Hello photography friends, below are some of my favourite images, each with my own little story behind them.
**Image 1: South Coast Sunrise**
This image was taken in my backyard on the beautiful New South Wales South Coast, at one of my favourite little coves. While we don't often get magnificent sunsets here, the sunrises are spectacular. This particular shot was captured during a workshop, and it makes me so happy when the conditions align at my favourite local spots and I get to see how excited everyone else gets. Sometimes I'm reminded that we don't have to travel far to get absolutely stunning images.
**Image 2: Hoar Frost New Zealand**
These were some of the best photography conditions a landscape photographer could ever ask for. New Zealand in winter is divine, but a hoar frost transforms it into a fairytale wonderland. Brett and I had three full days of perfect hoar frost conditions; we were so excited that we often forgot to eat until mid-afternoon! I took many beautiful images that week, but I especially love this one for its soft, subtle tones. I'd really like to get this one printed for myself. We are heading back this week to start our 2 booked out Winter Workshops and hopefully get some more conditions just like this! It definitely doesn't get any better.
**Image 3: Arrowtown Autumn**
Arrowtown in autumn is a riot of golden tones. This is one of my favourite autumn images because it captures the rustic old Policeman's Hut nestled among the beautiful autumn trees framed perfectly by the golden leaves of the hedge. The warm gold tones of autumn always capture my heart. It's become increasingly difficult to capture this shot as it's located in a very popular car park that gets busy after sunrise, so I'm even more thankful I was able to capture it.
**Image 4 and 5: Iceland's Northern Lights and Waterfall**
My first visit to Iceland last year exceeded all my huge expectations—I absolutely fell in love with the place. Brett and I arrived early to get a feel for everything, and it seemed every bend in the road was more incredible than the last. We met Thor, our local guide, and began our workshop. On night 1, we saw our first aurora right outside our hotel, and it was truly magical. This image is incredibly special to me as it’s the very first time I saw the Northern Lights, and it was so exciting. That was the beginning of an epic week of photography, filled with many more auroras, abundant icebergs, and incredible waterfalls.
The second image of the waterfall was taken on the first day of our workshop. I especially love the contrast of the rich reds and oranges in the foliage against the rocks and water. It’s a great memory, and I’m excited to return for our next workshop this October.
**Image 6: Utah - Another Planet**
Utah is insanely beautiful—literally out of this world. I've never seen landscapes like it in all my travels; it felt like leaving Earth and transporting to another planet. Brett and I constantly looked at each other, asking, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing here?" We went to the US to spend Christmas with my daughter and her partner in New York, and after five days there, we flew to Salt Lake City, picked up a Jeep, and explored Utah. We particularly loved the freedom of the wide-open spaces and the sheer scale of everything. Utah is HUGE!!!! I had done my homework before we left, and when I saw a photo of a location called Long Dong Silver (yes, it's really called that), I knew I had to see it for myself. This ended up being one of my favourite images from my Utah trip, and it reminds me of a sci-fi movie set. We hope to return for a workshop in 2027, so stay tuned!
**Image 7: Dead Horse Point Sunset**
Here's another one from Utah, as I simply loved the place so much. I somehow managed to catch COVID during my travels to the US, and this evening was my first shoot after being pretty much wiped out for five days. I stumbled my way to the edge of the cliff, set up my tripod, and just sat there huddled in my puffer and beanie, waiting, as that was all the energy I had. Soon, it began to snow very lightly, and as soft white flakes drifted down, the sky began to part and light up. I captured a beautiful sunstar illuminating the incredible scene below. Nothing cures COVID like an epic sunset! This one would look great printed huge to really see all the details.
**Image 8: Snowy Mountains Snow Gums**
This is my most recent favourite shot, taken at our Snowy Mountains workshop last week. It’s an image I’ve been after for a long time, but some images are much sweeter when you have to wait and work for them. Some of Australia's best snow gums are high in the mountains, and access to them when it snows can be very difficult, as many roads close. We booked our workshop for the last weekend before the roads closed, then crossed our fingers and hoped for some decent snow, but not so much that we couldn't get there in our vehicles. We were very lucky that everything aligned perfectly with our organised plans, and we all had the most wonderful day among the snow gums. We also had a very special encounter with a mob of wild brumbies that allowed us to photograph them, even getting shots of a beautiful young foal.
I really hope you've enjoyed these images and a little bit of the moments behind the scenes of taking them. Keep snapping those images and never stop exploring and adventuring even if it's only your local. Hope to see you out there one day, Lisa.