Michael Messer Photography

19/01/2024

Just a little bit of artistic license with the colour and orientation…

26/12/2023

The lightning bolts where few and far between when compared to the flashes but they sure did make the show when they arrived.

25/12/2023

Day 2 of storms here in Brisbane. Nice little Christmas storm. It got a bit hectic in the Gold Coast area last night by the looks. I wonder what day 3 of storms will bring today.

15/12/2023

Big storms in Brisbane today - wind gust recorded in the order of 160km/hr.

15/10/2023

Ah, the perils of forgetfulness! I made a rookie mistake - forgot the memory card for my drone! Cue the frustration when I was all set to capture the stunning coastal views, only to realise my mistake. 🚁💔

Thankfully, a quick Google search led me to a surprising discovery - the nearest Woolworths supposedly stocked the very memory card I needed! With a hint of optimism I quickly drove to Woolies, only to be greeted by the realisation that this was an online only deal. At Least the family got the tasty treat they were after. 😳🍫

Undeterred, I decided to make a sunrise attempt with the limited storage I had, only to realise I'd also forgotten how much memory is needed for the video. 🌅😬

But fear not, dear friends! A new day brought redemption. Equipped with a fresh memory card from a more reliable source this time, albeit a longer drive to purchase, I triumphed over both forgetfulness and windy beach conditions. A high wind warning from the drone 500m over the ocean definitely gets the heart racing a little. 📸💨🌊

Lesson learned: always double-check that memory card and brush up on drone skills, especially when the winds are giving you a run for your money! 🙌✨

17/09/2023

Late night converstaions.

Check the time, it is about 10:45PM. You are on a country road. Not that far from the city but far enough that street lights and traffic are a distant thought. This is what you are chasing to get the last of the Milky Way photos of the year.

You see a tractor on the side of the road. Perfect. A bit for foreground for the Milky Way. You pullover and get out of the car, let your eyes adjust to the darkness. The camera gear starts to get unpacked. You hear nothing but the emptiness of the night sky. Then you hear a dog barking and you think you better make this quick cause dogs are good at waking up their owners.

You take the first photo. 10:50PM.

Then you hear a motorbike start up in the distance. Conflicted about what to do next. You have as many thoughts rushing through your mind as there are stars in the sky. Should you continue to take more photos or throw the camera gear in the car and make a quick exit?

The motorbike is now coming toward you. Five photos taken and it is now 10:52PM.

Camera gear is now back in the car and you are sitting in the front seat with the motor running. The motorbike is sitting a few metres away from the tractor with its headlight illuminating your car.

Conflicted again. Is this farmer thinking good thoughts or bad thoughts? Should I leave in a trail of dust or have a chat? I am doing and have done nothing wrong, just taking photos from the side of the road after all.

A few seconds pass. The brightness of the headlight means I can’t see anything happening behind me. I eventually gesture to the farmer to come up to my window. He does and then…

We have a good chat about why we are both out in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere, relatively speaking. He tells me he is conserving water by irrigating his onions at night. He also tells me that he was concerned for his tractor cause people had previously stolen fuel and a battery from it which makes sense as to why he came to investigate what I was doing.

So the next time you have a sausage with onion at a BBQ, remember that someone might have been out watering them in the dark of the night.

10/09/2023

Last weekend, we soared through the skies with the breath-taking jet performances. But the night didn't end there!

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the real magic took centre stage - the dazzling Brisbane Riverfire fireworks display!

The city skyline transformed into a canvas of colour, as bursts of light danced across the Brisbane River. The reflection on the water was like a thousand stars shimmering just for us.

And if you missed out this year, don't worry - mark your calendars for next year's Riverfire! It's an experience you won't want to miss.

03/09/2023

Riverfire 2023 - You probably have noticed a few of these photos by now but here is my take on the C17A Globemaster and EA-18G Growler as they took to the sky over Brisbane last night to start Brisbane Festival 2023.

02/09/2023

02/09/2023

From fighter jets to fireworks… #