outback photography

The magnificent and iconic Darling River is one of the best examples of what Dorothy Mackellar was alluding to in her famous poem 'My Country', " I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains".

The river meanders through Outback NSW from its origins in Queensland's Darling Downs - via the Warrego and Culgoa Rivers - and from the northern NSW tributaries of Barwon, Gwydir, Namoi, Castlereagh and Bogan rivers.

The best way to experience the river is to travel the Darling River Run from Lightning Ridge and Bourke down to its confluence with the Murray River at Wentworth.

Lake Mungo landscape photography: In theory, Lake Mungo is nothing more than the remnants of an ancient lake (completely dry with ancient sand dunes running 20+ km along the eastern bank) in the New South Wales Outback. But in in reality, Lake Mungo is one of the most significant anthropological and archaeological sites in the world. Lake Mungo, within Mungo National Park in outback Australia, is an ancient lakebed that last retained permanent water 10,000+ years ago and has recorded continuous Aboriginal habitation for 40,000+ years - making it the site of the oldest known human occupation in Australia. It is no surprise that it features in a lot of landscape photography.

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Silverton landscape photography: There is a very special magic about Silverton; it has less than 50 people living there, was the site of an 1800's failed mining boom, is a drawcard for artists and it is the location for many Australian movies. All that and only 15 minutes from Broken Hill and about 1 hour from the Darling River and the Darling River Run. Some say it is the most thriving and healthy looking ghost town in the world. Tourists are attracted to the area to experience a real ghost town and consequently there are a number of shops, art galleries, museums and pubs which have grown up to meet their needs. Also indeally suited to landscape photography; rustic buildings, vast plains and good weather.

trilby louth darling river: "a place that loved a drink, a party and a punt.." So wrote Henry Lawson. Louth, beautifully set on the banks of the Darling River is a small service town (Pub, fuel and general store) about 100km downstream from Bourke and 100km upstream from Tilpa. The town was originally established as a service point for the Cobb & Co coaches which serviced outback Australia. Today, it provides the perfect stopover (and river crossing) for the Darling River Run; an outback journey through NSW from Walgett to Wentworth on the Victorian/NSW border.

Landscape photography Cameron Corner: The surveyed north-west corner of Outback NSW, Cameron Corner, is the point at which the states of NSW, Queensland and South Australia meet and it is this corner that forms the north-west boundary of Sturt National Park - one of the largest National Parks in NSW at 340,000 ha. In the north-west corner of NSW is The Corner Country which covers Sturt National Park and the towns of Tibooburra, Milparinka and Cameron Corner. It is a vast and rugged area which is quintessential Outback Australia.

Milparinka is located 39 km south of Tibooburra just of the Silver City Highway (about 1,500 km from Sydney). All around the red dusty soils of Outback New South Wales stretch to the horizon. When gold was discovered in 1880 this became a thriving town but today it is a shadow of its former self. A reminder that only the hardest of human beings can live in such difficult conditions. No visit to Outback New South Wales can really be considered complete without pausing at Milparinka and thinking about the lives of the early settlers.

Landscape photography Sturt np: The innate quality of those who travel the Outback is to see the iconic destinations that are ingrained in the Australian psyche and Cameron Corner is one of those Outback destinations.

The surveyed north-west corner of NSW, Cameron Corner, is the point at which the states of NSW, Queensland and South Australia meet and it is this corner that forms the north-west boundary of Sturt National Park - one of NSW's largest National Parks at 340,000 ha.

Landscape photography panoramas - Australian landscape photography has always been about the wide open spaces of this wonderful country. While much landscape photography is taken with a relatively even aspect ratio (height to width) the expansive vistas of the outback are often best captured with panoramic photography.

Landscape photography: Perry Sandhills, located about 10kms from Wentworth, are a remarkable sight; especially at dawn and dusk when the low sun illuminates the dunes revealing amazing colours, textures, and shadows; well suited to landscape photography and those venturing out are rarely disappointed

Experts believe the sand hills originated around 40,000 years ago at the time of a severe ice age and have resulted from thousands of years of wind erosion picking up and depositing the fine sand forming the shifting dunes. In a similar way to Lake Mungo (another landscape photography mecca) the constant erosion of the dunes reveals evidence of past forms of human habitation and mega-fauna; an area of great biological significance and particular relevance to anthropology.

There are many rivers in Australia but none that are as iconic as the Murray River and the Darling River. Steeped in indigenous history and culture, they have been the centre of many aboriginal groups for 1,000's of years. It is there history and their existence. When European explorers came looking for the fabled inland sea, it was along these two waterways they travelled.

Landscape photography Mutawintji  Gundabooka: Located in outback NSW, Mutawintji NP (near Broken Hill)  and Gundabooka NP (near Bourke and the Darling River)  - Mutawintji is one of the most moving and culturally significant areas of NSW that has to be put on a visitors list. With its wonderful sandstone ridges and gorges it is a site to behold and is one of those places that you can feel the cultural significance of the area and the land. Like all national parks, any one interested in landscape photography (for commercial) purposes should contact National Parks guidance.  

Outback photography sheds machinery: Few photographers will argue that photographing old farm machinery and shearing sheds is boring. And the older they are the better they are as subject matter. Landscape photographers sometimes use them for contextual reference for a larger shot while macro photographers love getting up and personal with this beautiful objects. There is something magical about machinery that was built 50 or 100 years ago that is still standing; regardless of whether it still works. These pieces were 'crafted' in a time when things were built to last. It is a reminder of times before the disposable age.

Landscape photography outback travel: The Australian outback is not merely a collection of isolated destinations but an area to journey through to experience the physicality, spirituality, and essence of the ancient landforms and its rivers. Like landscape photography, the journey is not only a physical one, but a journey into oneself as well. There is no doubting that the Australian outback is the location of some awe-inspiring destinations and landscape photography, but it is due to their isolation that, to a great extent, they are made even more wondrous. The experience of the traveller to reach these iconic places is what makes them even more remarkable.

Landscape photography - outback scenes: Outback Landscape photography can cover diverse subjects over many areas. When one tries to classify into groups, there are always some that due to there diversity belong together because they are all non-related. Or so it seems!

Like sorting through socks after doing the washing, there is often one sock left over and after repeating the exercise one is left with several single socks. In a similar way... when classifying or categorizing photographs, regardless of the initial criteria used, there are always image left over.