Grand Paradise

immense aerial paradise

While on vacation at Hamilton Island we decided to take advantage of the good weather and pay the extra for a scenic helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven beach. The forecast was for low winds, no clouds and what better place in the world to take a scenic flight.

I spoke with the girl who was organizing the helicopter flights and said, ” If you can confirm I can get the front seat of the chopper for photographic opportunities then I will purchase the flight from you.” She said to me, she would make sure it happened. This was enough to convince me to commit.

Whitehaven beach is regarded as one of the best beaches in the world. It is known for it’s fine white sand that extends for miles. The winding inlet reaches in through a series of bend, eddies, tidal pools and sandbars, creating the blue oasis and textures you see in this shot. A few tour boats and speckled tourists give the scene some scale and create a surreal view of this wonder of northern Queensland.

Tech notes:

A polariser was used to help cut through the glare, which in turn enhances the glorious colours of Whitehaven beach. I had to be careful with it’s use given the sometimes undesirable effects present when looking through glass. Depending on the amount of reflective film and material used, it can sometime generate some interesting blotchy artifacts. Anyone with polarised sunglasses may have seen this on other cars rear windshileds.

Shot with the Nikon D90 and a kit lens. This gave me some flexibility while shooting in the chopper, given the limited access to gear on the fly.

Enjoy