I could imagine that there would be no more senses awakening actions than early morning ocean swims, particularly in winter.

On this cold July morning in Australia I decided to take a one hour drive north from my place to the Merewether Ocean Baths in the Newcastle region of New South Wales, and observe the locals going through the motions of their morning ritual, which is swimming in the ocean baths and I’m told this particular ocean baths is the largest of its kind in Australia.

To be honest, on the night before I was contemplating whether there would be any swimmers there given the time of year, however I was pleasantly surprised that not only were there swimmers, but plenty in fact.

I was suitably dressed for winter filming and taking pictures in long pants and several top layers combined with a beanie, but then I wasn’t the one getting wet.

It was dawn when I arrived and there were already several swimmers in the water, whilst others steadily arrived thereafter and proceeded to prepare themselves for the plunge.

Many of them wore wetsuits, whilst others were braver and chose more traditional swimwear.

Back and forth, back and forth, lap after lap, many performing traditional swim styles, whilst others appeared to be performing some type of designated hydrotherapy.

As I watched the people arrive and begin preparing to enter the water, I identified that this really is a ritual for them, very purposeful. There is a process involving how they prepare themselves, it is measured and definitely not rushed… there is reason.

The laps in the water tend to be like clock work. There is a defined mindset here, one that is focused on achieving a goal. The goal may be a certain number of laps, it could be to stretch muscles with weightlessness, or it could simply be almost transcendental to achieve mindfulness, just by being out there.

Then again, it could be all of the above.

I observed the swimmers as they exited the water and I could sense that their day had begun as it should, by exercising both the mind and body, to experience a short period of time in our often hectic lives where time almost stands still and you cannot be distracted by anything.

One cannot control distractions nor stop them from occurring, however one can provide a calming platform to enable us to stand a better chance of managing whatever life throws at us.

I could not think of a better daily platform than swimming in ocean water early in the morning and getting ready to embrace the day.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for checking out the images.

Roger Brooks.

#fujifilm

#fujifilmx100f

#x100f

#fujix100f

#oceanswim

#shortfilm

The beginning of July, 2023, and its a beautiful and sunny day in Sydney, what a great opportunity to leave my home on the Central Coast with my Fujifilm X100f camera and head down for a day of walking around the beautiful central business district and Circular Quay and capturing the vibe and essence of it by day.

For some time now I have been largely focused on creating motorbike content for YouTube with my wife, which you can view on the Harley Throttle Juice channel. Whilst there has been the odd opportunity here and there to take pictures for that channel, it has been a while since I did any type of serious shooting with any of my cameras.

Also, recently I have been struggling with my mental health and have identified that I have been overwhelmed by many aspects of my life, so much so that for the first time in my life I have begun therapy sessions in an attempt to find some more balance in my mind.

As far as my creative outlets are concerned I have decided that I need a change to re-energise myself, and to rid myself of funk and find some lost passion again.

This was the perfect reason for today’s photo walk. A beautiful day, my favourite camera, plenty of photographic subjects about and a sense of melancholy which to me enhanced my ability to breathe and stay relaxed.

The streets were much busier than when I visited the Sydney CBD last with a camera, which made for a fascinating array of interesting people and fashion. My previous visits over the past few years were dramatically affected by COVID, and whilst you can still find images in quieter streets, its not the same as when the streets are buzzing.

I also believe that the re-introduction of trams into the Sydney CBD has given the locations a real busy vibe, much the same as Melbourne with plenty of colour and sound being added to the environment.

I love wandering around with minimal camera gear, just my Fujifilm X100f and a GoPro attached to a GorillaPod for some film b-roll.

The ability to grab the camera quickly and react to photo opportunities is exhilarating, as long as you are very familiar with your gear and have it set up to react in any conditions.

The weather on this day allowed me to shoot between 1/500 and 1/1000, IS0400 and apertures between F8 and F16.

Well, after several hours, some egg tarts from Breadtop and approximately 15 kilometres of walking according to my iPhone, I headed back to my car in readiness for the long drive back home.

I have to say that I am very happy with many of the images, but even more so I’m happy that I experienced such a positive and fulfilling day with plenty of exercise and some good mind control.

I cannot recommend this method highly enough to any creatives… its good for the soul.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for checking out the images.

Roger Brooks.