Wide Angle Australia

The island continent of Australia is very photogenic. The basic colours, big landscapes, and beautiful vistas combine to produce some of the most stunning places I have been fortunate to see.

One day in August, I was walking along a coast track a few hours south of Perth, Western Australia. The warm winter day was abnormally dry for the Mediterranean climate and I set out to reflect on the journey that I was completing and the next that was about to start. As I emerged from the bushes, I came upon a viewpoint from which one can supposedly see whales in the spring. The aqua waves were frothing brilliantly along the rocky coast, outlining the tapestry of dark green foliage on the hardened vegetation. I sat for half an hour, the wind battering my face.

When I felt I’d had enough, I continued. Finding a small track through the vegetation, I began to follow the winding coast. The impossibly blue sky smeared with pure heavenly smoke joined forces with the earthly tones to paint the world before me. Rounding each bend and ascending every rise, my being was met with yet another awesome view, slightly different from the last. It was as if I were being led toward utopia by tantalising scenes of perfection. Each breath of moist air hinted to the cool of the ocean and immensity of its reach. Shaking my head slowly, I sighed, disbelieving. I try to capture this beauty in my pictures, but I feel that it is ultimately impossible. The world is a dizzyingly gorgeous place that can only be fully appreciated by direct observation and first-hand experience.