Our hills truly are alive

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By Kevin Jones

When I saw the beautiful picture spread by Yarra Valley resident Tracey Frazer in last week’s Ranges Trader Mail, I thought: “So it is not just me, then?“

Like Ms Frazer, I am frequently inspired by my incredible Dandenongs surroundings while walking my mad boxer dog (Is there another kind?), Ernie.

My challenge each time has been to take a photograph worth keeping – using only my mobile phone – frequently while walking in Kallista.

I am a journalist but no trained cameraman. I have no great technical skills but I suppose I have a decent eye for crops and angles from decades in production journalism. I also have a sufficiently steady hand while taking pictures on our walks. This is of the utmost importance if you want to take a good picture on a phone. I also quickly realised that zooming in on a phone is one quick way of ruining a good shot because you increase your chances of camera-shake immensely. If you see a scene and can imagine the crop you fancy in advance, just steady yourself and fire. The clever bit comes in how you crop it.

I take no part in the tech wars between Apple and Samsung. My phone is a simple Samsung S24, with no bells or whistles.

I hope you enjoy my snaps…. and Ernie’s goofy face!