Winter at the Bay of Islands, Mornington Peninsula, VIC

THE STORY

Exploring the southern coastline of the Mornington Peninsula is such a joyful experience. There are so many surprises like animal-shaped rocks, secluded bays, steep cliffs and ever-changing vegetation.

This landscape is called Bay of Islands in Sorrento. To me, it has all of the above.

I remember this day like it was yesterday. It wasn’t cold, although the photograph appears otherwise. It was February. But it was one of those still, humid and stormy days – the ones I like the most.

Landscape photographers love clouds and storms – they provide drama. In this case, I wanted to capture the mood of the day. The small salt bushes dotted on the crisp white sand caught my first. They seemed to be so evenly spaced – like someone had planted them that way.

The curvature of the dunes caught my eye next – this bowl-shaped landscape seemed to provide a sheltered oasis for these bushes on a coastline that is constantly at the mercy of the weather. It also felt like a window through to the landscape behind.

So, I positioned myself behind these bushes. A strong foreground, middle ground and background is something I always look for in a wide-angled landscape like this.

To me, that gives the photograph depth – a sense of place. I want the viewer to feel like they’re there with me. Smelling the ocean, feeling the humidity in the air and watching the rain pour from the clouds.