Australian Landscape & Nature Photography by Michael Boniwell

Australian Landscape & Nature Photography by Michael Boniwell

What's New in June 2024

  LARGE Panoramas - Suitable for enormous prints metres wide.
Carrington Falls, Budderoo National Park, New South Wales, Australia
Carrington Falls


Geehi Hut, Swampy Plain River, Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia
Geehi Hut, Swampy Plain River


Whites River Hut, Kosciuszko, New South Wales, Australia
Whites River Hut, Kosciuszko


Daveys Hut, Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia
Daveys Hut, Kosciuszko National Park


Horse Camp Hut, Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia
Horse Camp Hut


Cascade Hut, Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales, Australia
Cascade Hut, Kosciuszko National Park


Lake Burley Griffin, Molonglo River, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Lake Burley Griffin, Molonglo River


  MEDIUM Format - Latest technology. Easily suitable for prints 60 inches and beyond.
Three Sisters Sunset, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
Three Sisters Sunset


Sea Cliff Bridge, Coalcliff, New South Wales, Australia
Sea Cliff Bridge, Coalcliff


Lincolns Rock Cave, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
Lincolns Rock Cave


Boulder Cave, Namadgi National Park, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Boulder Cave


The Castle Summit View (West), Budawangs, Morton National Park, New South Wales, Australia
The Castle Summit View (West)


The Castle Summit View (East), Budawangs, Morton National Park, New South Wales, Australia
The Castle Summit View (East)


Photographer's Blog: Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Kosciuszko, the Castle & More NSW

< Previous Entry
This series of images were captured over a number of dedicated landscape photography trips during the autumn of 2024. Probably the most adventurous of which involved hiking The Castle, which is a rocky mountain that rises out of the Budawang Range in Morton National Park and offers amazing views if you can manage the gruelling trek. I spent a freezing night out on the top, sleeping rough on some rocks (sans tent or sleeping bag to save weight) so I could shoot both sunset and sunrise.

The route begins with a river crossing. Shoes and pants off, I waded over, making a heroic recovery after a wayward boot floated downstream during my hurried preparations. That dealt with, I headed up, and up. It is seriously steep, with many sections requiring clambering over obstacles, hauling on tree roots, crawling over and under boulders, and slushing through mud or undergrowth.

I avoided the popular tunnel path, opting instead to ascend to the ridge crest and follow the summit track from there. A wise choice I believe, given I was carrying a large pack with heavy camera gear. The technical scrambling to the top then involves solo climbing some exposed boulders using old fixed ropes which proved challenging. Eventually, quite late in the day I managed to top out, and was rewarded with amazing views over a spectacularly mountainous landscape. Exhausted, I set up for a sunset shoot, and was treated to a grand display of light and colour.

I had dragged six litres of water up the mountain, and was grateful for that now. I ate some tea, and just relaxed. Sitting on the top of the world, all alone in the wilderness, it felt truly magical. Before long the temperature dropped, so I layered up, putting on all my spare clothes and cast about for a flat bit of rock on which to sleep. My pack, with its foam backing, made the ground more comfortable, but I did get up in the night to warm up from time to time.

When the sun rose I was in position at my chosen dawn composition, and managed to capture an image looking east towards the flat topped Byangee Mountain and distant Pigeon House Mountain. The clouds had departed, but a little fog in the valley below added some atmosphere to the morning glow. Feeling renewed and happy, I headed back down the mountain that day, getting to my car in good time. What an amazing experience. One I will not forget.

Another trip during this period saw me tracking down more huts in Kosciuszko for my High Country Huts project. The result was being able to add Daveys Hut, Whites River Hut, Horse Camp Hut and Cascade Hut to the collection. For Cascade I chose cycling in using my old push-bike instead of hiking, though in hindsight, there was little advantage given I ended up walking the uphills anyway.

For Whites River I actually spent some coin and rented an electric mountain bike. Being my first time using one it was not a spectacular success. My backside became very sore, even after I secured my camp pillow to the seat. However, I did manage to cover the distance in good time, and even got some amazing fiery orange sunset light.

Other images in this series came from the Blue Mountains, such as the one of Lincolns Rock Cave. Having scouted this location, and visited a few times I was well aware of the challenge faced by a landscape photographer hoping for a people free image. As such, I decided to scramble up into the cave in search of an image. From the perspective of someone with a few decades of rock climbing experience, I would say the handful of moves needed to gain the little extra height are not difficult, but are quite exposed and dangerous.

Working my way into this little cave I found a pleasing composition and settled in to wait for twilight. Numerous parties (of a younger generation) ascended onto the ledge, snapped a selfie, and descended again. Fortunately I had the outcrop to myself when the light finally decided to paint colour across the sky. I was able to work unhindered and enjoy this moment of solitude in an otherwise very busy location.

My favourite image of this series, however, would that of Sea Cliff Bridge with the strong leading line of Grand Pacific Drive taking the viewer on a coastal journey. Being a bit too old-school for Instagram I was not aware of the popularity of this viewpoint. I found myself sharing the trail with dozens of sightseers, all snapping away on cameras and phones. Realising I would have no chance of creating something unique without some effort, I used a long exposure to allow car headlights to illuminate the bridge, whilst using a shorter exposure to capture the blazing light of dawn over the ocean. I then focus stacked the foreground to ensure front to back sharpness. Hopefully you enjoy the resulting photograph.

Right, that is it for this blog. There will probably be more work from Kosciuszko in my next entry. Until then, I wish you all the best and thanks for reading. May you also find some peace and replenishment in our beautiful natural world.

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.