Shooting

Day nine was designed to be relaxing. We had most of the morning free for exploring Kununurra township, while the afternoon was devoted to a cruise down the Ord River from the Argyle Dam. At the end of the cruise we were to enjoy view the sunset from the cruise boat as we travelled slowly across Lake Kununurra to the township, where we would stay the night.

It’s a long way from Sydney to the Flinders Ranges in South Australia – and the route isn’t necessarily direct. However, when we decided to join some friends who live just outside Adelaide on a camping holiday in one of their favourite ø¢â‚¬Ëœhaunts’, the only option was to take our car, a Subaru Forrester.

Day seven was given over to the El Questro ‘experience’, with an early start for those of us who wanted to walk into Emma Gorge and swim in the plunge pool beneath the cascade. The track, which was formerly a relatively easy stroll, was devastated in March 2005 when Tropical Cyclone Ingrid dumped 445 mm of rain on the area in less than 24 hours. El Questro’s Emma Gorge Resort was all but demolished by the cyclonic winds and rain but has been completely rebuilt and its tented villas – with en-suite bathrooms – complement the five-star facilities of the rest of the resort.

Leaving Imintji Wilderness Camp early in the morning, the truck headed east-north-east through the heart of Kimberley cattle country to Galvans Gorge. From the car park a short walk took us through the bush to a picturesque, almost circular waterhole formed by a waterfall that cascades roughly 20 metres from the escarpment above.

Day 5 was one of the highlights of the entire trip: a visit to the Mitchell Falls plus a helicopter trip over the Mitchell Plateau and adjacent coastline. Leaving the Ungolan campsite after breakfast, it took roughly half an hour to reach the campsite and base for the Slingair Heliwork airfield, from which several tours operate. Our plan was to walk up to the Mitchell Falls, spend some time exploring the area and then board a ‘chopper’ for the flight over the plateau, which would deposit us back at the road where our truck awaited.

How do you set up your camera when lights are low? Switch on the flash? Adjust the ISO sensitivity upwards? Reach for a tripod? These are all valid reactions and all have their ‘plusses’ and ‘minuses’.

Wanting to see more of outback Australia, my partner and I decided to visit the Kimberley region in Western Australia, lured by the promise of spectacular scenery plus a taste of the ‘real’ outback. Our visit was timed to ensure the waterfalls were flowing but in advance of the peak tourist season, which covers July and August.

All digital cameras record images in JPEG format and JPEG is the only file format that can be viewed in all viewing devices and edited by all image editors. For this reason, JPEG is known as the universal file format.

Digital photography has come a long way in the past decade. Cameras are offering higher resolution, better performance at high sensitivity settings and greatly reduced power consumption. More user-friendly functions (like live viewing) are being packed into ever smaller bodies, and prices are now affordable for even cash-strapped buyers. But file formats are one of the few features that have not changed.