Popes Glen Photo Adventure - Sunrise Wildflowers and Forest Trails

Scene Festival • Explore the Blue Mountains • Talk Sony • WIN A TRIP TO JAPAN

Join Sony Digital Imaging Advocate Jay Evans for a gentle morning photography adventure through Popes Glen, one of Blackheath's most rewarding and lesser-explored walking tracks, beginning at the iconic Govetts Leap Lookout.

For early risers, the morning begins with an optional sunrise session at Govetts Leap itself, taking in sweeping views across the Grose Valley as first light spreads across the escarpment. From there, we'll head into Popes Glen, following the meandering creek line down through open forest, sandstone heath, and a beautiful hanging swamp. A unique, low-lying wetland community found only in pockets of the Blue Mountains.

Popes Glen offers a gentler pace and a different character to some of our more rugged photo adventures, with plenty of opportunities to slow down and explore. Depending on the season, the track can be alive with native wildflowers, honeyeaters and small forest birds, making it a wonderful location for both landscape and macro photography. With Jay's guidance, you'll learn to find compelling images in a quieter, more intimate bushland setting.

📍 Why Popes Glen?

• 🌄 Sweeping sunrise views over the Grose Valley from Govetts Leap
• 🌸 Seasonal native wildflowers and flowering heath along the track
• 🐦 Excellent birdlife, including honeyeaters and small forest species
• 🌾 A rare hanging swamp ecosystem, unique to pockets of the Blue Mountains
• 🌳 Peaceful open forest and creek-side scenery, a gentler contrast to escarpment walks
• ☕ A relaxed, easy-paced morning suited to a wide range of experience levels

🏆 Attend & Win a Trip to Tokyo & Kyoto

As this event is part of Sony's Scene Festival, for every ticket you purchase, you will receive one entry into the draw for a chance to win the ultimate Scene experience in Tokyo & Kyoto!

To ensure your entry is valid, please check in with your event host upon arrival — your attendance must be recorded for your entry into the draw to be validated.

🌠 What You'll Explore

🌄 Sunrise Landscape Photography (optional) — Capturing first light over the Grose Valley from Govetts Leap Lookout

🌸 Wildflower & Macro Photography — Finding compelling detail among native flora and flowering heath along the track

🐦 Birdlife Photography — Working with honeyeaters and other forest birds as they move through the canopy and understorey

🌾 Hanging Swamp & Wetland Scenes — Understanding and photographing this unique, fragile Blue Mountains ecosystem

🌳 Forest & Creek-Side Composition — Building calm, layered images within open forest and along the meandering creek line

📷 Sony Camera Techniques — Practical guidance on settings, lens choice and approach for varied, close-range bushland subjects

🗓 Event Details

📅 Date: Sunday 20th September

🌅 Optional Sunrise Session: 5:00 AM at Govetts Leap Lookout

🕖 Photo Adventure Departure: 7:00 AM

🕙 Finish Time: Approximately 12:00 PM

📍 Meeting Point: Govetts Leap Lookout Car Park, Blackheath NSW

🚗 Parking: Available at the Govetts Leap Lookout Car Park

🥾 Fitness & Terrain

🔹 Grade 2 – Easy/Moderate

• Well-formed walking track with some uneven and sandy sections
• Gentle undulating terrain following the creek line
• Suitable for most fitness levels, with regular stops for photography
• A relaxed pace, ideal for those wanting a gentler morning in the field

✨ Why Join?

• Photograph sunrise over the Grose Valley before heading into the glen
• Discover a quieter, more intimate side of Blue Mountains photography
• Explore wildflowers, birdlife and a rare hanging swamp ecosystem
• Learn practical techniques for macro, bird and forest photography in the field
• Enjoy a relaxed, easy-paced morning suited to a wide range of experience levels
• Share the morning with fellow photographers in a supportive, unhurried setting

🌿 Join Us at Govetts Leap

From sunrise over the Grose Valley to wildflowers, birdlife and a rare hanging swamp tucked within the forest, the Popes Glen Photo Adventure offers a gentler, richly rewarding morning of photography in the Blue Mountains.

✨ Sunrise views. Wildflowers & wildlife. A relaxed morning in the glen.

🔗 Places are limited — secure your spot and join us at Govetts Leap.

• Sunrise and Landscape Photography Techniques
• Wildflower, fungi & Macro Photography
• Birds & Wildlife Photography
• Photographing the World Heritage Blue Mountains
• Sony Alpha Cameras and Lenses

• 📷 Camera and preferred lenses
• 🔭 A wide-angle lens for sunrise and landscape scenes, plus a macro or close-focusing lens for wildflowers and detail
• 🎛️ Stable tripod, with plates or brackets fitted for your camera
• 🔋 Spare batteries and memory cards
• 🥾 Comfortable walking shoes
• 💧 Water and snacks
• 🧥 Warm layered clothing, as early mornings in the mountains can be cold
• 🎒 Comfortable camera bag or backpack