Photographing Cotter Dam
About Cotter Dam
Cotter Dam is a popular day trip just to the west of Canberra in the ACT. It has open areas for picnics and walks along the river.
Viewpoints
I shot the dam from just in front of the spillway.
How I photographed the XXXX
What I took - what was in my kit
I took my LowePro Backpack loaded with Canon 5DS R body, Canon 24 mm TS, and Canon 16-35mm, Manfrotto 190 Tripod, and of course a range of lens wipes, spare batteries, sunscreen and bug repellant. In this case, I also took my DJI Mavic Pro drone.
Techniques
The above picture is a panorama that has been 'stitched' together.
Other things to look out for
Cotter Dam is on the 5 road. This travels past Tidbinbilla Tracking station, Gibraltar Falls, and several nice lookouts. I suggest that people take a loop around this road and make a day trip of it.
Location
(-35.31955, 148.93853)
Techniques used
Kit used
How to get there
The only way i know is by car. I am sure that you could also cycle here, as it is not far out of Canberra. I am unaware of any public transport here. The roads are paved and fairly nice, though you may find yourself forging the odd river (never more than a few inches deep though).
Best time to visit
Canberra is between Melbourne and Sydney, but it is relatively high altitude for Australia (300M or 1000'). This means that it is hot in Summer, and cold in Winter. In winter there is snow on the nearby hills and it snows occasionaly in the city. From a photography point of view, all times of the year are fine.
Accessability
You cannot directly access the dam spillway, but you can get to the bottom of it, and along the river that runs from it. This area is accessable via 2 wheel drive cars (it is paved) and there are a range of flat pathways suitable for bikes, wheelchairs, etc. There is also ample parking and picnic / bbq facilities.
Where to stay
There is a vast array of options in Canberra, and being a small place, this is within 30-50 minutes of all them.
Photographic Recommendations
recommendations XX