After having this vintage lens in my collection for over a year it was finally time to take it out for a proper spin.

June wrapped up with a family visit to Tamworth, with my parents coming down from the Northern Rivers to spend time together. I took far fewer photos than usual, but a golden hour walk through a newly developed estate offered a quiet moment to reflect on how much the area has changed. Where there were once rolling hills and kangaroos, construction now stands, a gentle reminder of time steadily moving on.

After a cold front passed, I took advantage of the warmer weather to explore a new walking route up to the university, camera in hand. While the trail itself wasn’t especially photogenic, being out in the sun, and finding a plastic chair scene that felt distinctly urban Australia, made it worthwhile. The day wrapped up at the Uralla winter solstice celebrations, arriving just in time to catch the lighting of an impressively massive bonfire.

It felt like the right time for a photo walk around town to see what had changed, and which new shopping trolleys had made an appearance. Shooting in black and white for the first time in a while added a fresh constraint, even if only a few images really stood out. Still, it was good to take a long walk with the camera again, with bonus points for discovering a few street couches along the way.

June’s first adventure took us to New England National Park, just ahead of a cold front that signalled the true start of winter. Arriving late and underprepared turned the shoot into a learning experience, quickly highlighting the need for a long-overdue ND filter. Mediocre photos aside, it was a reminder that the journey matters more than the results, and we still had a great half-day exploring the park together.