Dark Mofo Dark Path
The Dark Path was the heart of Dark Mofo this year, incorporating a long walk along a rather minimally lit – some might even say dark, path with tiki torches and moody red lighting in the trees to make sure no one got lost. I also got to wondering if perhaps the Heart Foundation weren’t perhaps also a sponsor of the event, as thousands of people went for a late night walk and got some undoubtedly much-needed winter exercise.
The gunpowder magazine had some radio equipment inside
The first part of the walk took you across the new bridge over the Tasman Highway which was raised over the summer. Then along the Soldiers Memorial Walk as far as the Gunpowder Magazine building and onto the Botanic Gardens.
Dark Mofo Dark Path – Botanical Gardens
Dark Mofo Dark Path – Botanical Gardens
The Dark Mofo light shows are always great fun to photograph – Articulated Intersect a few years ago was great, Spectra has become a regular as has lighting up the Tasman Bridge in red, and last years Dark Park had a great laser and light display.
Dark Mofo 2019 – Tasman Bridge & Spectra
This years photography fun was the Tesla Coil, in the Botanic Gardens. Basically it was a giant lightning machine. Every 10 minutes or so it would gear up and the lightning would crackle and pop. I took a few shots of spectra while waiting, and when the lightning started, I was just close enough for the light show to really fill the frame. I switched the camera to TAv mode – the unique (and remarkably useful) Pentax mode which allows full Manual exposure but flexible ISO – including the use of exposure compensation. I set the camera to interval shooting and one second exposures for the following results 🙂
Dark Path Tesla Coil
Dark Path Tesla Coil
Dark Path Tesla Coil – close up
And here is the timelapse:
