Australian Landscape Photography | What's New in December 2025 | Landscape Photos | Nature Photos

Photographer's Blog: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Waterfalls, Hills and a Lighthouse

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Somehow we are once again approaching the end of another year. One that appears to have flown passed. Fortunately the health issues I mentioned in the last blog seem to have settled for now (fingers crossed), allowing me to travel once again, at least locally within Victoria.

This small collection of new images represents two trips, the first of which saw our lad and I spend a few days in the Grampians and Hamilton region, where Nigretta Falls put on a show. I was particularly taken with the colour of the rocks, and the patterns made by swirling foam and tried my best to incorporate both in the image. The golden light of sunset really enhanced the already vibrant tones, highlighting the oranges and reds. I then used I long exposure to capture a sense of movement in the flowing river. A lovely scene, one I am sure to return to again.

At Dunkeld we managed a dawn from the Piccaninny, which is a fun short bush walk not far out of town. This gave us a great view towards Mt Abrupt in the early morning light. If you are travelling around Hamilton, exploring this side of the Grampians, or perhaps heading from central Victoria to the coast, you would be hard-pressed to find a nicer little country town to take a break in than Dunkeld. Having stopped here many times over several decades, it remains a highlight. Sometimes, good things really do come in small packages.

Making our way down to the coast we tried yet again to brave the tide at the Bay of Islands and were once more thoroughly defeated. This time I was silly enough to enter the water (merely to ankle height) but holding the expensive medium format camera, only to be hit with a rogue wave that saturated me from head to toe. In the last moment I held the camera aloft, but the salty liquid still found its mark. Only a splash, and only its first ever dousing, but still, it made me cringe. We aborted to higher ground, emptied gumboots, and cleaned gear. Realistically it was not serious. A fully weather sealed camera can easily handle a lot more, but I have always been precious with camera equipment.

Needing something soothing, we headed to familiar territory, and spent our remaining time at Port Fairy lighthouse where a lovely calm dawn played to our favour. I used a long exposure to slightly soften the movement of the clouds and enhance that dreamy feeling. Listening to the gentle waves lapping, it was a very peaceful start to the day, which restored our tranquillity.

After a few weeks I was itching to head out again, and managed to score three days in which to pursue this addictive art we call landscape photography. On my own this time, I decided to do a trek to test if my neck issues could handle carrying a load. I also wanted to test drive my new ultra-light hiking pack, the Whippa Wollemi 90.

For such a huge capacity, this bag is crazy light, and I am pleased to say, also seriously comfortable. It rides so well I was, at times, actually unaware it was there, despite 8.5kg of camera gear, 6 litres of water and all the usual extra clothing for an alpine ascent. Ninety litres is, of course, total overkill for most backpacking adventures but I needed something rated to handle a heavy load and capable of scaling up for future extended expeditions.

Heading off in the late afternoon, I decided to do the Hotham to Feathertop walk. Those familiar with hiking in Victoria will know it is a very popular route, so much so that it can be difficult to get a park or even a pitch for your tent. I overcame these issues, by choosing to walk on a weekday instead of a weekend, and treating it as a long day walk instead of camping. Starting in the dark after midnight I was able to reach the summit of Feathertop just on sunrise. The trail was very peaceful at night, no people and no sun bearing down, burning my skin and making me go through precious water. It was cold and windy certainly, but I had all the right gear and the trail was clear. A night walk also meant I could enjoy not having the weight of a tent, sleeping bag or stove and therefore hopefully move a bit quicker.

From the summit I was spoiled for choice in terms of compositions but could not ignore the glorious light beaming directly into the scene, casting a rosy glow over the rugged hills. The lit side of the ridge also had the advantage of being completely out of the wind, allowing for tack sharp images. Opting for a large panorama, I used a persistent patch of snow as a leading line to draw the eye towards the rising sun as it forced its way through distant haze, painting the sky a red-gold. Quite the morning to have this peak all to myself.

Originally I had wanted to also shoot Federation Hut but managed to take a slight fall on some ice as I hurried towards it. Slowing down helped, but by the time I reached the little dwelling the conditions were less than ideal with harsh, contrasty light. Not to worry, I am sure I will return soon enough. I can still recall the first time I saw this hut some 40 years ago, whilst following my father up the steep trail from Harrietville.

With no one around I put on all my extra layers, lay down on the grass and had a nap, soaking up the warmth after a night of freezing winds. Such a peaceful feeling, to be high on the hills, exhausted but comfortable. I woke to the sound of new arrivals. A scout group by the look of it, at least a dozen. Taking that as my cue to leave, I slowly made my way back along the razorback, stopping often to drink and rest now that the heat of the day was upon me.

Back at the car I made my way down to Bright and hobbled around in that somewhat strange state of mind that will likely be familiar to anyone who has spent a spiritual night alone in the mountains, only to be abruptly confronted by traffic and crowds the next day. After treating myself to a burger I suddenly felt like a member of society again, and made plans for the remaining days. The forecast was for rain, so a sunset of was off the table. I decided to head to Toorongo Falls near Noojee, pulling in after what felt like a very long drive on winding country roads.

The morning brought more rain with it, which was perfect for waterfalls as it saturates the rocks and vegetation, making for richly deep tones and colours. Having tried to capture this scene a few times over the years, it can be a little problematic getting the right water volume and weather. Too much rain and it turns into a raging torrent that soaks the observer, too little and it can seem somewhat underwhelming, particularly if dappled light creates harsh contrast or wind robs you of foliage detail. This morning, it was looking a treat, diffused overcast light, not too much wind, good water volume, and I even had a solid gap between visitors in which to work. I ended up processing one large panorama that captured the whole scene and a tighter study just of Toorongo Falls.

From the main falls, I completed the little loop walk, capturing some further images of Amphitheatre Falls and the Toorongo River, but with the water looking a little muddy, I decided I had better photographs of these additional scenes from years past when the moss was in better form. With time running out I needed a sunset plan, and had just enough daylight left to make it to Safety Beach pier on the Mornington Peninsula. I sat in the car, watching the conditions for a while. I could see the sun was not going to set in the ideal location, but opted to put in the effort in anyway. I came away with an ok image, but nothing to write home about.

The next morning I performed a nocturnal walk down to Bush Rangers Bay to see what the sunrise might bring, but alas the drizzly conditions did not produce anything amazing. Never-the-less a remote beach all to myself and a nice morning walk is always appreciated. I made the long drive home again, pleased with the adventure, having packed a lot into a small amount of time.

So that is all for this blog. The next landscape photography trip will be a long one, close to three weeks over summer. Hopefully the heat is bearable and the conditions are not just all blue skies and bright sun. I will report back here with any new work from that upcoming trip. Until then, thanks for reading, and as always, may you also find peace and light in our beautiful natural world.

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10" x 15"	25cm x 38cm	$25 US
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$35 US
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$55 US
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$65 US
24" x 36"	61cm x 91cm	$85 US
30" x 40"	76cm x 102cm	$100 US
Panoramic Prints		US Dollars
8" x 24"	20cm x 61cm	$35 US
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$50 US
12" x 36"	31cm x 91cm	$60 US
16" x 48"	41cm x 122cm	$100 US
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm	$160 US
30" x 90"	76cm x 228cm	$185 US
Canvas Prints (Standard)		US Dollars
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$75 US
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$95 US
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$100 US
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$125 US
24" x 36"	61cm x 91cm	$175 US
30" x 40"	76cm x 102cm	$200 US
Canvas Prints (Panoramic)		US Dollars
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$150 US
12" x 36"	31cm x 91cm	$180 US
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm	$310 US
Metal/Aluminum Prints		US Dollars
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$150 US
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$200 US
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$250 US
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$300 US
24" x 36"	61cm x 91cm	$350 US
30" x 40"	76cm x 102cm	$400 US
Metal/Aluminum Prints (Panoramic)		US Dollars
6" x 18"	15cm x 46cm	$125 US
8" x 24"	20cm x 61cm	$150 US
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$200 US
12" x 36"	31cm x 91cm	$250 US
16" x 48"	41cm x 122cm	$400 US
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm	$550 US
30" x 90"	76cm x 228cm	$1000 US

Timber Framed Prints		Australian
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$172 AUD
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$245 AUD
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$300 AUD
Photographic Print Only		Australian
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$27 AUD
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$33 AUD
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$70 AUD
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$92 AUD
Panoramic Prints		Australian
4" x 12"	10cm x 31cm	$27 AUD
6" x 18"	15cm x 46cm	$33 AUD
8" x 24"	20cm x 61cm	$70 AUD
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$92 AUD
16" x 48"	41cm x 122cm	Please use US Printer
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm
30" x 90"	76cm x 228cm
33" x 100"	84cm x 254cm	Available On Request (Email)
40" x 120"	102cm x 305cm	Available On Request (Email)
Canvas Prints (Standard)		Australian
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$132 AUD
12" x 18"	31cm x 46cm	$172 AUD
16" x 24"	41cm x 61cm	$224 AUD
20" x 30"	51cm x 76cm	$285 AUD
Canvas Prints (Panoramic)		Australian
4" x 12"	10cm x 31cm	$132 AUD
6" x 18"	15cm x 46cm	$172 AUD
8" x 24"	20cm x 61cm	$224 AUD
10" x 30"	25cm x 76cm	$285 AUD
20" x 60"	51cm x 152cm	Please use US Printer
33" x 100"	84cm x 254cm	Available On Request (Email)
40" x 120"	102cm x 305cm	Available On Request (Email)
Poster		Australian
15" x 23"	39cm x 59cm	$25 AUD
22" x 33"	56cm x 84cm	$40 AUD
31" x 47"	79cm x 119cm	$70 AUD
Postcard		Australian
4" x 6"	10cm x 15cm	$3 AUD
Greeting Card with Envelope		Australian
4" x 6"	10cm x 15cm	$4.50 AUD
5" x 7.5"	13cm x 19cm	$7.00 AUD

Australian Landscape & Nature Photography by Michael Boniwell

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Waterfalls, Hills and a Lighthouse

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