STUART BELL, A LIFE BETWEEN THE ROCKS (LANDSCAPE 2024)

You must have to be some sort of a specialist to take up root in the craggy, wilderness regions of Western Australia. Like the image of the young Rock Fig, clinging to the vertical precipices, drawing sufficient nutrition to coexist with its cliffside host. More impressive yet, the giant root structure from a mature Rock Fig as it plunges its life support system downwards underpinning the massive tree above. And what about the not-so-lucky Ghost Gum at a cliff base, battered and bruised from the rock fall above, still it persists. And then the not-so-common in this region, the Rock Kurrajong with only two new leaves (so far) on the entire tree! What’s even more impressive? The estimated 2.5-BILLION-year-old rock and Banded Iron Formations backdropping these diverse, vegetative subjects for a contrast like no other. Karijini National Park, Western Australia.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.