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Windy sunset at Marshall Rock near Bencubbin in Western Australia. I tried to catch some of that wind whispering through the rocks and golden grasses after the sun went down. This is another photo from our explorations of interior of our state in 2022. We discovered many new places and I was also able to photograph something different to the local coastline. I mentioned already about the many granite outcrops in the Wheatbelt region and this is another one of them. It was a smaller one but it had some interesting rock features which tickled my attention. We explored it a little earlier in the day and I made up my mind that if we did not find anything more interesting, we would return here for the sunset.
When we arrived we found a car track leading all the way to the top of the mound. That allowed me to take in the 360 degree views around the area, while also scope potential photo locations. There was nothing of interest on the eastern side so my best option was to descend down the western slope and figure out how to make a sunset image work. This one spot has particularly large and intriguing boulders placed in continuous line towards the bottom of the hill. They created interesting patterns and looked like pieces of a giant granite puzzle. I also noticed the fresh grass growing around and I liked how it was glowing in the late afternoon golden sunlight.
I first set up for a proper sunset scene, facing the west. It looked promising out there with decent cloud cover and a break over the horizon. I prepared my tripod and camera and worked out my composition, feeling pretty happy about the location and conditions. With about fifteen to twenty minutes to go before sunset, the wind picked up significantly and soon afterwards the clouds started to move away, making colourful sunset a much less likely proposition. I held out in this spot for a bit longer and only moved away once I knew that it was time to review my plans for the evening. I was still hoping to make this location work but needed to come up with a new composition and use the light differently to the original idea.
I mentioned the grass and this is what caught my attention again. The sun had gone down by now but there was still a beautiful glow in the sky. It was a time when there were very fine volcanic particles drifting through the atmosphere from an eruption in Tonga few months earlier. That resulted in the glow lasting a lot longer into the evening. I noticed how it was reflecting in the grasses and how it gave them a lovely soft warm appearance. This was further enhanced when the wind moved the grass each time there was a strong gust. Normally, I would be a bit annoyed with the wind, but this time I decided to work with it to see if it could actually aid me for a change. I set up again facing to the north and letting the ambient light come in from the side. I spent good half an hour waiting for the right gust of wind and changing shutter speed to see what combination would produce the best result. The side light created nice depth by emphasising the shadow areas while the wind caressed the grasses and the whooshing sound it made felt almost like whispers from the rocks. In a way, the moving grass had a similar appearance to approaching waves in the sea. There were even enough clouds left in the distance to add something extra to the sky.
In the end, I think that I was able to come up with a reasonably unique impression of Australian outback. I embraced the windy conditions and they helped me to achieve a painterly feel to the scene which is exactly what I was hoping for. I did not mind any softness in the trees and shrubs either, as that complimented the dreamy feel of the grass and added to the overall mood of the evening. I learned my lesson too - when conditions are not to my liking, I should try and see if I can align myself with them to make them work for me and in turn to see if I can photograph something different and new.
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