The canola fields of 2026

The canola fields of 2026

The road that leads to the canola fields

The canola fields of 2026 have arrived.

My photographs are of some of the canola fields (rapeseed) found along the roads in Yorke Peninsula.
Yorke Peninsula is known for its fertile soil and its abundance of crop growing farms.

The Yorke Peninsula in South Australia is a premier, highly productive dryland farming region…..

…known as the “barley granary.” It features reliable cereal and pulse cropping, continuous cropping systems, and mixed livestock farming, supported by local export ports at Ardrossan and Port Giles.

Cereal crops: Large-scale production of wheat and malting-quality barley.

Pulse & Oilseed Production: Widespread rotation growing lentils, chickpeas, and field peas.

In the last few years we have noticed many bright yellow canola fields appearing. To the casual drive by photographer, it appears the farmers alternate canola with the barley or wheat crops.
This year the rain has been constant and apparently more prolific than many other years. The farmers are rejoicing and word around the farms is that they have never seen such healthy, strong, vibrant crops!

 

Huge yellow canola field
Yellow lines in a canola field
yellow canola field with water tank in top corner South Australia
Canola and wheat field on a rainy day
Tree at Carrumulka on a very grey day

On a very grey day. If you can notice in this image there is still quite a lot of  green in the canola. As the weeks progress a canola field  will get extremely bright and completely yellow.

Canola field and old tree and Carrumulka

Same tree, so yellow, so bright and beautiful. We stop at this same tree just outside Curramulka and photograph it in different weather each year. I keep waiting for it to fall down or be chopped down, but as yet it’s still there.

Canola field and old tree

OK so I’ve put a bird into this tree. I could not help myself as there are often crows around this tree, but not this particular day. A little help from photoshop did the trick!!

Canola field and a tree South Australia
One tree in a very big yellow canola field
Emu in canola field South Australia

According to some Facebook and Instagram posts, farmers were quite annoyed this year by tourists stopping and running through their fields for some photographs. This fellow took no notice of the farmers.

Two emus in a canola field. South Australia

In fact he even asked his friends to come a join him.

Well seriously, please don’t go onto farmers land, respect their wishes and help them grow good healthy crops. you can spread disease, damage crops and because they spray with various chemicals, you can carry that on you clothing back to your home environment.

On the edge of a canola field
Up close and looking through branches with canola in the background

Now it is time for some fun with the camera, tree branches up close with those bright yellow flowers in the back ground.

Fine branches and a canola field in the background
Leaves and yellow canola field
Paper black birds in my house with yellow place mat

Returning indoors,,… and I made for the Grandies a black tree with blackbirds and “yes” a yellow table mat!

Coffee and a yellow cushion

After a few hectic hours photographing it must be time for coffee. And what better way to celebrate a farmers joy and this years bumper crops than coffee in a yellow cup!!

Canola is not in the same fields each year. The crops rotate and sometimes I will have to wait a few years before canola reappears in a certain field.

Make sure to keep a lookout for canola if you are out in the country between August and September in the Southern Hemisphere. Have fun!!

(All images are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.)

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Photographing birds in the Australian skies

Photographing birds in the Australian skies

Pink galahs flying in a pink and red sky

Photographing the birds that fill the sky in South Australia provides us with endless opportunities.

Australia has a conglomerate of colourful and unique birds.

Creation is indeed marked by variety and beauty, God’s word says…..

Psalm 84.3 The sparrows have found a home and the swallows have nests. They raised their young near your alters Lord

Psalm 104.12 The birds of the sky nest among the waters they sing among the tree branches.

Birds have an airy and supposedly dreamy way of life,

…..roaming the space above the ground. We humans are earth bound and often wonder what it would be like to view life from above. Birds give us a sense of freedom and happiness. They seem to frolic from dawn to dusk, exuding life, power and joy.

Although I am not a specific bird photographer, I love to photograph the emotional vibes that birds give off.
That feeling….that spiritual force you feel when gazing at their daily activities. Fragile, light and soaring to heights that we cannot quite reach in the way that they do.

 

When photographing birds:

1. Try and get as close as possible, moving really slowly or otherwise try to conceal yourself behind some bushes or trees.
2. I use the fastest shutter speed I can. Often up to 1800 or more depending on conditions.
3. I use the movement setting but will turn to stationary if the bird is sitting still.
4. My aim is very much to portray a feeling, not really to capture a bird in a super clear and technical manner.

When editing my photographs:

I may add a new sky if I think it benefits the frame. I will often brighten and add a hint of colour to the bird. Mostly I simply let my creative side go.

 

Here are a few of my secrets revealed….

The galahs were in a green field and using photoshop I put them into a pink sky.

The rosella was on our roof, I cut it out using photoshop and put him into an image I had of our next door neighbours barren fruit tree.

There were only two crows in the black tree in the green field. I added a few more. I used the clone tool and also PNG’s of birds I had in my library.

The moon has been added into some photographs, but on others it was actually there.

Lastly, the bird in the nest in the power pole has been added in. He actually was sitting in the nest but flew off when I stopped the car. Very annoying, so I added one of my previous images of crows to this nest.

I encourage you, it’s about having fun, experimenting and doing what you love. Like I have said, I photograph birds to evoke a feeling, a sense of mysticism, of the unreal… something I cannot describe in words. It perplexes my soul and fills me with awe.

 

My photographs below are simply of moments I have felt a connection to the bird life around me.

Rosell in our back yard in an old dead tree
Trees in winter with crow sitting. Lyford ski area New Zealand.
Ravens in an old tree in a green field
Three magpies sing together on a street light

I photographed these three singing their hearts out early one cold morning

Birds in a dead tree at sunset
Pink galahs at sunset
Many starlings perch in a old tree
Tiny birds resting in an old tree
Moonlight and small birds waiting in the trees
Sea eagle at Yorke Peninsula flying through a rainbow
Egrets at Port Clinton in the mangroves at sunset
two shags at a remote beach rest on the sharp cliffs
Seagull sits on Rhinos rock, Yorke Peninsula
Birds nest up a power pole
A seagull flying in an amazing pink and dark grey sky

Sometimes the sky turns into a startling blend of colours. This image was taken of a seagull just outside our beach house.

Starlings and the setting sun lights up the branches on the old tree

The setting sun lit up the tree branches, providing an interesting and lovely photo

Spirit flying sea bird in the peaceful sky with moon coming up
Murmuration of starlings at Port Clinton mangroves.

A murmuration of starlings at the Port Clinton mangroves. A spectacular sight. 

Black birds near a golden field sitting on the fence
Shy albatross on the ocean while we were out fishing

The Shy Albatross. Taken on a day when we were out fishing, off the coast of Yorke Peninsula.

Spoonbills near the mangroves resting

Spoonbills often gather at the Port Clinton Conservation Park. The mangroves provide food, water and safety for the many birds in this area.

 

If you are interested in the more detailed aspect of bird photography here is a good place to start.

BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS

 

(All images are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.)

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Huge waves which originate in Antarctica

Huge waves which originate in Antarctica

Birds and wild stormy weather

The waves which land on the South Australian shores originate in the Southern ocean.

 

The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the globe, spanning the area south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica, covering  approximately 21,960,000 square kilometers.

Generated by the relentless, unobstructed westerly winds between latitudes 40degrees and 50degrees South, the Roaring Forties fuel the Southern Ocean’s massive groundswells. These swells travel thousands of kilometres before hitting South Australia, producing some of the heaviest, most powerful, and pristine surf breaks in the country.

Because there are practically no landmasses to disrupt the wind in these southern latitudes, the resulting groundswells possess massive wave periods, often exceeding 14-17 seconds, packing incredible energy and power. (According to the local surfers the longer the period between waves, the better and more powerful they are for surfing on.)

The tip of Yorke Peninsula,

…..namely two beaches in particular, West Cape and Ethel Beach, very often receive these waves. On those days when the swell is big, I will undoubtedly meander to the salty shores to photograph and witness this God given phenomenon.

 

 

Artistic wave at West cape beach Yorke Peninsula
Big swell rolls in West cape beach Yorke peninsula
Another wave behind West cape beach
Wave crashing into rocks at West Cape beach Yorke Peninsula.
Sand and sea spray from big wave
The after splash from huge waves Ethel Beach Yorke peninsula
Big waves with Althorpe Island in the distance, Yorke Peninsula
Pink sky and a big swell at west cape beach Yorke Peninsula
Howling winds and big waves West Cape beach Yorke Peninsula
Wave near Ethel beach cliffs Yorke Peninsula
Big waves West Cape beach Innes National Park, West Cape
Evening and back spray from a wave
Waves keep rolling in A high energy beach West cape Yorke peninsula
A wave spitting West cape beach Yorke Peninsula
Waves and Althorpe island in the background. South Australia
jet ski and surfers at West Cape Yorke Peninsula
Jet ski with surfers at West Cape Yorke Peninsula
Waves and surfer West Cape Yorke Peninsula
Ocean wave West Cape Yorke Peninsula
Big wave West Cape Yorke Peninsula

A few  interesting facts.

 

The Antarctic Circumpolar Current:

This is the world’s strongest ocean current. Flowing continuously from west to east, it acts as an icy barrier that separates the relatively warmer waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans from the sub-zero waters of the Antarctic.

Global Climate Engine:

The Southern Ocean is Earth’s primary climate sponge, absorbing up to 75% of the excess atmospheric heat from human activity and roughly 40% of human-caused carbon dioxide.

Extreme Conditions:

It is renowned for being the stormiest place on Earth, featuring the planet’s largest waves, strongest winds, and massive, city-sized icebergs.

 

Depth and Geography

Size:

It represents about one-sixteenth of Earth’s total ocean area.

Depth:

The ocean has an average depth of 3,270 meters (10,728 feet) and reaches a maximum depth of 7,432 meters (24,383 feet) in the South Sandwich Trench.

Natural Boundary:

Its northern limit is defined by the Antarctic Convergence (or Polar Front), where cold, nutrient-rich southern waters meet warmer northern waters.

Marine Life:

The combination of melting sea ice and upwelling nutrients drives the growth of microscopic phytoplankton, which fuels the entire food web. The ecosystem relies heavily on Antarctic krill—a small, shrimplike crustacean that sustains large populations of whales, seals, penguins, and seabirds.

 

Next blog

….will be about the winter down yonder in Yorke Peninsula’s southern tip, so stay tuned.

 

(All images are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.)

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What is Gods word on creativity

What is Gods word on creativity

Taking photos at the beach Wendy Philip

What is Gods word on your talents and creativity?

When I was younger I heard beautiful singers and longed to be able to stretch my voice to the same heights as their vocal cords went to. But no such luck…A dream, but no physical manifestations of my dreams. 

I adored ballet as a child and  for years I watched brilliant ballerinas and longed to perform those ingenious stretches and poses, but Oooooo my muscles and tendons never became as flexible as my fine feathered swans from Swan Lake. 

Often with photography I feel the same, I see the earth in all its magnificence, I see a picture in all its graciousness, I see another photographers precise and exotic creations, and my hands and fingers don’t seem to want to go in the same directions as all that I see with my eye.

Why can’t I soar to such brilliant heights as Picasso, VanGogh, Michelangelo, Ansel Adam’s, Steve McCurry….?

Why aren’t my efforts as gargantuan as theirs?

Oh wretched person I am. Am I forever bound to the confines of my incapacities?

But is that the truth, who says that these works of art are to be highly prized above all others. Who declares that these creations are better than all the others?

I think God does not say this, there is a story in the bible,

Matthew 25.14-30 

For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 

Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Perhaps the moral of the story is:

Even if you have one talent it will be useful to someone.

Even if you have doubt and fear, you still put your talent to work regardless of your feelings.

Even if others are supposedly far better in their creative abilities and have amazing talents, comparisons are futile and who says that their work is more beautiful than yours. Beauty is supremely selective and differs vastly from individual to individual.

Each and every human is a unique and gifted person. Don’t fear the scary and wary human boss, but ignore him/her and invest your talents into something worthwhile. 

There is room on this earth for vast amounts of unique and productive creativity. 

If indeed you want to benefit this earth and its occupants, your talents are equally as good as all others, make sure you put them to good use.

We can connect our art to this biblical story and thank God that with His creative ingenuity, he decided to create us with a wonderful array of amazing talents.

My images below are of myself out taking images working on my craft. However my husband was the photographer for most of these images.

Girl photographing birds
Girl photographing birds
Wendy Philip photographing some birds on a line
Photographing the waves
Girl in yellow jacket with tripod taking photos
At Ethels beach taking photographs
Girl at the beach with a camera
camera and material
Girl taking photos at the beach
Wendy Philip taking photos at Ethels beach

Thanks for dropping by.

In one of my next blogs I would like to talk about the way art brings peace and happiness to our souls.

(All images are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.)

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Adding the vintage touch to your photography

Adding the vintage touch to your photography

Sun umbrella on the sand with rocks surrounding Vintage effect

Adding the vintage look can change an image into a warm and beautiful classic shot.

 

This last week I have simply had a bit of fun with some old images. Adding a few vintage presets and also trying my hand at making my own vintage style photographs.

Vintage style photography is extremely popular at the moment with some photographers using only this type of image in their portfolios. I have collected some great links for you to peruse.

I love the colours that Wes Anderson has in his photography, I could not find a website but THIS SITE seemed the best to view his images. take a look truly amazing.

Lucy Laucht is one of my favorite photographers, all her prints seem to have a slightly vintage feel. Lucy Laucht.

I also enjoy minamalist photographer Richard Misrach. He has a few lovely vintage shots. Richard Misrach

Brearts presets has loads of photographic information on their blogs and some nice presets. Breart presets

Overall for my own vintage look here is what I did :

Increased the temperature slider towards the yellow, to make image a more orange color.

Pushed the tint slider a little towards the green

Brightened the image using the exposure slider.

Increased the saturation only a little and decreased the vibrance a little.

I didn’t add any grain because I am not so keen on that effect.

I decreased highlights and increased shadows.

I pushed up the contrast a little.

Then I generally played around with the colour calibration sliders until I got the colours I liked.

I had loads of failures, but you have to keep trying and if you like your preset and you are using Lightroom you can save it.

For the ready made presets I used:

Lightroom vintage

Lightroom retro

Color Efex vintage.

There are a huge variety of presets on the internet at the moment if you wish to purchase some. Simply type in Vintage presets and literally thousands will come up. But I do suggest trying to style your own vintage shots first, it really is quite easy.

 

Ethels cliffs at the beach vintage look
Girl in water with wet hair vintage style
Girls on beach under pink umbrella vintage style
Yacht moored at Marion Bay with soft mauve sunset
Chairs by the seaside
Red chair and girl at the beach vintage style
Bike vintage style
Sheep walking in the field vintage style
Red umbrella in the wheat field
Flat lay bowl, fruit and red gingham cloth, vintage style
Yellow coffee cup
Port Clinton diving pad in the center of the bay
Yacht sails past Seal Island Yorke Peninsula
Pink umbrella on the beach vintage style
At the beach, sun chair and pelicans vintage style
Yacht moored at the beach side
Chairs in the sun
Girl by the beach vintage style
Book and red and blue cloth vintage style
hall pegs with hat and bag hanging, vintage style
A frame house New Zealand vintage style

I hope you enjoy my vintage style photos. There are no set rules, just go with your gut, use presets, copy other vintage photographers ideas and simply do your thing!!

Here is a great link on editing your photos to create that vintage look. READ HERE

(All images are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.)

(This web site is ad free, a peaceful and relaxing experience.)

AI and the future of photography and blogging

AI and the future of photography and blogging

Power lines in the clouds black and white

AI here to stay or just a flash in the sky?

 

For now photography and blogging are here  to stay according to google.

AI is still in its infancy stage and has a long way to go to compete with the uniqueness and creativity of the human brain.

For myself, personally  I have found AI also lacking in humour and personal experiences. Seriously what personal heartaches, sadness, or tragedy has touched Mr AI? What profound joy, pleasure and satisfaction has Mr AI revelled in? What hilarious moment has Mr AI been able to illustrate in an image or in writing.

Mr AI (or Mrs AI) is or are, lacking in so many human qualities, that make us authentic and powerful beings.
Another malfunction of Mr and Mrs AI, they lack the capacity to have children. A spirit, mind and body is a supernatural form of life, which is conceived through love and grows into a mind boggling human being……nothing else compares. This experience cannot be replicated.

Isaiah 44.24. The Lord says, I made you and formed you from the womb. I the Lord am the maker of all things. Stretching out the heavens by myself and spreading out the earth all alone.

AI is, at the moment not capable of making a most intricate and unique human or creating the earth and the heavens, the planets, the stars, the comic universe.

Photography

– my personal experiences
With AI  images I find them sterile and often a bit faulty. Eg in one image I looked at, I noted a table leg stopped halfway down. It simply floated in mid air.
I find many AI images so perfect. Sterile and lacking life. Not a spec of dust, not a leaf on the ground, not a small spider web in the corner. Give me the imperfections of a unique and somewhat faulty image any day. For me many of the AI generated images look so very fake.

AI images portray humans as faultless with all the right parts in the right place. A face with no spots, no blemishes, perfect teeth and hair. Their bodies, if female, have the finest and biggest breasts known to human kind. Barbie fainted with desire when she saw all the Grok images of women. Their waists are tiny, their legs long and golden and that tan did not come from the sun, so not a hint of skin cancer for those babes. What more can I say… the men all have six packs, and arms so well developed they struggle to scratch their backside. Arnie was somewhat jealous and headed straight for the gym after viewing these images.

Blogging.

Well I’m no expert, but I have used chatgp regularly and have had to go through those particular blogs and remove the wording created by chatgp. Here are my reasons:

1. The sentences were super descriptive and used adjectives that I would never have thought of. Far too technical and embellished with terminology I was not remotely familiar with.
I found it lacked my personal touch and now I rarely use it. As far as scoring on my SEO, chatgp scored very low. When I wrote out my own keywords and descriptions the SEO scored much higher.

2. I discovered that I did not have to use my brain, chatgp used their brain and my brain just lay resting getting “bored out of its brain”…..and fat and lethargic. Creativity disappeared and tiredness prevailed.

3. It simply felt weird logging into a device that helped you with your creativity.

The good points.

1. Of course there are innumerable good things about AI. However for creatives I feel we must still employ our brain to fulfill those God given dreams and desires we have.

2. It can save you time when researching any topic, it’s a fantastic encyclopaedia.

3. And it just may give you a perspective you had never thought of.

 

At the dawn of the century do you think painters were intimidated and a little afraid of photographers and photography, were their jobs to be made redundant??  Maybe, but it never stopped their creativity and the world of painting still exists today.

We can read information that frightens us and seems to void our creative abilities. I believe God designed us with creativity and a talent over and above all things. Don’t be threatened or frightened. God is watching over the earth and He knew thousands of years ago that AI would come to pass.

God foreknew that man would make AI to replace man!

How strange, humans make something to replace themselves? Where will it stop? There is no end to human ingenuity and inventiveness.

But now, has man apparently done away with himself???

 

For more information check out this link.
F stoppers

Aeroplane and moon in the sky
Wind turbines in the clouds
Clock on a white wall

What time is it? The future is close at hand.

Lamp on a white back ground
Birds on power lines with blurry moon in background
Birds playing noughts and crosses

Will the birds of the sky notice the change?

Ravens in a nest on a power pole
Old tree and field of wheat

Lines of nature and lines of power

Wind turbines in a wheat field

Where does the power lie?

Birds nest in power lines

My photographs are mainly black and white, fun shots which I have taken over the years.

See you next time.

(All images are taken by Wendy Philip. No AI generated images.)

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