How do you capture your own take on a location that’s photographed by hundreds of visitors every day? That was the challenge for Dylan Fox on a recent visit to the Twelve Apostles.
I captured this photograph on a quick overnight trip along the Great Ocean Road. A good mate of mine, Ricardo Da Cunha, showed me the coastline here and the spectacular rainforests which line it.
We spent our entire second day in the forest checking out the stunning waterfalls which were particularly spectacular as it was raining at the time. At one point we stopped for shelter, waiting for a heavy downpour to pass, and we heard a number of trees come crashing to the ground. The cracking sound they made as they fell was piercing, and a little worrying!
We planned to shoot the iconic Twelve Apostles that evening, however we were a little concerned we would see nothing but grey skies come sunset. By the time we arrived the skies had cleared enough and we were treated to some pretty nice light.
For weeks before this trip I had a specific shot in mind but I was never sure it would be possible as I had never visited the area. I was fortunate enough to have the shot come together pretty close to what I’d envisioned. But the real keeper from that evening was this shot. I had this idea as more of a backup, in case my original plan didn’t work.
Just as the sun was setting I framed this shot, capturing the last light glowing on one side of the Apostle. I took two exposures, one for the Apostle and one for the cloud movement. The movement in the clouds was an important element. It enhances the feeling of time and the forces that are always at work on these icons.
While the Twelve Apostles park is a beautiful landmark, it has been photographed countless times so I wanted to do something different. That's always something people in creative fields should strive for. Be inspired by others, but always try to create something unique – something that is yours alone.
Canon EOS 5D Mk II, 16-35mm lens. Two exposures blended in software. Clouds: 61s @ f/13, ISO 50. Apostle: 3.2s @ f/8, ISO 50. Tripod.
