Anna Creek station’s Cessna 172 in action spotting cattle for the ringers on motorbikes below.

Without the flying experience of my friend Trevor Wright from William Creek, shots like this would be impossible to achieve.

Working cattle from the air is an essential part of cattle production these days.

On a vast property like Anna Creek Station in South Australia’s far north, using an aircraft to spot cattle spread out over big distances saves time, money and the efforts of the stockmen on the ground.

To finish off my little journey featuring ridges of the Flinders Ranges I’ve gone another hundred plus kilometres south to Arkaba station where there is dramatic change in scenery.

This countries lies between Wilpena Pound and the Elder Range near the town of Hawker.

Travelling west from Blinman town this time, ridges making up part of the Glass Gorge area and the Heysen Range.

150 or so kilometres south from Arkaroola in the previous picture, this image was taken on the eastern side of what I suppose is the central Flinders Ranges for want of a better term.

A flight out from Angorichina station which isn’t far from the town of Blinman soon reveals row after row of ridges that keep rolling on as far as the eye can see.

In looking through some of the photos I have taken over the last 6 months or so, often there’s a common theme.

Without a doubt there’s plenty of ridges throughout the hills and mountains of the ranges but the contrast between them can often be quite pronounced.

Lets start with the powerful, rugged volcanic and granite country of the northern Flinders Ranges.

No prizes for guessing where this is. Arkaroola, in the Sillers lookout area with the Freeling heights in the background.

I guess these two wedge tailed eagles are an item. I have seen them soaring around the skies in this area for some time.

One sits atop a surveyors cairn, one of many that are scattered around the Flinders Ranges.

They are usually built high on some rocky hill and are incredibly well made.

They would have to be…some having stood for well over a century.

This wasn’t taken with a zoom lens…just the 23 mm lens of the Fuji X100s.

I had managed to get quite close to the one on the cairn but nearly missed the one passing overhead.

F14, shutter 1/210 sec, ISO 200

Wilpena Pound, Flinders Ranges. Looking south from Gum Creek Station towards St. Mary’s Peak.

There’s always a problem to be solved in a workshop.

How to…..how long……how much?

Problem solving at the Hawker garage.

Fuji X-Pro 1 f5.6, shutter 1/45th sec, ISO 200

Colour is great but don’t forget black and white.

Using the techniques of old, a black and white photograph can sometime make for a much stronger image.

There is a real art to black and white photography…something the old masters used to great effect and it is still worth considering as a process even in the digital world.

It can add drama, subtlety and depth. Removing the colour sometimes takes away a distraction from the story being told.

It doesn’t work for every image though.

The Great Wall of China. Fuji X-Pro 1 f 11, shutter 1/60th sec, ISO 400