Fog. Tuesday in Canberra was foggy. It was foggy all day … actually that’s not entirely true, I did see some rays from the setting sun on Mount Majura … through a light mist though. The temperature struggled to a peak of 7C at about 4pm. The fog came back down shortly after sunset and so did the temperature. I decided then to get out amongst this evening for sure … but not on my bicycle this time I thought. This time I’ll go in style. I called my friend Ross. Ross with the Cadillac. I’ve taken pictures of his car several times. He is always after an excuse to give his car a run and offered numerous times to come pick me up and drive me places to take pictures. Yes, it’s kind of ideal. Besides, it’s too cold to go out riding tonight and then stand around for long exposures (and not just the photographic kind) 🙂

Ross is late, like an hour late. It’s half ten by the time he picks me up … I’m yawning … my daughter kept me awake most of the previous night with coughing and snurking nose. I maybe shouldn’t have had the extra glass of wine while passing the time … I’m feeling really like just crawling into my warm bed … dark chocolate helps. Anyways, Ross arrives (you can hear the car coming for miles) and we set off.

The fog is really thick. Then I realise the car windscreen is really fogged up too … at least Ross has a clear spot to see through to drive. We head to the War Memorial at the top of ANZAC Parade … tonight’s fog renders it a gigantic mausoleum, looming above. I like it but the bright floodlights at the base of the building are too bright for the dark beauty above and I leave that one for the memory or perhaps another expedition. We get back in the car and head down toward the lake. Walking across the bridge toward the Carillon we pass the love locks, which have been added to recently, and see the top of the carillon disappearing into the fog. Fog is an elusive phenomena … this stuff was moving ever so slowly across the lake … not only across but vertically too. From the western edge of Aspen Island is near unobstructed 270° view out over Lake Burley Griffin’s Central Basin. In the time I’d taken to get set up (and wished I hadn’t left my gloves in the car … maybe 5 minutes) the fog had lifted enough to provide this view. For the technically minded it’s a panorama stitched from 7 frames each exposed for 30 seconds. Clicking on the picture will (should) take you to a much higher resolution image which is quite fun to explore. It’s only two and a half meg … go on 🙂

Looking northwest from Aspen Island over Central Basin. 11pm 2nd July 2013

Climbing back into the (warmer) car … did I mention it was cold(?) … we continued our way around the southern shore of the Lake, this time looking toward New Acton. That’s where I took this this photo. It looks like twilight but it’s a quarter past eleven on a winter’s night. The lights from various parts of the city lights up the fog in a myriad colours and the two mintue exposure renders the lake surface into a stainless steel sheen. A light breeze sprang up about now and it was biting … at least I remembered my gloves this time.

New Acton under fog. Canberra, 11:15pm 2nd July 2013

The sky changed colour from deep orange through blues and greens and whites in the time we stood there watching.

Back in the car and we head up to Belconnen in north Canberra … when we get there … no fog … gone! Ross thjinks he know where to find some so we head over to the dark side of Lake Gininderra … plenty of fog here … how is it so localised? That’s great but there’s only one problem … it’s really dark and there’s nothing to see. (I hear you now … complain … complain … complain). There’s a new housing development located nearby … all straight lines and boxy. Last stop for the night…

Light fog in new development.

Modernity

Somewhat sterile boxes

OK … so the last two aren’t strictly foggy photos but I wouldn’t have seen them if I hadn’t been out fog chasing and all. Have you been out chasing something recently?

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