Capturing WA on Camera

Martine Perret

(Martine Perret Photography)

Martine began her professional career as a freelance photographer in Sydney in 1999, including a stint as both photographer and desk editor at The Australian Financial Review. Martine's interest in photojournalism has taken her to Timor-Leste in 2003, and on several United Nations missions to destinations such as Burundi (2004), Democratic Republic of the Congo (2006), West Sahara (2010), and South Sudan (2013). In December 2013, Martine settled in Margaret River and is now working as a freelance photographer, releasing her landscape photographic book Margaret River Region – FROM ABOVE. Her photos have been published in The Australian Financial Review, The Sun Herald, Rolling Stone magazine, The Bulletin, ProPhoto, Better Photography and various United Nations publications.

Q&A
Have you had a crazy experience while you've been shooting in WA?
I guess it's a bit crazy to be leaning out of a helicopter without a door to try and get a photo of a surfer catching a huge swell!

What has been your favourite landscape photography experience in WA?
My favourite has really been photographing from above, thanks to Wild Blue Helicopters, and seeing incredible landscapes you would not normally see to produce my new book, Margaret River Region – FROM ABOVE. The shape, texture and colours of the land make it a unique visual feast.

To purchase images, or for more information visit www.martineperret.photoshelter.com

Christian Fletcher

Christian Fletcher has been taking photographs professionally for over 20 years. In that time, he has had to evolve with every advance in technology and creative technique. Christian cut his teeth on film and lived for years in a darkened room, mixing chemicals, printing his own shots, and framing them. When he thinks of where he began, and looks at where he is now and beyond to the future, he is amazed at how far he has come and how far there is still left to go. Every month someone develops a new idea or approach that refines photography just that little bit more. It is these refinements that keep photography exciting for him. One of the premiere Australian Landscape Photographers, Christian won the AIPP Australian and Western Australian Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2011.

Q&A
What has been your favourite photography experience in WA?
It was a trip to Karlamilyi National Park (also known as Rudall River National Park), 300km east of Newman, with four fellow photographers. It's on the edge of the Great Sandy Desert and is a spectacular area of the Pilbara – it's so remote. We camped for the night under the shade of a grove of white gum trees and we were visited by dingos – not that I knew, but apparently we were! We were sleeping in swags under the stars and doing it tough, no five-star on this trip. The next morning, at the first hint of a glow on the horizon, we woke up and started to pack our gear for a sunrise shoot. At that point my brother pointed up and said, "Have a look at that". At that moment, the International Space Station was flying over, with the Space Shuttle close behind getting ready to dock. It was amazing to think that we were in the middle of nowhere, with basic technology, and here flying over us was the ultimate in technological achievement. We all just stood and stared as the two satellites streaked across the star-filled sky, silently and in perfect alignment. I'll never forget it.

What do you love about photographing in WA?
So many photographers, myself included, head overseas thinking that's where the best shots are. The reality, however, is Western Australia is just as awesome as anywhere else. I have to pinch myself sometimes when shooting the Leeuwin-Naturaliste coast. We have it all, from beautiful blue pristine water, to desert, forest, mountains, the outback and the green rolling hills. There really is a landscape to please every photographer. One of the best things, though, is you don't have the crowds. Most times when I am out, I have the location to myself. There is something nice about being on your own in a place of beauty and doing what you love.

To purchase images, or for more information, visit www.christianfletcher.com.au

Philip Schubert

(Philip Schubert Photography)
Philip has lived and worked in most regions in Western Australia, from the cool forests and rugged coasts of the Albany regions, to sheep stations in sparse outback regions of the Murchison, Shark Bay and Gascoyne regions, and as an airline pilot in the arid Pilbara and the ancient Kimberley. It was in the wide-open spaces of the remote Western Australian outback where Philip developed a great love of the outdoors and the natural environment. At the age of nine, prior to a family holiday to the Pilbara region in 1960, Philip purchased his first camera, a Baby Empire 126 film camera, for three shillings and six pence (35c). When the first film was developed it created a lifelong passion for photography. He loves to travel and spends more than four months a year in the field, revisiting almost every region in Western Australia. He has amassed a catalogue of more than 50,000 landscape images, is a contributing photographer to the highly acclaimed Australian Wildlife magazine. His photos are often featured on Tourism Australia's website and Facebook page, and he was interviewed by ABC Radio about his unique photographic journey. Many of his earlier pictures form a unique historical record and are showcased on a Flickr website and in the National Library through the TROVE website.

Q&A
What do you love about photographing in WA?
The clarity of the skies, the dramatic contrast of colours in every region, and the overwhelming sense of timelessness. There's such a diversity of landscapes, and early risers can experience these places in solitude. I rarely include people in any of my images – it's a special privilege to be alone in the stunning silence, waiting for the sun to rise across the ancient outback, and knowing that the nearest human may be 10km or more away.

What's your favourite landscape photography experience in WA?
Without doubt, photographing the waterfalls in Kimberley during the wet season. Earlier this year, I had access to a helicopter for 12 days – most of these falls aren't accessible on the ground when they are in full flow. I landed on the top of the King George Falls at the very northern tip of WA to witness the river in full flood as it thunders into the Timor Sea 100m below. I was so overawed that I would have to rate it as one of my life's most memorable experiences. It was such an overpowering and surreal experience to have been able to shoot this incredible and remote place. Looking at the images gives me goosebumps.

To purchase images, or for more information visit www.philipschubert.com.au

Marc Russo

From an early age Marc has enjoyed experiencing WA's most spectacular and scenic locations up close. He attributes his keen interest in the state's landscapes and rugged beauty to the tradition of family fishing trips to Steep Point in Shark Bay with his father and uncles. Despite having a camera in his hand since the age of 12, Marc only purchased his first DSLR camera just eight years ago, to seriously pursue his best images. His great love of WA has led to his main mission of photographing as much of the state's scenic locations as possible, and gaining access to the undiscovered gems that only locals know about. Marc's portfolio ranges from Albany in the southwest to much of the WA coastline. He adores Rottnest, and is yet to tick the Kimberley region off his list.

Q&A
What has been your favourite photography experience in WA?
I was visiting the Pilbara region with mates, scouting locations by dinghy around the Dampier Archipelago, and we failed to check the tides and got stranded. We found ourselves in an extremely remote location away from anyone at around 4pm.The safety of the high tide wasn't coming in until 11pm, and we had no lights to find our way back to the boat ramp. Our small boat got stuck 80m into the middle of the channel, so we got out and walked through ankle deep water. We made our way onto the rocks near the riverbank and, as I waited, I saw a beautiful stone carving of a fish etched into the rock. My friend returned with news that no phone reception was available and I showed him the rock carving at which he suggested getting the GPS and marking the area. We ended up coming back: I took photos of all the rock art, and when I got back to Perth, I sent the information and photographs to the appropriate government departments and it was confirmed I was the first person to discover, map and list the location. This location is now a protected site.

What has been your weirdest or craziest photography experience in WA?
I was enjoying a quiet weekend camping at Hamelin Bay and woke up to a mate banging on the tent yelling for me to get up, grab my camera and come straight down the beach. A pod of 83 pilot whales had beached themselves. Some were alive, some dead. I took a few images then put the camera away and got in the water. All day, many volunteers worked together, trying our hardest to save the remaining whales. My photograph documenting the plight of the whales made the front page of The West Australian, with the headline A Fight for Life. The same image was also included in Images of the Decade in The West Australian 2009, something I will never forget.

To purchase images or for more information visit marcrussoamazingadventures.wordpress.com

Ange Wall

(Ange Wall Photography)
Growing up in the country, Ange Wall has always been exposed to the outdoors and loves nature – the colours, shapes and textures. Through her photography, Ange can capture moments right before her eyes, and keep the image as it is or make a piece of art with it, either direct through the camera or via computer programs. Until 10 years ago, Ange only had handheld snap cameras, but to develop her skills and make art she bought a Canon SLR with twin lens kit, and taught herself to use it. Ange's career blossomed from there and she landed a marketing position at a local real estate agent and began taking all of their architecture and landscape photographs, and writing editorials. Ange has won several awards for her photography and through her business she photographs commercial projects and architecture, landscapes, weddings and portraits.

Q&A
What has been your favourite photography experience in WA?
Walking down an isolated beach at Cape Range National Park. It was a beautiful calm morning, the water was pure glass and so clear and blue, there was not a single human soul around. In the water there were turtles, many turtles, I think I counted around 30, all in one spot, just right next to me. I felt like I could reach out and touch them. It felt amazing to be so close to so many beautiful animals and enjoying the moment for what is was: perfection!

What's been your wildest experience in WA?
Camped in Cape Range National Park, we came across a 5m dead baby humpback whale. It had been on the reef for around two days before it got washed back into the sea. Many tiger sharks had gathered, at least 20 or more... The whale had been in the water for about 30 minutes, the sharks were circling, and taking turns eating it until there was virtually was nothing left only two hours later. It made you feel vulnerable and amazed at the same time, more aware of the importance of sharks in the ecosystem and the importance of protecting this area.

To purchase images or for more information visit www.angewallphoto.com.au

Karl Monaghan

(Karl Monaghan Photography)
Karl Monaghan first explored the art of photography in the early 1970s, shooting street scenes as a teenager living in London, and developing the film in a friend's dark room. After an extensive career in nursing and psychiatry, and a move to Australia, Karl picked up the camera again and underwent a mid-life career change. In the years since, Karl has become an award-winning and AIPP accredited photographer with numerous accolades under his belt. He specialises in the midwest region of WA, in particular the Abrolhos Islands. A studio/gallery in the outback town of Geraldton, where he now lives, depicts his wide range of work, from traditional landscapes, contemporary urban scenes and cityscapes to his first interest, street photography. A favourite location of Karl's is Karijini National Park, in addition to shooting the expansive region from the air.

Q&A
Have you had any crazy things happen on shoot?
I was shooting the Abrolhos Islands 40km offshore in the Indian Ocean. We were heading back to the mainland to shoot a little shanty town called Lucky Bay, and the pilot suggested we slide the door shut because the trip would be 15 minutes and there was no need to be getting cold and blown away. I slid the door closed but it didn't close properly, it seemed to have come off its runner. As I tried to pull the door shut, suddenly the whole door left the plane, narrowly missing the tail, and floated down towards the sea, like the scene from a James Bond movie. The pilot called the incident in and we carried on with our shoot. It didn't really hit me till later that evening how lucky we had been. Sometimes photography is not for the faint-hearted!

What do you love about photographing in WA?
Shooting in WA is the most diverse you can get, from desert inlands to prolific coast, like Ningaloo, the coral coast and the Batavia Coast. The light is magnificent at times – sometimes I just watch and enjoy, and don't take a picture... it is just for me.

To purchase images or for more information visit www.karlmonaghanphotography.com

Dan Paris

Raised in Esperance, Dan feels his photography evolves every time he presses the shutter. For him, it's about the discovery of every little detail, finding the subtle beauty of a place, and then exploring ways to creatively capture it. He's not sure when it happened but he's convinced he sees life in frames now. Moreover, photography is storytelling, which he enjoys so much. Dan's approach to photography has always been a traditional one. Panoramic images are recorded onto colour positive film using a Fuji 617 camera, and a Nikon D800 gives him superb detail when shooting 35mm format. Dan prefers to capture realistic scenes rather than use filters or manipulate an image in Photoshop. In 2002, he journeyed around Australia in search of remote locations that were yet to be photographed. During his career, Dan has three published three photographic books and is set to release his new book, Esperance, A Place Less Travelled, in October. Dan calls his photographic process a uniquely challenging, refreshingly beautiful journey, one that began 15 years ago and that has taken him to every corner of the country… almost.

Q&A
What's been your favourite photography experience in WA?
One that stands out is Veevers Meteorite Crater on the Gary Highway. It took me and a support vehicle four days from Warburton, navigating by GPS into the centre of the state through incredibly remote and magnificent desert, to reach it. You really do feel you've landed on another planet out there. It's so still. They say at night you can hear the earth turning. Not too sure about that, but we travelled for six days without seeing another person on that trip.

Your favourite holiday spot?
I love packing up the camper trailer and making my way along the old telegraph line to Point Culver. It's more or less the beginning of the Great Australian Bight. It's a challenge getting there, but along the way are the Bilbunya Dunes, some of the country's largest. Not far beyond them, massive cliffs appear on the beach. Having said that, Karijini's hard to beat.

To purchase images, or for more information visit www.danparis.com.au

Malin Olsson

(Create by Malin)
Originally from the North of Sweden, Malin is
a portrait and landscape photographer who travelled extensively before moving to Perth two years ago. Since 2009, she has completed commissioned work for companies, film productions, charities and magazines. In 2012, Malin was part of a participation project with the National Portrait Gallery in London, where her series The New Landlords pictured some of the people renting out houses and apartments for the London Olympics. In her first major personal project, Malin documented a small county in the south of Sweden called Lomma that was named the best place to live in Sweden in 2011. This series of landscape photographs, each accompanied by a single text line, was published in a book titled Här är de bäst att bo (The Best Place to Live).

Q&A
What has been your favourite photography experience in WA?
Kalgoorlie was amazing; I found it so different to the typical Australian blue sea, white beach and sunset. It was a totally alien environment to me, and I was blown away by just how big this massive open-pit mine was. From a photographic point of view, the contrast, shapes and scale made it very interesting.

What's been your wildest experience in WA?
Shooting at Cape Leveque: I was out in the mangroves taking photographs, standing on a small sandbank and realised I was being watched. About 30m away I could see the snout and eye of a huge crocodile. Exciting and petrifying.

To purchase images, or for more information visit www.createbymalin.com

Mark Pace

(Pace Photography)
Mark Pace was born and based in Perth and is a well-travelled, experienced photographer. He first became interested in photography in high school where he learned on 35mm film SLRs and developed all film and prints in the dark room. He loved the adventure and being creative with the camera, and his passion for photography has continued ever since. Much of Mark's youth was spent indulging his love of the coast by travelling around Australia and Indonesia, looking for surf, documenting his travels, and capturing endless landscape images. Although Mark first started photography as a personal interest, his skills behind the camera have evolved into a celebrated career, which has taken him all over the world, including Indonesia, Asia, Europe, Scandinavia, Mexico, USA, and Australia, and, memorably, to London for the 2012 Olympics. Mark is also an experienced wedding photographer, and has shot weddings on the island of Santorini in Greece, and in Stockholm, Sweden. With an adventurous spirit, wherever Mark travels, he photographs. He feels incredibly lucky to enjoy a career that opens doors and allows him to explore the world.

Q&A
What has been your favourite WA landscape photography experience?
Karijini in WA's Pilbara is my favourite landscape location. So many factors make this place special – the light, the colours, the isolation, the heat, and the cold water. So many elements come together in this one place to make it unique. I had a solo trip to Kariijini once and explored all the gorges on offer, either at first light or last light. There was literally no-one around for a week, and getting in and out of those gorges using a headlamp and carrying a ton of gear made if very challenging but very rewarding.

What is your favourite holiday destination in WA?
I definitely have a soft spot for the southwest (this is where I call home). There is so much amazing fresh food, waves nearly every day of the year, and a dramatic landscape around every corner. When I'm not in the southwest I look forward to the annual holiday into our northwest. You can escape the winter of the south and drive into perfect sunny days. I love heading to Gnaraloo (on the Ningaloo Reef) and setting up camp and getting back to basics. You have to be self-sufficient up there with all your supplies, including water, food, lights, entertainment. It's such a great place to get away! No shops, no phone, just untouched nature at its best.

To purchase images, or for more information visit www.pacephotos.com.au

Mal Peacock

(Mal Peacock Photography)
Mal has been taking photographs for most of his life; he even has Polaroid snaps taken on a family holiday to Kangaroo Island when he was eight! Mal was first engaged in the wonders of photography by his late grandfather through his slide shows of many trips in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. Mal became serious about photography in the late 80s when he backpacked through South America laden with rolls of film, x-ray-proof lead-lined bags and a Canon SLR. He now uses a digital camera, but continues to apply the same patience and care as he used to when he only had 36 exposures to play with. His portfolio focuses on WA and the remote Highlands and islands of Scotland, which he's visited multiple times. Lately he's been spending a lot of time in the Blue Mountains of NSW, and has just returned from New Zealand and capturing the colours of autumn.

Q&A
What has been your favourite photography experience in WA?
I'd have to say my first visit to Karijini. We selected the off-season to avoid the crowds but realised on arrival why it was the off-season: the extreme heat, the incessant flies and ants during the day and mossies at night – it really was on the edge of being unbearable, but worth having the park almost to ourselves. ANZAC Day in the Abrolhos Islands also counts as a treasured memory of mine, photographing and participating in the day-long Two Up on tiny West Wallabi Island with the local fishermen and their families, along with a handful of intrepid boaties.

What's at the top of your WA bucket list?
Number one is Mitchell Plateau via the Gibb River Road – it's difficult to get to, not many people visit, and it's rarely photographed. That's attractive to me.
To purchase images or for more information visit www.malpeacock.com

David Dare Parker

(DAVID DARE PARKER)
A Walkley Award-winning photojournalist, David Dare Parker has photographed for many publications, including Le Monde, The Bulletin, The New York Times and TIME Australia. In January 2002, he was asked to coordinate a safety awareness course for Afghan journalists in Peshawar, Pakistan, for the International Federation of Journalists. During April and May of 2003, he was the Official War Photographer for the Australian War Memorial Operation Falconer in the Middle East. As a film industry stills photographer, his credits include Cloudstreet, Underbelly Razor, Bikie Wars, Underbelly Badness, Redfern Now and Love Child (season two). He is a co-founder of Australia's Reportage Festival, was a Director of FotoFreo Photographic Festival, a Walkely Advisory Board Member and an Ambassador for Nikon Australia.

Q&A
What do you love about taking photos in WA?
As a photojournalist, I love witnessing history first-hand and revealing something of what I see to others. Turning my camera on the landscape gives me a chance to reflect on where I have been and why I choose to live where I do. The untamed beauty of the Margaret River region is still one of the world's best-kept secrets, it has it all – a sublime, sophisticated lifestyle married to rugged land and seascapes.

What's at the top of your WA bucket list?
The beauty and extraordinary light of the Kimberley is well matched by both the natural and manufactured landscapes of the Pilbara, regions so different from what I love about the Margaret River, but every bit as inspiring visually.

To purchase images, or for more information visit www.daviddareparker.com