls that night as I was hoping for a really solid dumping…We drove around and found some nice views looking across to Narrowneck plateau on sunrise, which had a nice light dusting on the trees. I waited for the early warm light to filter in and took a few frames. I’m still hoping that we’ll see another good snowfall here in the mountains, before the weather warms up later in the year.

The sun starts to warm the cold landscape

Golden light and snow on the Blue Mountains landscape

Thanks for viewing, cheers Ben

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Echo point Katoomba- Lockdown-August 2021

Echo point in Katoomba is one of the major tourist destinations in NSW, Australia. Located in the township of Katoomba within the world heritage listed, Blue Mountains, it attracts millions of visitors each year with it’s majestic views of the iconic three sisters and jamison valley. However as we enter our 9th week of lockdown due to the corona virus (Covid-19, delta strain), the lookout has been closed off for all visitors, including locals who live nearby. As I wander past most days on my permitted exercise walks, I begin to see new compositions emerge that perhaps would never have been considered….

As I look through the wire fencing that council has installed to keep people out, I definitely think it’s a little surreal to see an empty viewing platform that should be teaming with overseas tourists and holiday makers. I totally understand and agree that these restrictive measures need to be put in place in order to deter and stop the congregation of people mingling together at certain popular areas. I thought it would be good to document this area via some photos, showing how it looked it during the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions in August 2021…

Echo point viewing platform- August 2021

Echo point, closed to visitors due to Covid-19 health orders- August 2021

Echo point fenced off to visitors- August 2021

sun setting at echo point- September 2021

Stay well and thanks for looking…

Cheers Ben

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Snow in the Blue Mountains- June 2021

Weather forecasts for some snow around June 10th, 2021 in the Blue Mountains had me intrigued. It was starting to look good for a decent dumping. I’ve been trying to get a great snow photo of the iconic Three Siste rs for many years and I thought, perhaps, just perhaps, this could be it, as they had forecast snow down to 600metres. As I packed my camera bag the night before, I’d sneak a peak out the window every few minutes, to see if the snow had started to fall.

I woke up about an hour before sunrise and the snow had begun to fall. You could tell that the snow flakes weren’t as large as the last snowfall and perhaps a little on the wet side. I decided there was no point in trying to shoot the three sisters at sunrise as it was very overcast and not enough snow had fallen yet. After a couple of hours I decided it was time to walk down, (yep I live just up the road from echo point). The snow was falling pretty consistently down at echo point, however the jamison valley was a complete white out at this point and you couldn’t see anything of the 3 sisters. You could barley see out a few metres from the hand railing at times…

Enjoying the snow at Echo point- June 10th 2021

I decided that I would wait and see if the heavy fog in the jamison valley might lift over time. As there wasn’t that much option for still images, I decided to film some video of the snow around the echo point lookout areas…You can watch it on my YouTube channel link below.

It was evident after a few hours that the valley was not going to clear and provide an opportunity for my Three sisters image. I was quite sure that the 3 sisters did have an amount of snow on them, how much, well that I guess I’ll never know…So the quest continues and I’ll continue to try until I click the camera shutter, on the image I’ve had in my head for many years. I only took a few more still images that day and I’ve posted them below….

Hairpin banksia’s in the snow

Gums in the snow

Snowman

Ferns covered in snow

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog…

Cheers Ben

Ben’s Website

About Ben:

Ben Pearse is an Australian photographer living an working from his home based portrait studio in Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia.

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After the Bushfires – Blue Mountains, Australia.

Narrowneck plateau in Katoomba after the bushfires

In late late 2019-2020, you probably heard and saw dramatic and devastating footage of the bushfires that ravaged Australia. I posted images and footage in this blog post here about these bushfires in my local area of Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia. After the fires had gone through I was interested to see the impact on the local landscapes in my area. After the bushfires many of national park areas that were burnt remain closed due to the risk of falling trees etc. I was very interested in hiking out to Mount Solitary, however this trail is still closed at time of writing.

Altered lands

Life still remains…

Mount Solitary panoramic view from Narrowneck plateau in Katoomba

Panoramic view looking past Ruined Castle (small outcrop in middle) to Mount Solitary (left) and Lake Burragorang just visible in the rear. Castle Head jutting out from Narrowneck on the right.

Looking down to Ruined Castle, where these bushfires originated in 2019. Allot of what is pictured here was burnt in the bushfires.

Lightbleed- Ben Pearse 2020- Web Size 2048

New growth catching the light

I decided on documenting one of my favourite areas, Narrowneck plateau in Katoomba. This area was impacted by the ruined castle bushfire in early December 2019. As I wandered through different areas of narrowneck plateau, it became apparent that certain areas were going to take some time to regenerate compared to others. In the gully of diamond creek, the unmistakable vibrant green regrowth stood out against the dull magenta and black of the surrounding burnt landscape. I couldn’t help but be drawn into this area due to the alarming contrast of colours on display. As diamond creek carves it’s way through the valley, it brought a lifeline, in the form of water, enabling new life to regenerate and grow.

Resilient Lands- Narrowneck plateau- March 2020

Return to Green- Diamond creek pathway

Narrowneck plateau, Katoomba, Blue Mountains.

Green returns to the landscape

Over the next few months I would see more regrowth appear across the burnt fireground. In the steep gullies and the tops of ridgelines where the fires burnt very hot and intense, it will take additional time for the regeneration to gather momentum. The flora and fauna that grow, dwell and cling to the sandstone formation that is Narrowneck plateau are resilient and should thrive once again in the years to come.

Wildlife returns

Regrowth after the bushfires, Blue Mountains

New buds emerge…

New growth after the fires

View from Narrowneck into megalong valley

Kangaroo tails emerge after bushfires in Blue Mountains 2020

Emergence- Kangaroo tails (Xanthorrhoea) catching the last light of the day…

Looking west over megalong valley on sunset

Looking west from Narrowneck plateau over megalong valley on sunset

Regeneration- New growth returns after the fires…

Pink flannel flowers (Actinotus forsythii) in bloom on Narrowneck plateau- February 2021

Beautiful pink flannel flowers bloom a year after the bushfires, it’s actually the smoke and not the heat that makes these rare flowers germinate…

Thanks for looking,

Cheers Ben

Visit Ben’s website here- Ben Pearse Photography

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Blue Mountains Snowfall-August-2019

It’s always nice to wake up to snow covering the ground in my hometown of Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia. Over the last decade I’ve tried to capture a snowfall that has settled on the iconic three sisters in Katoomba. I’ve only seen an old postcard of snow that has properly settled on these sandstone ladies from the 1970’s. I thought this time I might be in luck as the snow really starting coming down on sunrise, however it just wasn’t quite enough. So the quest continues, perhaps 2020 will be the year I get the photo I’m seeking…

Snow on the Mountains

Snowfall in the Blue Mountains- Three Sisters

Sunrise and Snow

Snowfall over Three sisters- August 2019

Blue Mountains Snowfall- Ben Pearse 2019

Visit Ben’s Website here: Ben Pearse Photography

June 16, 2020 by benpearse

Bushfires in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia, 2019- 2020- New Blog!

In late November 2019 the Blue Mountains in NSW Australia would see the start of a unprecedented bushfire season that would destroy approximately 80% of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage area. Drought conditions across Australia in the leadup to the fire season left the soil with very little moisture which helped fuel hundreds of bushfires across the nation. By the end of the fire season, 34 people would tragically lose their lives and over 46 million acres (186,000 square kilometres) of land would be burnt. Hundreds of millions of mammals, reptiles and birds would perish during the fires…

I first took note of a very small bushfire that was burning around the Ruined Castle on 27th November 2019 in the jamison valley in Katoomba, NSW. Over the course of the next few days this fire would spread onto the Narrowneck plateau and eventually into the megalong valley. Most of the images I captured are from the Ruined Castle bushfire.

The Beginning-Ruined Castle Bushfire- November 27th 2019

Small puff of smoke near ruined castle

Begrimed- Ben Pearse 2019

Thick dust laden smoke starts to choke the air on sunset in Katoomba. The setting sun takes on an eerie feeling, a forewarning perhaps of troubling times to come…

Eerie sunsets

On December 1st, 2019, the Ruined Castle bushfire flares up and races up the sheer sandstone cliffs on the Narrowneck plateau in Katoomba. Despite a strong prevailing breeze against it, the fire raged effortlessly up and down the sheer vertical walls and pushed closer towards the township of Katoomba. Precision water bombing from the RFS helicopter slowed the fire spread before nightfall. RFS ground crews worked throughout the night to control the blaze along the narrowneck plateau.

Fire rages on the narrowneck plateau cliffline

Plateau on Fire- Ben Pearse 2019- web 2048

Fire engulfs the treeline on narrowneck plateau

Narrowneck Fire- Ruined Castle Bushfire 2019- web 2048

Thick plumes of smoke choke the air

Fire climbs up and down the sheer sandstone walls in minutes

Dry conditions fuel the fires- December 1st 2019

At night concerned local residents would view the Ruined castle bushfire from Echo point lookout. At night you could clearly see the location of the fire as the flames would become visible in the darker conditions.

Ruined Castle fire- Ben Pearse 2019- web 2048

Night view of the ruined castle fire from echo point lookout

Fireline- Ruined Castle Bushfire 2019-web 2048

Line of fire in the jamison valley, Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia

Echo point providing a great viewing platform for the ruined castle bushfire

A wall of flames at night in the jamison valley, Blue Mountains.

Jamison fire- Ruined Castle Bushfire- web 2048

Nightfire- Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia- December 3rd-2019.

Jamison valley- Ruined Castle Bushire 2019- web 2048

Fire burns up into Pitts Amphitheatre, Katoomba, NSW.

Fire burns a path onto Mount Solitary. In the background the Kowmung river fire rages. This fire would go on to join with the the Green Wattle creek fire.

Flaring up- Ruined Castle bushfire 2019 web 2048

Ruined Castle fire flares up in gusty dry conditions- December 10th 2019. Planes and helicopters water bomb from above and bring the fire back under control.

Fire returns and burns in behind the iconic Ruined Castle sandstone formations. This was near the point where the fire originated 2 weeks ago.

Twilight glow- Ben Pearse 2019- web 2048

A small flareup on narrowneck plateau as misty conditions permeate the night…

A backburn that was implemented to stop the spread of the massive Gospers Mountains fire, broke containment lines and entered the grose valley. The grose valley fire produced a huge pyrocumulus fire cloud that dominated the skyline…The Gospers Mountains fire was unstoppable and burnt over 1.2 million acres, becoming the largest forest fire in Australian history.

Pyrocumulus Cloud- Grose valley fire 2019

Gospers Breath- Grose valley fire 2019

Note: I would like to personally thank all the incredible and tireless work that the Emergency workers do across Australia each fire season. Thankyou!

Cheers for looking, Ben.

View Ben’s Website here: Ben Pearse Photography

April 13, 2016 by benpearse

Mount Solitary walk- Blue Mountains

Looking back on Katoomba from Mt Solitary ridge

Situated in the world heritage listed Blue Mountains, Australia lies the majestic Mount Solitary. At 950 metres above sea level Mount Solitary demands attention amongst it’s nearest landscapes rivals such as the iconic three sisters located nearby. The local indigenous people called the mountain Korowal meaning “the strong one”. Mount Solitary is located in the jamison valley and is most easily accessed via the mountain township of Katoomba.

Over the years Mount Solitary has been a sought after destination for many experienced walkers, hikers, runners and overnight campers as they seek the majestic and breathtaking views the mountain offers up as you labour up it’s steep eucalyptus lined ridges. From it’s summit you are offered a stunning view from melville’s lookout near chinaman’s gap that takes in lake burragorang and the wild dog mountains.

In recent times the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) have installed pit toilets, shelter and rainwater tanks for the increased traffic flow to Ruined Castle ,which you pass along the way enroute to Mount Solitary. Though the rain tanks may supply water year round, yet it’s vital you carry a good supply of water as it may not be available in the dry periods atop Mount Solitary. Overnight campers can stay in chinaman’s gap or nearby areas with suitable tents and sleeping equipment.

Below is a series of pictures taken by Ben Pearse who is a commercial photographer living and working in Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia. These images document the popular walking route from the Golden Stairs to atop Mount Solitary. The distance from the beginning of the Golden stairs to the Chinaman’s Gap is approximately 7.7km. (please read additional notes below images on hiking severity)

I hope these images help others enjoy this beautiful section of the Blue Mountains, Australia.

cheers Ben

All images are copyright to Ben Pearse Photography 2016

Website

Golden stairs to Mount Solitary

three sisters view

Golden stair pathway

Angophora trees

Signposts to Mt Solitary at base of Golden Stairs

Entering the forest

Dappled forest light

Forest views

Forest greens

Sunshine and greens

Sunshine through the trees

Trees amongst the ferns

Cliff lined views

Track through the ferns

Forest in sunlight

Sea of ferns

Under a fern canopy

Lush forests

Bush toilets

Turnoff to Ruined Castle

Warning signs to take note

Campsites and rest spots

Water and shelter

Rain tanks and shelter

Last pit toilet stop

Rain tanks can provide water if it’s available

One of two rain tanks available

Beautiful angophora trees

The uphill climb begins

Ruined Castle views

Angophora forest

Sunlight over angophora- april 2016- 2048

Sunlight over Angophora tree

Angophora canopy

The path gets steeper

First steep scramble

Looking to Kings Tablelands

Katoomba cliffline views

The chimney climb

The second knoll climb looms above

Looking back across the jamison valley to Katoomba

Looking back panoramic views

Narrowneck plateau views

Summit views…still a way to go

Finding a shady spot on the climb

Summit glory

Chinaman’s gap- Mount Solitary

Chinaman’s gap eucalyptus trees

Chinaman’s Cave- Mount Solitary

Chinaman’s gap in the mist

Morning light

Melville’s lookout- Mount Solitary

Zooming in on Lake Burragorang

View over Lake Burragorang

Panoramic view from Melville’s lookout

Rain over Lake Burragorang

Tales around the campfire…

Katoomba panoramic view- Mount Solitary on the left. The hike starts from right, underneath narrowneck plateau, and continues left past and below ruined castle and finally up the steep visible ridgeline onto Mount Solitary.

Thanks for looking, cheers Ben

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Note: The hike to Mount Solitary is not suitable for inexperienced hikers and campers. The long steep ridge path through sections of sandstone boulders can prove exhaustive and dangerous for those whose fitness is not at a suitable level.

Note: The author takes no responsibility for any incorrect information in this blog post. All person/s who are undertaking a walk/hike or camping trip to Mount Solitary should research/contact NPWS and other local government agencies and/or official sites prior to leaving to ensure their own safety. Please stay safe and monitor bushfire warnings when hiking and camping and be sure to take out your rubbish with you so other can enjoy these areas too.

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Journey of Australian photographer Ben Pearse

Tag Archives: Katoomba

Smartkits Australia Competition 2023

Winter Magic Festival 2023

Saskia Everingham-Blue Mountains Portrait Prize 2023

Snow in Katoomba, Blue Mountains-August 2022

Echo point Katoomba- Lockdown-August 2021

Snow in the Blue Mountains- June 2021

After the Bushfires – Blue Mountains, Australia.

Blue Mountains Snowfall-August-2019

Bushfires in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia, 2019- 2020- New Blog!

Mount Solitary walk- Blue Mountains