From the Top End to Tasmania’s Tarkine, Australia is blessed with an abundance of stunningly photogenic vistas. In this special 11-part feature, Australian Photography asked 11 pro photographers to name their favourite locations along with their best tips for outdoor photography.
We kick off Part 2 with another of Australia's highly respected landscape photographers.
Richard I’Anson
Over the last 30 years Richard I’Anson’s photos have appeared in numerous publications including Lonely Planet travel guides. Richard’s favourite wilderness area is Northern Australia, from the Kimberley in Western Australia to Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
“It’s a huge area and it offers an incredibly wide variety of travel experiences and subject matter with its remarkable landscapes, wildlife, indigenous culture and rock art,” says I’Anson.
“The area has a wonderful range of natural features including dramatic rock formations and escarpments like the Bungle Bungles, Hidden Valley, Keep River and Arnhem Land; gorges like Galvans, Lennard River and Geikie, waterfalls like Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls and wetlands such as Bamurru and Kakadu.”
Shooting wetlands on private property at Bamurru Plains, Northern Territory. Canon 1Dx, EF 70-200mm f2.8 lens, 1/400s @ f16, ISO 400. Photo by Richard l'Anson.
Richard I’Anson’s Top Tips
1 - Take control of the picture-taking process by learning the technical stuff so you can take your camera off the automatic settings
2 - Consider your subject – what is it and why are you taking a photo of it? Successful images have a point of interest: the key element around which the composition is based and which draws and holds the viewer’s attention.
3 - Don’t assume that your eye level or the first place from where you see your subject is the best viewpoint. A few steps left or right, going down on one knee or moving to higher ground or even just standing on a rock can make a lot of difference.
4 - Don’t put your camera away when it’s raining or threatening to rain. Unsettled or unusual weather often brings with it moments of spectacular light.
5 - Learn to see the transformative power of light and its ability to change a landscape from the ordinary to the extraordinary. This is one of the most powerful tools at the photographer’s disposal.
richardianson.com/slide-shows/australia-bamurru-plains-photographic-safari/