Ken Dunca class - coastal lessons in landscape photography

Australian Traveller photography intern Daniel Hine gets a masterclass in landscape photography, comedy and humility from legendary Australian snapper Ken Duncan (all photos Daniel Hine)

My alarm went off and, after a couple of ‘snoozes’, I woke up to pitch blackness and crisp spring air flowing through my window. Usually I’d go back to bed, but today was the beginning of Ken Duncan’s Coastal Exposure 2014, a photography workshop based in picturesque seaside Terrigal on the New South Wales Central Coast.

We came from myriad career backgrounds, but we were all there to appreciate nature and capture its timeless beauty. The group’s skill ranged from the most extreme novice to amateurs and learned semi-pros. Ken had time for all of us.

It was odd waking up at these ungodly hours (did someone say be ready by 4am?), however, being out of my comfort zone was extremely rewarding. And, as Ken said, “sleeping is overrated."

Just like family

What truly made the weekend great were the people at the helm; the great Ken Duncan, his ever-efficient wife Pam, and the lovely Debbie Iverach. They really made us feel like family.

I have always looked up to Ken’s landscape work, and I know his talent is immense. What I did not know was that he was one of the most down-to-earth, caring, and funny people I’ve ever met, preferring to give all of his knowledge, as opposed to focusing on his own photos.

I wouldn’t call myself a novice photographer exactly, having done courses at university and practised for more than three years, and I knew I could glean some nuggets of information from Ken’s head.

There was a wealth of technical tips on offer, techniques such as blurring water at 1/15s shutter speed and slower, and utilising leading lines to draw in the viewer. We also delved into digital asset management, post-processing, stitching panoramas and printing techniques.

Breaking the rules

The most important elements I took away from the workshop, however, were to enjoy the moment, capture the feeling, and break the rules where possible.

A landscape photographer’s mindset is a bit different than others’ – they appreciate beauty in the mundane, and are extremely patient while waiting for shots. On the first morning, after getting on the bus at 5am, bleary eyed and sleep deprived, we knew we’d be in for a busy and challenging few days. We did not, however, know the lengths we’d go to to get the shots.

A simple sunrise shoot at The Skillion at Terrigal was made a bit risky by an impending storm and high tide. To get this shot we had to traverse a rocky outcrop, down muddy slopes and onto slippery rocks. I even squeezed into a very low, tight cave just to get a different angle.

Anything to get the shot

We witnessed a pelican feed, where one of the photographers lay on the ground amidst a sea of white beaky birds seemingly unaware of his presence. Wings were everywhere, commotion aplenty, and droppings were, well, you do the math.

Also throughout the workshop we came perilously close to 100 stampeding horses, we navigated gushing waterfalls, and we rushed over seaside rocks to capture photos of a lighthouse at dawn.

Sounds exhausting? It wasn’t really, as each morning we’d return to the hotel after the early starts for a sumptuous buffet breakfast.

With recharged energy and idle chit-chat flowing, we were ready to tackle the rest of the day. More adventures, more learning and more capturing the essence of a location – letting it speak through our lenses. This is a frame of mind that Ken lives by.

He showed us a slideshow of his eye-opening homage to Australian life, the characters and locations he documents captured with such emotion and clarity. It is obvious that this man feels deeply for our sunburnt country.

Ken the comedian

He has many touching stories to share, and some that had us in tears of laughter, as in one memorable anecdote about capturing one of his famous shots of the Bungle Bungles. Ken was waist deep in water to get the reflection, and fish started biting his ankles. He swears they had dentures and threatened to cook them for breakfast.

Lessons learned from the workshop? Do whatever you can to get the shot and, if the passion and determination are there, the photos will come.

Ken’s doggedness, along with his infectious humour, rubbed off on all of us. I left the workshop in high spirits, with a wealth of new knowledge, friends, and great photos to boot.

It’s a pity I have to wait a year for the next one.

For details on Ken Duncan’s photography workshops, see kenduncan.com

Winding down in the Yarra Valley, where ‘work from home’ becomes ‘work from wine country’.

Steam from my morning coffee curls gently into the cool valley air, mist-veiled vineyards stretch out in neat rows below me. Magpies warble from trees, and the morning’s quiet carries the soft bleating of lambs from a nearby paddock. Midweek in the Yarra Valley has its own rhythm. It’s slower, quieter, with more empty tables at cafes and cellar doors, and walking trails I can claim all to myself. It’s as if the entire region takes a deep breath once the weekend crowd leaves.

walking trails in the Yarra Valley — You’ll find walking trails are less crowded during the week. (Image: Visit Victoria)

I haven’t come here for a holiday, but to do a little work somewhere other than my home office, where I spend too much time hunched over my desk. Deadlines still loom, meetings still happen, but with flexible work evolving from ‘work from home’ to ‘work from anywhere’, I’m swapping the view of my front yard to the vineyards.

A quiet afternoon at Yarra Valley Dairy

holding a glass of wine at Yarra Valley Dairy — Wine time at Yarra Valley Dairy, where you can enjoy a toastie or bagel in the cafe. (Image: Visit Victoria)

With the Yarra Valley just over an hour from the CBD, many Melburnians could drive here in their lunch break. I arrive late in the afternoon and am delighted to discover the Yarra Valley Dairy still open. On weekends, I’ve seen queues spilling out the door, but today there’s only one other couple inside. There’s no need to rush to secure a table; instead I browse the little store, shelves stacked with chutneys, spices, artisan biscuits and gorgeous crockery that would look right at home in my kitchen. It’s hard not to buy the lot.

a cheese tasting plate atYarra Valley Dairy — A cheese tasting plate at Yarra Valley Dairy.

I order a coffee and a small cheese platter, though the dairy has a full menu, and choose a wooden table with bentwood chairs by a wide window. The space feels part farm shed, part cosy café: corrugated iron ceiling, walls painted in muted tones and rustic furniture.

Outside, cows meander toward milking sheds. If pressed for time, there’s the option of quick cheese tastings – four samples for five dollars in five minutes – but today, I’m in no rush. I sip slowly, watching a grey sky settle over the paddock. Less than an hour ago I was hunched over my home-office desk, and now my racing mind has slowed to match the valley’s pace.

Checking in for vineyard views at Balgownie Estate

Restaurant 1309 at Balgownie Estate has views across the vines.

As my car rolls to a stop at Balgownie Estate , I’m quietly excited, and curious to see if my plan to work and play comes off. I’ve chosen a suite with a spacious living area and a separate bedroom so I can keep work away from a good night’s sleep. I could have booked a cosy cottage, complete with open fireplace, a comfy couch and a kettle for endless cups of tea, but as I am still here to get some work done, I opt for a place that takes care of everything. Dinner is served in Restaurant 1309, as is breakfast.

oysters at Restaurant 1309, Balgownie Estate — Oysters pair perfectly with a crisp white at Restaurant 1309.

On my first evening, instead of the usual walk about my neighbourhood, I stroll through the estate at an unhurried pace. There’s no need to rush – someone else is preparing my dinner after all. The walking trails offer beautiful sunsets, and it seems mobs of kangaroos enjoy the view, too. Many appear, grazing lazily on the hillside.

I wake to the call of birds and, after breakfast, with the mist still lingering over the vineyards, I watch two hot-air balloons silently drift above clouds. Perched on a hill, Balgownie Estate sits above the mist, leaving the valley below veiled white.

kangaroos in Yarra Valley — Spotting the locals on an evening walk. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Exploring the Yarra Valley on two wheels

the Yarra Valley vineyards — Swap your home office for a view of the vineyards. (Image: Visit Victoria/Cormac Hanrahan)

Perhaps because the Yarra Valley is relatively close to where I live, I’ve never considered exploring the area any way other than by car or on foot. And with a fear of heights, a hot-air balloon is firmly off the table. But when I discover I can hop on two wheels from the estate and cycle into Yarra Glen, I quickly realise it’s the perfect way to step away from my laptop and experience a different side of the region.

COG Bike offers pedal-assist e-bikes, and while the bike trail and paths into town aren’t particularly hilly, having an extra bit of ‘oomph’ means I can soak up the surroundings. Those lambs I heard calling early in the morning? I now find them at the paddock fence, sniffing my hands, perhaps hoping for food. Cows idle nearby, and at a fork in the bike path I turn left toward town.

It’s still morning, and the perfect time for a coffee break at The Vallie Store. If it were the afternoon, I’d likely turn right, in the direction of four wineries with cellar doors. The ride is about 15 kilometres return, but don’t let that put you off. Staying off the highway, the route takes you along quiet backroads where you catch glimpses of local life – farmers on tractors, weathered sheds, rows of vines and the kind of peaceful countryside you don’t see from the main road.

A detour to the Dandenong Ranges

legs hanging over the sides of the train, Puffing Billy Railway — The iconic Puffing Billy runs every day except Christmas Day.

The beauty of basing myself in the Yarra Valley is how close everything feels. In barely half an hour I’m in the Dandenong Ranges, swapping vineyards for towering mountain ash and fern-filled gullies. The small villages of Olinda and Sassafras burst with cosy teahouses, antique stores and boutiques selling clothing and handmade body care items.

I’m drawn to RJ Hamer Arboretum – Latin for ‘a place for trees’. Having grown up among tall trees, I’ve always taken comfort in their presence, so this visit feels like a return of sorts. A stroll along the trails offers a choice: wide open views across patchwork paddocks below, or shaded paths that lead you deeper into the quiet hush of the peaceful forest.

The following day, I settle into a quiet corner on the balcony of Paradise Valley Hotel in Clematis and soon hear Puffing Billy’s whistle and steady chuff as the steam train climbs towards town. Puffing Billy is one of Australia’s most beloved steam trains, running through the Dandenong Ranges on a narrow-gauge track. It’s famous for its open carriages where passengers can sit with their legs hanging over the sides as the train chugs through the forest. This is the perfect spot to wave to those on the train.

After my midweek break, I find my inbox still full and my to-do list not in the least shrunken, just shifted from one task to another. But I return to my home office feeling lighter, clearer and with a smug satisfaction I’d stolen back a little time for myself. A midweek wind-down made all the difference.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Balgownie Estate offers everything from cellar door tastings to spa treatments and fine dining – all without leaving the property.

Playing there

the TarraWarra Museum of Art, Yarra Valley — Visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Wander through Alowyn Gardens, including a stunning wisteria tunnel, then explore the collection of contemporary artworks at TarraWarra Museum of Art . Cycle the Yarra Valley with COG Bike to visit local wineries and cellar doors.

Eating and drinking there

Olinda Tea House offers an Asian-inspired high tea. Paradise Valley Hotel, Clematis has classic pub fare, while the iconic Yering Station offers wine tastings and a restaurant with seasonal dishes.

seasonal dishes at the restaurant inside Yering Station — The restaurant at Yering Station showcases the best produce of the Yarra Valley. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Ken Dunca class – coastal lessons in landscape photography