Profile

I'm an Australian Panoramic Landscape Photographer who started my passion for capturing landscapes on film during a solo motorcycle trip from Toowoomba in South-East Queensland to Darwin and back via the remote Gulf of Carpentaria in July of 2004.  It was an amazing experience to travel the Gulf country, with its intense sunsets and wide open floodplains in complete contrast to the wetlands and vibrant colours of Kakadu in the Northern Territory.

Since that trip of discovery back then, I've taken every opportunity to pack my camera gear and travel to some of the most remote and picturesque destinations on this Earth, including two motorcycle trips around Australia and many incredible journeys into America's stunning South-West Desert regions. I have also photographed the diverse and mindblowing landscapes of America's North-West and the captivating scenery of Canada's Rocky Mountains.  New Zealand's South Island is also amongst my favorite destinations for its untouched wilderness areas, snowy mountain backdrops and magnificent glacial lakes.

Although I carry both film and digital camera equipment, my real passion lies with my huge medium format 6x17 panoramic film camera which I lug endlessly on my shoulder whenever I travel.  Shooting in medium format film allows images to be printed in huge sizes without compromising image clarity, and is still unsurpassed by digital technology in panoramic format.  This specialist extreme wide-angle camera allows me to capture a scene more as the eye sees it, around three times wider than the average photograph.  As a totally manually operated device, a correct exposure with this camera relies largely on the ability of the photographer to study a scene and determine the correct exposure via the use of a hand held lightmeter.  This traditional method of photography is very
rewarding to me, as its largely up to the users ability, and not the cameras technology, as to whether the correct exposure is taken.

For me when it comes to landscape photography, my philosophy is to get to know a location as well as I can before even venturing in with my cameras.  It is vital to shoot the scene at the best time of day and best time of year, to maximise your chances of capturing a scene at its picture perfect best.  Often several days are needed at a particular location in order to study how the light falls on the land and work out the best possible shooting angles according to the available light and weather conditions.  For me my ultimate goal is to create a powerful image that evokes mood, harmony and peace, so the compositional aspects of subject placement, lead in lines and balance are vitally important in generating a strong composition, as well as texture and color.  In many ways shooting 6x17 panoramic format is a more challenging proposition than most other forms of photography, and dealing with such a long image really challenges your compositional approach.  Unlike the rule of thirds that is applicable in normal format photography,  I will not hesitate to break the rules and position the main subject matter in the center of the frame if I feel it will give the image more impact.  Out of all my work, the image 'Convergence' is a classic example of positioning the main subject matter in the middle of the frame for maximum impact combined with the use of lead in lines to draw the eyes in towards the middle.  That's why I love this format so much.  This slow form of photography is quite challenging and rewarding if you put in the time to learn and are patient with what you are trying to achieve.  But I have to say that patience is the key to creativity for me in this genre, and I'm still working on that. 

 

                                                                     Pentecost River, in Western Australia's remote Kimberley region. 

ABOVE - After two laps of Australia and over 5000 photo's taken, I decided it was time to trade in the motorbike for a more practical means of transport.  In the end I just couldn't carry all my photo equipment!  So although the motorbike has gone, my enthusiasm for travel and photography has only grown larger and I look forward to presenting you with more award winning images and incredible landscape destinations throughout Australia and the World.

 

PHOTO PORTFOLIO  2010

 

 LA to BANFF.......and back!  ( Trip Report )

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

                                                                                                San Rafael Swell, UTAH

 

                                                                                                Latourell Falls, OREGON

 

Getting stuck in Yellowstone National Park in late Spring threw up some wonderful opportunities to photograph the fresh unseasonal heavy snow falls. 

 

For obvious reasons I had angles in mind when composing this image through the viewfinder.  The unique criss-crossing of the tree trunks in the foreground allowed me to perfectly integrate the waterfall into the background.  The ultra-wide panoramic format was the perfect choice for this composition as I wanted to also include the bazaar tree foliage which dominates Silver Falls State Park, in South - Western Oregon. 

 

The light snow falling at the time this shot was taken really added to the mood of the image.  It would be so easy just to convert this to Black and White but I felt the soft color tones of the late spring season really gave the photo a great feel.  I came back to this spot every day for a week until I had just the right light and the weather I was looking for.  I spent around an hour with both camera's exploring the immediate area, but in the end my best shots were taken just off the Bow Valley Parkway around an hour before dusk.  Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.

 

I just can't get enough of Southern Utah.  Around every corner is something so completely different and spectacular, it's as if you've just arrived on another planet.  Erosion over millions of years has the ability to create unbelievable landforms with the many Hoodoo formations of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument up amongst the best. 

 

The mountains around Banff were much depleted of snow when I arrived late in the Spring.  For the first four days unseasonally warm weather had hit the region and melted the snow on all but the highest peaks.  I knew before I'd arrived that Spring was less than ideal for photography in the Rockies, but I thought I'd come anyway and scout for future locations.  I was quite lucky later in the week to wake to a late seasonal snowstorm, and took the welcome opportunity to capture the early morning peace and tranquility of the Vermillion Lakes on the edge of the township.

 

The Columbia River Gorge region of Oregon has the highest concentration of waterfalls in North America.  Situated on the Washington-Oregon border less than an hour South-East of Portland, this area is nothing short of spectacular.  In the four days I spent in the region, I was in awe of the natural beauty of the region with every one of the falls spectacular in it's own special way.  I will definitely return here in the future to explore further. 

 

 Known as an icon of Utah, the famous Delicate Arch in Arches National Park stands tall (16 meters) and proud amongst the worlds most amazing natural structures.  Although the Winter is the best time to photograph this landmark, I decided to make the long hike into the arch to capture it with the pano camera.  The shadows that grace the foreground weren't ideal but I still managed to frame a decent photo despite some strong gusting winds.  I actually think the shadows work well within the composition now that I've looked at it a few times.  Timing is everything and within 5 minutes the shadow was covering the arch making photography pointless.

 

 

 Unseasonal fresh snow showers overnight in Banff left me some good opportunities to shoot some interesting compositions.  But I had to act quickly, as the late Spring sunshine and almost record warm temperatures threatened my fun.  The dark wet tree trunks in the forests around Banff  provided me with a perfect photographic subject contrasting nicely with the fresh overnight snow cover.

 

Another of Columbia River Gorges unique treasures is the Latourell Falls which plummets 249 feet.  The most prominent feature of these falls is the bright yellow moss which dominates the basalt cliff face, and provides photographers with wonderfully colorful compositions.  I was fortunate to get some overcast and sometimes rainy conditions for most of my gorge visit, which is ideal for waterfall photography.

 

The interestingly named Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah's Canyonlands district is arguably more interesting than the tourist mecca that is The Grand Canyon.  I certainly prefer this area as you can always find your own little piece of isolation in which to work without have to worry about tourists ruining your shot.  The wide angle allowed me to position the camera to include the small alcove in the foreground with the Colorado winding it's way through the canyon in the background, whilst using the trees and foliage to balance out the panorama. I waited more than an hour to take this shot so an approaching storm could move a little closer and add some drama to the shot.

 

Even in late April, the lakes in Banff are all well and truly frozen and it's not until around June or July that the glacial lakes finally come to life with their intensely blue waters.  It was a perfect sunny Spring day so I thought I'd grab the chance to capture a classic Canadian Rocky mountains scene at a frozen lake just outside of Lake Louise.  I used the tree's to frame the panoramic scene and added a polarising filter to cut the glare and intensify the color tones.  This was definitely one of the more challenging single exposures on this trip as photographing snow and ice in bright sun is very difficult without overexposing the film.

 

I find I do my best work when I have no other distractions, and even though the Columbia River Gorge is a major tourist attraction, it certainly never felt overcrowded.  Indeed a lot of my time was spent photographing alone in the light drizzling rain.

 

A closer look on the Delicate Arch provides the viewer with a stunning insight into the perspective and size of this remarkable icon.  It's really hard to comprehend how nature can carve such a masterpiece.  This photo was taken facing South with the snow covered Manta La-Sal mountains in the far distance.  This landscape I'd describe as classic Utah with layered hills and red sandstone dominating the scenery.

 

Millions of years of flash floods have carved and sculpted the sandstone into these surreal underground slot canyons.  I always take the time to grab the camera's and explore the slot canyons of the South-West whenever I'm in the area. 

 

 

 

                                                                                   San Francisco's famous Golden Gate Bridge at dusk

 

   

                                                                                     Columbia River Gorge Region of Oregon

 

  

                                                                                         Canadian Rocky Mountains in Alberta

 

  

                                                                              Lower South Falls (93ft), Silver Falls State Park, Oregon.

 

 

                                                                                          Banff.....Alberta in CANADA

 

San Francisco Bay

 

Columbia River Gorge Region of Oregon 

 

Angry seas off the coast of Pacifica, San Francisco 

 

North Falls, Silver Falls State Park, Oregon. 

 

 

Green River, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

 

 

Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

 

 

Baker Beach, San Francisco

 

 

The Vermillion Cliffs, Northern Arizona

 

   

Late Spring snowfall in Northern Idaho.

 

 

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                                                                                                    Glenorchy, New Zealand

 

                                                           

                                                                                             The Catlins region of New Zealand

 

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                                                                                                    ' False Kiva '  ( Trip Report )

 

 

 

                                                                                                           ' Intrigue '                                      

                                                                                      Upper Antelope Canyon, Page, ARIZONA  ( Trip Report ) 

 

' Twins ' 

ABOVE - The breathtaking magic of Upper Antelope Canyon's color and light show cannot be underestimated.  Every one of these images is shot straight from the camera with relatively long single exposures and are totally unmanipulated in any way.  This place is, without question, one of nature's finest works on the planet, a true natural wonder.  These Navajo sandstone canyons have been formed by flash floods an wind erosion over millions of years, and with the light constantly changing every minute according to the suns position, the hues can range from deep purple to red, orange, yellow and pink variations.  The erosion carved sandstone walls are a work of art in themselves, but once the light hits the canyon floor, the place comes to life within an amazing natural amphitheatre.

 

 

ABOVE - The shafts of light in Antelope Canyon come in many shapes and forms with the intensity of the beam dependant on the amount of sand in the air at the time the photo is taken.  Sometimes a beam cannot be seen without throwing sand in the air to bring the canyon to life.  After 2 1/2 hours of constant shooting in an extremely dusty environment, I emerged from the canyon covered in sand from head to toe, but happy and excited that I had captured the extraordinary natural light show that is Antelope Canyon. 

 

                                                                                                      BRYCE CANYON  ( Trip Report )

                                                                   " a hell of a place to lose a cow " ( Morman pioneer Ebenezer Bryce. ) 

 

 

 BRYCE CANYON ' The Silent City ' 

ABOVE - I altered the panoramic camera to a vertical position and used the tree branches at the top, trunk at the side, and root system at the bottom to frame the main part of the scene, the sunlit Silent City Hoodoos.  As the camera doesn't have a lens hood,  possible lens flare problems were overcome by setting up in the shadow of the tree trunk as the sun set in the west.  Without doubt, this was the most difficult shot to get correct exposure on all of my trip, but with perseverance I was able to capture a unique insight into the wonderful but bizarre Bryce Canyon terrain.

 

 

        BRYCE CANYON -  ' Bryce Point '

ABOVE - Taken in the early morning over the formation known as ' The Silent City ', the Hoodoo's take on a beautiful orange glow as the sun rises above the horizon.  This photo was taken from Bryce Point looking towards Sunset Point.

 

 

  

                                                                                                      ' Convergence '   

ABOVE - The general rule of thirds that is applicable in most forms of photography is not always the best option in panoramic format.  I decided to position the large boulder in the center of the frame as I wanted to use the natural converging lines to draw the eyes to the middle of the composition.  All the key elements of this photo including the river, the green plant growth and the line patterning of the rock walls lead the eyes straight into the main focal point, the boulder.

 

                                                                                                     ' Canyon Country ' 

ABOVE - I thought I'd take advantage of the relatively dark canyon walls on either side as a way of focusing the viewers eyes on the brightest part of the scene, the yellow Cottonwoods and contrasting orange canyon cliffs.  Shot from off the tripod whilst standing low down in the middle of the river, I wanted to give the impression and mood of the cool fast flowing Virgin River as it makes its way through some of the most magnificent scenery on earth.  2010 Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards - Silver.

 

 

                                                                                                            ' North Fork '

ABOVE - This is arguably one of the most interesting and beautiful sections of The Narrows.  Millions of years of flash floods have shaped and carved the Navajo sandstone into sensational textured rock sculptures and cavities which seem to vary greatly around every corner.  Again the technique I used here in taking this photo was to lead the eyes in from the left to the middle right where the Virgin River opens out from the narrow high canyon walls in the background.  The use of lead in lines was again critical in correctly composing this image for maximum effect.

 

  

                                                                                                    ' Temple of Sinawava '

ABOVE and BELOW - For those not interested in over-exerting themselves with the hardcore Zion hikes, the area from the ' Temple of Sinawava ' along the  ' Riverside Walk ' to ' The Narrows ' entry point is not to be missed.  Although the waterfalls are rarely flowing in the Autumn months, the foliage transition up against the red sandstone and blue sky is unlike anything I've ever seen before. The main objectives for me in these sections and The Narrows was to concentrate on capturing the varying color contrasts and textures of the landscape on film.  

 

    

                                                                                                   ZION -  ' The Watchman ' 

ABOVE - After shooting this vista at several different times of the day, I eventually decided that the scene was best shot mid-morning or mid-afternoon especially at this time of the year with the Cottonwood trees looking so perfect.  Although the traditionalists will say that this is best captured as a sunset composition, I felt the late afternoon shoot lost its intensity with the foreground losing its impact through the complete lack of backlit light so necessary for capturing fall color at its most perfect. Of course shooting in the general direction of the sun has its inherant problems, but I believe to capture Zion in the Fall requires this technique in order to capture Zion at its most vibrant color. 

 

 

                                                                                                     ZION - ' Cottonwoods '

ABOVE - The flourescent Cottonwoods that hug the Virgin River along the canyon floor were peaking in all their glory on my last few days in the park.  I specifically timed this trip to coincide with the maximum foliage effect that hits the lower canyon generally in the first two weeks of November.  I had earlier been told in Las Vegas by someone with ' inside information within the park ' that the peak color had finished two weeks beforehand, and that he was ' sorry to spoil my anticipation '.  But after doing a lot of travel in recent years, I've noted that the travel advice given to me is not always correct although their intentions are generally well meaning, in this case he was WRONG!

 

 

                                                                                             ZION - ' The Preacher and the Pulpit '

ABOVE - I deliberated for a few days on how to shoot these two natural sandstone formations near the Temple of Sinawava.  The position of the sun throughout the day and the constant shadowing from the massive canyon walls nearby really made a decent composition difficult.  Although not the most inspiring of subjects I was able to frame an interesting scene with some tree branches and foliage located right next to the Riverwalk and Narrows carpark. By filtering the sun through the leaves I was able to backlight the trees and keep lens flare to a bare minimum whilst still maintaining good shadow detail in the photograph.  The suns bright starburst effect adds the final special touch to the shot.

 

 

                                                                                                 ZION -  ' Springdale Valley '

ABOVE - The Autumn drive towards Zion from the western side dramatically changes by the time you hit the town of Virgin.  The view goes from bare desert hills to sensory overload as the Cottonwoods in different stages of transformation lining the Virgin River, display the most magical foliage color imaginable.  This photo was taken earlier in the week as the transformation was in place with the contrasting color, light and landscape really stealing the show.

 

                                                                                                      ' Zion Plateau '

ABOVE - I noticed this beautiful scene as I was exploring the Zion Plateau on the eastern side of the park.  Taken with a zoom lens looking down on the dry creek bed, I was careful to compose the shot to include the dark shadowing in the background as it helps to isolate the subject matter and give the foliage and contrasting foreground even more impact in the photo.

 

 

 

   

                                                                                                      ' God Bless America '

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ABOVE & BELOW -  On the very busy corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue, the New York New York Hotel is one of four hotels on this intersection housing a combined total of over 13000 hotel rooms.  Included in the four is the largest hotel in the world, the MGM Grand Las Vegas.  With the temperature still over 100F(38degC) around 10 o'clock at night, a mid summer storm provided some relief and an almighty theatrical light show of its own to compliment an already well luminated Las Vegas Strip.

 

 

                                                                                                              ' The Strip'

 

 

                                                                                                 ' Horseshoe Bend '

ABOVE - The mighty Colorado River carves an imposing chasm in the earth for some 1450 miles (2330km) from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the Sea of Cortez in the Gulf of California.  This particular meander known as Horseshoe Bend, is located just a few miles downstream of Lake Powell, near Page in Arizona. This world famous river makes its way through three major South-West deserts and has shaped the history of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California and New Mexico, which all depend on the Colorado and its tributaries for water.  Downstream of this spectacular bend is perhaps the greatest landmark of them all, the awesome Grand Canyon.  Although nowhere near the sheer scale of the Grand Canyon, balancing a tripod on the edge of Horseshoe Bend's 1000 foot drop is still an invigorating experience!

 

                                                                                             ' Goosenecks of the San Juan '

ABOVE - The bizarre meandering of the San Juan River at the very bottom of the Utah border is yet another of the absolutely unique landscape formations formed by the elements over millions of years in this region.  This particular section named 'The Goosenecks' winds for around five miles but only progresses one mile in linear distance towards the Colorado River and Lake Powell.  At the very far background of this photo (centre left), the famous Monument Valley can be seen as some specks in the distance marking the Utah, Arizona state line.

 

                                                                                                    ' Paria Badlands '

ABOVE - The Chinle Formation strata sandstone rock layering in the Paria region of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah is up amongst the most colorful desert scenery in the World.  This unique landscape served as a backdrop to the Paria Movie Set which was built in the 1960's for the movie 'Sergeants Three' starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr.  The set was also used for western movies and TV shows from 1963 till 1991 including 'Gunsmoke' and 'Death Valley Days',  and the famous Clint Eastwood film 'The Outlaw Josie Wales'.  Although the old set was dismantled due to flooding, a reconstruction was built further up the canyon with the help of locals and volunteers.

I made my way off the main highway US89 between Kanab and Page and down a rough dirt road in the hope that I could capture some shots of the movie set amongst its unique surroundings.  Little did I know that on August 25 2006, arsonists destroyed the set that the locals had worked so tirelessly to preserve.  So although I may not have experienced the rich movie history of Paria, I came away with an image that portrays the stunning beauty of Paria's Vermillion Cliffs.

 

 

                                                                                                             ' Dune '

ABOVE - I captured this shot on the vast coastal sand dunes surrounding the isolated Cape Range National Park near Exmouth in Western Australia.  The appeal of these dunes to me was the fact that they were relatively unmarked by human footprints which may have contaminated a simple uncluttered minimalistic photo.  I felt the smaller bird tracks added some interesting extra subject matter without overpowering the main part of the photo.

 

    

                                                                                                          ' Deathly '

ABOVE - Sunrise over California's Death Valley is a truly memorable sight.  The early morning winter sunlight highlights the amazing contouring of the hills surrounding the spectacular outlook known as Zabriskie Point. 

 

  

                                                                                                      Road to nowhere?

                                      The lowest point in North America......Driving 282 feet below sea level on the floor of California's Death Valley.

 

 

Table Cape, Tasmania.

 

 

 

                                                                                                EQUIPMENT LIST

                                                                                    ( for those interested in the technical side)

 

 

                                                                                     FOTOMAN 617 PANORAMIC CAMERA

 

                                                                                               ACRATECH GP BALLHEAD                         

 

Fotoman 617 III
Panoramic Medium Format Film Camera with Schneider Super Angulon 90mm F5.6 lens with Centre Filter, Ground Glass and Rangefinder.

Canon 5D Mark II
21.1 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera (Full Frame)

Canon 30D
8.2 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera

Canon EF 24mm F1.4L Mark II USM lens
Canon EF-S 10-22mm F3.5 - 4.5 USM lens
Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM lens
Canon EF 100mm F2.8 Macro USM lens

Canon  1.4x II Extender

Sekonic L358 light meter with 1 degree spot meter attachment.

I also carry a  selection of Cokin, Hoya and Tiffen Neutral Density, Graduated and Polarising Filters, and shoot exclusively with Fujifilm Velvia slide film ISO 50/100.

The cameras are mounted on a Gitzo 3541 Tripod with an Acratech GP Ballhead.

A big Thankyou to Streets Imaging, Brisbane and also to Nick Tonks from Reef Centre Fuji Image Plaza , Cairns for his help and high resolution scans.