Finding a Tree in The Kimberley

You would be forgiven for thinking “how hard can it be to find a tree?”. Often it is actually akin to finding gold. Especially when you’re looking for that solitary tree in just the right spot with just the right light that you can isolate in just the right composition. Much of nature and indeed the Australian outback is incredibly messy and extracting a beautiful composition out of chaos is the very essence of landscape photography. Finding a tree is a never ending quest!

I love the mornings when bush camping. Waking up before dawn and rolling out of my swag. Getting my tripod and camera gear. Walking into the bush all alone in the crisp morning air. Experiencing the world with little to no sounds at all. Connecting to nature, to the rocks, the trees, the light, the smell. Looking for a spot to shoot dawn and sunrise. The experience doesn’t last very long as the sun is fast approaching but every second experienced at dawn is pure bliss.

One of the places in the Kimberley I explored at dawn was Manning Gorge. Here my never ending search was successful; I found a tree. A beautiful gum tree at dawn in very gorgeous and very soft light. The usually chaotic nature let all the elements come together here and created a close to perfect composition for me:

Click to see large size on my gallery! Copyright Flemming Bo Jensen Photography

Gum Tree at Dawn
© Flemming Bo Jensen Photography

Only a few minutes later and the sun has jumped above the horizon and I managed to find another tree; a young Boab tree bathed in the rays of the rising sun. I chose to hide the messy foreground using the spinifex grass to simplify the composition:

Click to see large size on my gallery! Copyright Flemming Bo Jensen Photography

Boab Tree at Sunrise
© Flemming Bo Jensen Photography

I will end with the words of Bill Neidjie and as I search for more trees; I will look in the morning and say “nice tree this!”

Bill Neidjie: Tree grow, every night he grow. Daylight. He stop. Just about dark, he start again. Just about morning, I look. I say, “Oh, nice tree this!”

10 Comments on “Finding a Tree in The Kimberley”

  1. great post Flemming ! Both are examples of Australina flora against the odds – I like the top composition and light better but perhaps the 2nd tree better…then again I have an affection for boabs…lol

  2. Thanks Tony, I know you 're skilled in the art of finding trees as well! Both shots very much say outback to me and I really like that. I like the first one the best, the composition and light is better and the thing you have for boabs I have for gum trees 😀

  3. Nice shot Flemming ,
    I personally like the top one as well the rocks add nice foreground intreset

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