Australian Landscape & Nature Photography by Michael Boniwell

Australian Landscape & Nature Photography by Michael Boniwell

What's New in March 2020

  LARGE Panoramas - Suitable for enormous prints metres wide.
Robe Obelisk, Cape Dombey, South Australia
Robe Obelisk, Cape Dombey


Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet, Victoria, Australia
Split Point Lighthouse, Aireys Inlet


Beachport Jetty, South Australia
Beachport Jetty


Mitre Rock, Mount Arapiles, Victoria, Australia
Mitre Rock, Mount Arapiles


Cape Banks Lighthouse, Carpenter Rocks, South Australia
Cape Banks Lighthouse, Carpenter Rocks


Photographer's Blog: Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Lighthouses & More

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Summer in Australia was, as most will undoubtedly be aware, a desperate time with unprecedented bushfires raging uncontrolled across the country. There were many lives lost, both human and wildlife, and widespread damage to both properties and natural environments. National Parks that have never burnt before, with eons old forests, succumbed to the flames, leaving ashes were once there was beauty incarnate.

Under such dire circumstances, my motivation for travel and finding new images was tempered greatly by safety concerns and, of course, simply not wanting to be under foot anywhere valiant firefighting efforts were ongoing. I'd promised our boy some time away during his school holidays and a chance to develop his photographic interests, so we eye balled the weather apps and emergency maps and eventually chose to head south-west where temperatures were in the low twenties.

We ended up spending a couple of weeks, hunting along the coast for new landscape scenes for me to shoot and exploring any nature reserves so our boy could capture birds and animals with a long lens. We particularly enjoyed Tower Hill Wildlife Reserve out of Warrnambool. Such a wonderfully peaceful place to wander amidst the trees and ponds.

I must admit he's getting quite good at it. He has the patience to advance incrementally slowly, take a shot and sneak back, often without alerting the subject to his presence. His main issue is the weight of the lens and holding it steady. Mounting it on a light tripod has helped greatly.

Split Point Lighthouse was the first image I made in this series. It's one of those places you tend to drive past, with the lure of the Great Ocean Road ahead of you but staying here a couple of nights is well recommended. There's the beach, sea stacks, a nice restaurant or two. It's like an Ocean Road taster experience without all the crowds of somewhere like Lorne or Apollo Bay.

With that image in the bag we headed west into South Australia and spent several days based in the Mt Gambier region, scouting along the coast, finding locations and reshooting them until I was happy with the results.

Cape Banks Lighthouse was one of the most fun locations, with a vast beach mostly devoid of people, but still a shop or two to keep us fed. He particularly liked exploring the rocks. It was atop one such outcrop, looking back towards the lighthouse at sunset, where I was able come away with a keeper that hopefully shows off the largess of the place.

Nearby we also discovered Beachport Jetty, into which I sank several dawns until some cloud finally completed the scene nicely. (It can be quite hard to find cloud in South Australia). I love a good, old timber pier. There is just something about the feel of the aged wood underfoot that creates a connection, and visually the appeal is obvious, at least to me.

We spent a few days around Victor Harbor, and found some cracking good scenes, but the light just did not want to play ball, at least not to my standards. I tend to be quite self critical. A good composition and a compelling subject can be left short without quality light. I would rather keep trying and trying, even if some considerable distance is involved. Maybe it's madness, but there is something very satisfying about putting in the extra effort.

That approach is how I eventually made the lead image in this series, being the photograph of Robe Obelisk. Having visited it a decade or so ago, I've been back many times over the years, but thus far had been met with bland clear skies or excessive wind and rain. Finally, on this trip, after a few more attempts, I was given perfect kaleidoscopic colour combined with calm conditions.

The cliffs under the Obelisk are steadily eroding and the local council has decided not to save it. Given this, and the fact that it is a 12 hour return drive, I was very happy to finally come away with this lovely sunset image.

So that wraps it up for this blog. I've just returned from a trip into the mountains looking for some more high-country huts so check back in over the next month or two and hopefully some of those images will make it into the collection.

As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you're all doing okay. What with the bush fires over summer and now virus threats casting a shadow over the world, there is a lot to be worried about. May you find happiness, peace and above all, good health over the coming months.

Michael Boniwell




Decorate your home or office with enormous stunning prints!

Landscape Photography Print Prices


 Shipped from America (US $)

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
Shipped from Australia & US (AU $) 

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
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
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

Commercial Stock & Commissioned Photography
All images may be purchased for advertising, editorial and web use. See Stock Prices for details.
Michael is also available for Commissioned Photography assignments within Victoria, Australia.
Email michael.boniwell@gmail.com or Phone: 04 3473 0828.