Reflections on an Outback Overreaction

Climbing up a rock face in darkness to witness dawn and sunrise over Hawk Dreaming from a rock shelter rich in aboriginal art. Watching the sun drop into the Indian Ocean standing on Cable Beach. Exploring the Kimberley bush at dawn completely alone. Just me and the light. Driving on the Gibb River Road in the late golden hours of the afternoon. Sitting in Big Bill Neidjie’s cave. Connecting to the landscape and aboriginal history like never before.

Just a few magical moments from this trip. My head is threatening to explode with feelings, memories and experiences and most of all thousands of images. It is overwhelming. This photo trip has provided some of the best moments in Australia for me ever and fantastic new friends, business connections and ideas. Also some of the most frustrating moments ever with trucks breaking down, trips getting cancelled, missing the Mitchell Plateau, 3 sleepless days of jetlag driving me crazy, hurting my knee at Emma Gorge. Some incredible ups and downs.

The entire purpose of this trip was photography of course and it is too early for me to say whether it was a success. The Kimberley light is difficult; I will write about this in a future post. I have several thousand raw files to go through and a lot of stitched panoramas. Only when I emerge from the digital darkroom can I judge the results of the trip. But we had extraordinary light some days and I know there is some art in the data I’m bringing back.

I am ending with a shot that probably means little to most people. To me it is home; it is what I’m all about. The remoteness. The sense of space. The heat. The red dirt, blue sky and white gum trees. The desolate plains.
The mysterious and fascinating Australian outback.

Outback. Flemming Bo Jensen Photography

A good photo shows that you have connected with your subject; be it landscape, people or animals. I may take it slightly to the extreme bordering on obsession as I have what could be described as an overreaction to the Australian landscape. I hope it shows in my work.

As I leave Australia and my life down under today; I feel very sad in many ways. I shall return to my home the outback as soon as possible.

7 Comments on “Reflections on an Outback Overreaction”

  1. Congratulations on a great trip Flem ! This is the exact thing about travelling – especially in Australia. It's not about the destination – it's about the journey. Your experiences, trials and tribulations – joy and heartbreak. The experience is it man ! the memories – you have these….brilliant or disappointing photos do not and will not determine the success. You already know it – inside you and the passion you right with tells us all it's success.

    cheers,

  2. I love your remote photo. I can also totally relate to what you are saying, Flemming. Chin up, and we'll hook up again very very soon! 🙂

  3. Tony, thanks very much I always love your comments. And I agree completely. The journey, not the destination. And the trip has been a huge success and I love writing about it. Whether my photos capture these amazing experiences are yet to be seen, but the experiences are forever burned in my memory!

    Gudrun, thanks heaps mate, will be so much fun when we do Namibia next year!

  4. I read in a magazine describing the Tanami Track, about how the outback is ablaze with primary colors – blue sky, red dirt, yellow spinifex. That's a description i can't forget, cause it plays out in the bush without fail.

    I live in Western Australia (Perth of course) and i find myself taking a myriad pile of image on the same theme as yours above. It's all the same, but i can't ever get enough of it.

    Have been following your latest journey here with much appreciation, as a lot of your written thoughts resonate with me.

    Thank you for sharing the journey 🙂

  5. looks like a trip well worth doing Flem.
    i bet you must be bursting to get through your images and see what you've ended up with.
    i know i can't wait to see what treasures you've got sitting there.

  6. Hi Stephen and yes I am bursting!…I have started working on the first few images as seen in the Lost and Found post. Patience (of which I have none) is needed though to get through them all and not rush the development so all the hero shots get developed to their full potential.

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