Australian Landscape Photography | What's New in August 2026 | Landscape Photos | Nature Photos

Photographer's Blog: Monday, August 31, 2026

Northern NSW

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With a ten-day dedicated landscape photography trip ahead of us, our young lad and I set off from country Victoria, into New South Wales during a mild early winter. Initially I had planned a snow hike at Kosciusko, but with the season off to a poor start we decided at the last minute to instead explore the inland regions much further north.

After a night at Gundagai, we arose to a foggy dawn. My photographic senses were tingling but the little valley was draped in so much mist, that nothing drew our eyes. We promptly got back on the road, making it to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains with just enough daylight left to for a meal and a waterfall walk. There had been plenty of rain, so I was keen to try Katoomba Falls, but we arrived only to find the track was closed. Scrambling for an alternative we found ourselves at Leura Cascades which ended up being a real treat. The scene was so vibrantly lush with greenery it was a delight just to behold, but we had to work quickly before the light was gone. Fortunately, with zero wind to impact foliage I was able to capture some very long exposures, including the one in this series.

Not quite sure where to go next, I chose Barrington Tops based purely from looking at the map but having never been there before it was unclear how best to approach. We ended up doing a long night drive that placed us deep down a four-wheel drive trail. It had looked promising on the map, but just went on forever, eventually forcing us to abort, and stay the night.

In the clear light of day, it was apparent that I had vastly overcomplicated our journey. Back on a sealed road and driving towards the township of Gloucester the impressive peaks of Barrington Tops teased us with photographic potential. A kind lady in the information centre pointed us in the direction of a tourist drive, and before long we were exploring the high-altitude mountains from the ease of a main road. There was no snow, but the forest was so lush and foggy that everything appeared appealing.

We spent the afternoon stopping at various lookouts that might have offered views had there been visibility, eventually descending to Polblue Falls where, after a short walk, we managed to capture a nice image of the pretty little steam. On the way back the atmosphere was still so enchanting that we decided to make a beeline for the Antarctic Beech Track. A quick lap of the trail left us with several options, but the light was once again starting to fade. One particular tree was calling to me, a marvellously mossy specimen, surrounded by ferns. Positioning the big medium format Fuji GFX so low as to be almost touching the ground, I was able to focus stack the colourful trunk which leads the viewer up into the misty canopy above.

Over the course of the next few days, we based ourselves in the Armidale region which is wonderfully accessible and offers several nearby National Parks with plenty of walks. Most we had already experienced on previous photography trips, but the Warrumbungles were high on my list of places I was keen to revisit. Generally speaking, clouds tend to make interesting skies, and this far inland it was rare to see a good forecast. Not wanting to waste the chance we drove in, purchased a pass, geared up, and started walking towards the Grand High Tops.

The return track is roughly 14.5 kilometres and climbs steeply for much of the journey, but it is exceptionally well maintained, with steps, handrails and stone paving making the ascent far more manageable than it might otherwise be. Carrying a full load of camera gear, I certainly felt every metre of elevation, but those travelling light with little more than a rain jacket and drink bottle could comfortably complete the hike in around four to five hours, provided they kept moving.

Our lad and I tackled the seemingly endless staircase, arriving well before sunset with plenty of time to explore the ridgeline and settle on a composition. On previous visits I had photographed the scene overlooking The Bread Knife with a longer lens, but this time I wanted to capture the landscape in its entirety, including the iconic outcrops and the surrounding volcanic peaks. As twilight approached, the sky erupted in brilliant colour, bathing the entire ridgeline in glowing shades of orange and red. I used that chance to capture both a wide panorama on my main camera, and also the striking silhouette of Belougery Spire on the medium format camera. Below us, the valley looked absolutely spectacular. Sharing that moment together in such an extraordinary place felt like a genuine privilege.

With darkness closing in, we switched on our head torches and made good time down the mountain, carefully descending the steep track. We arrived to find the car park completely empty except for our own vehicle. Soaked with sweat and pleasantly exhausted, we changed into dry clothes, packed away the camera gear, and slowly drove through the quiet forest towards civilisation.

Back at Armidale, between scouting for new locations, we ended up with a few dawns to spare. We used those chances to focus on the little red railway gatekeeper's cottage just outside Uralla. This heritage-listed cottage was built as the residence of the crossing gatekeeper, whose job was to manually operate the level crossing gates whenever trains approached. Having come across this scene by chance well over a decade ago, I had immediately recognised it as photo worthy. Such a cute subject that one can drive right up to, which is perfectly positioned to be back or side lit by the rising sun, should have been relatively easy to capture. However, it had taken more than a dozen attempts, spread out over the years, because the conditions were always cloudless, foggy or draped in light soaking drizzle.

Finally on this trip it all came together and fate presented me with some lovely scattered high cloud that retained colour but did not prevent the glorious low angle, golden light of dawn from painting the cottage, bringing the vibrant red brickwork to life. Even the railway tracks caught the bright gold hues, creating an amazing leading line straight into the sun.

About half-way through our available days, we reached that point where a decision needed to be made. Keep going north or turn tail and point ourselves southwards towards home. A scan of the weather made the choice for me, we had the landscape photographers dream conditions settling in at Girraween National Park just over the border into Queensland.

The Sphinx is one of the signature granite formations in Girraween, rising dramatically above the surrounding bushland on the park's southern walking circuit. The walk is a rewarding 7.4km return hike from the Castle Rock day-use area. Having never been before we found the visitor area provided excellent facilities, including an information centre with interpretive displays, picnic tables, toilets, barbecues and ample parking. We had a nice conversation with one of the rangers. Basically, I asked how we went about paying for a day pass, to which he laughed, and informed us we were in Queensland now where there are no such worries.

In high spirits we set off, trekking out to The Sphinx in search of a sunset photograph. After a little rock scrambling, we found a composition with plenty of potential, but it relied entirely on the hope that some direct golden light would rake across the landscape. We watched and waited as the clouds rolled and shifted overhead, stubbornly refusing to provide the break that had been forecast. With only a couple of minutes remaining, hope was almost gone when suddenly it appeared, a red-orange tongue of flame licking across the oddly perched granite boulders. Within moments it had expanded to engulf the entire scene in a fiery spectacle, spotlighting our subject with blazing light while painting the clouds in extraordinary hues. We walked back in the dark by head torch, chatting all the way down about how fortunate we had been to witness such a rare combination of conditions. It was undoubtedly the highlight of our journey north and, hopefully, a wonderful photograph to add to the portfolio.

After a night drive back through Armidale again, the next day found us in search of an image in the Gosford region. Somersby Falls took up a good chunk of the afternoon, granting us an enjoyable time though somewhat marred by too many people. With the light once again starting to fade we drove through Gosford looking for photographic opportunities. It seemed unlikely we would find a car park, let alone a worthwhile photograph, before the light vanished.

The obvious subject was the waterfront itself. Clouds had drifted across the sky all day, while the complete lack of wind created perfect conditions for reflections. We leapt out of the car and headed straight for the public wharf as the light began to come alive, only to discover it was closed for renovations. In the end, that worked in our favour, forcing us to photograph the jetty from the shoreline instead. This positioned us towards the most dramatic part of the sky, which erupted into brilliant colour just as twilight settled over Brisbane Water.

The next few days saw us back in familiar ground, ambling down the south-east coast, stopping at locations we had photographed many times previously. Possibly because of this overfamiliarly inspiration did not strike. By the time we reached Mallacotta in Victoria I was starting to wonder if our luck had run dry. It was not until we were all the way back south, and an afternoon found us at the tiny hamlet of Licola below the Alpine National Park when finally, the light decided to grant us something interesting.

From here it was only a relative hop skip and jump back to central Victoria. Pulling into our driveway after such a distant adventure felt strange. We had either camped or lived out of the car for so many days that the thought of a proper bed and the comforts of home seemed almost surreal. However, that spell was soon overcome by big hugs and happy smiles. Before long those far away mountain peaks and lush rainforests were just a story to tell and an image to share.

If you managed to get this far, thanks for reading and may life grant you peace and tranquillity in our wonderful natural world. Until next time, all the best.

Photographic Print Only		US Dollars
8" x 12"	20cm x 31cm	$20 US
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

What's New in August 2026

LARGE Panoramas - Suitable for enormous prints metres wide.

MEDIUM Format - Latest technology. Easily suitable for prints 60 inches and beyond.

Northern NSW

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