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Lake_Gairdner_20042019_0124-1-3-COL

A very remote lake in South Australia, Lake Gairdner. The sky lights up, just before dawn on this dried salt lake. Magical experience....
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A very remote lake in South Australia, Lake Gairdner. The sky lights up, just before dawn on this dried salt lake. Magical experience.
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May, 2019

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo within Lake Gairdner in South Australia. A very remote place with no mobile network or signs of civilization for hundreds of kilometers. It was my destination for a road trip which took me from Melbourne across the border into South Australia and around a 20 hour drive.

Time

This was a dawn shot. I had scoped out the location from the night before and worked out that it would be a 2 hour drive from my camp ground to get back there early in the morning. I woke up just after 3am, headlights on and began my drive through the wild and windy dust and sand tracks, careful not to go too fast and hit any kangaroos or other creatures along the way. Arriving at the side of the dry lake around 5am, I had about 30 minutes to get set up and in place, for the morning shooting. Incidentally, I was the only one there, as I had been the night before.

Lighting

As I walked across the dry salt lake, I could hear the salt crunching with every crisp step. It was the only sound. Not a breeze and a sky filled with bright stars. In the distance I could see a glow on the horizon, where the sun was about to rise. With the light before dawn, came the first clouds to add some drama to the sky. As the glow brightened, the sky sky lit up red, casting a wonderful pink glow onto the white salt lake surface.

Equipment

The image was shot with my Canon 5DSR with my 16 - 35mm lens on tripod. A fairly long exposure, due to the low light, just before dawn.

Inspiration

I loved the shapes of the salt ridges, catching the light and zigzagging in all directions, giving an almost infinite sense of space. I loved the simplicity of the composition with only an outline of shallow hills in the distance beyond the expanse of the lake. Being there, in the middle of nowhere in this very harsh landscape, I had the feeling I was witnessing something very primal and an unseen treasure. Perhaps unchanged since before the first humans witnessed the lake at this time, perhaps 60 thousand years ago.

Editing

This was part of a set of images. I had the feeling I could have pointed my camera in any direction and taken something wonderful, at that time. I really wanted to convey the huge expanse without resorting to a pano shot. I took a number of shots from left to right along the horizon. In post, I balanced the colours among the images, so they could all work together as a set.

In my camera bag

The desert can be a very dangerous place, so I always make sure I have a few things to keep me safe. I always pack a compass, water and something to snack on. Not forgetting a fly net, hat, sunscreen and fly spray, as without them, I wouldn't be able to last more than an hour. I always pack a tripod. My current tripod is an Alta Pro 263AT with a Vanguard SBH-100 ball head. My camera is a Canon 5DSR and primarily I use my Canon 16 - 35mm Lens with a CPL filter, which rarely comes off. I always take a number of back up batteries and memory cards. As I often have to spend days away from home and civilization, I always make sure I have a fully charged car battery jump starter. The jump starter can charge my camera batteries and mobile phone for days and days, as well as being essential kit for the outback.

Feedback

If you want to photograph Lake Gairdner or some other salt lake, it is important to time your trip according to the seasons. Summer, while dry could be too hot to stay out there for very long and you'd put yourself into a lot of danger, should something happen to you or your vehicle. I would recommend lake summer or autumn, before the rains come and fill up the lake. Check the weather forecasts and make sure you are not out there in daytime temperatures above 35C / 95F. For some drama in the sky, try and time your trip for some cloud, but not full cloud cover.

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Lake_Gairdner_20042019_0124-1-3-COL

A very remote lake in South Australia, Lake Gairdner. The sky lights up, just before dawn on this dried salt lake. Magical experience.... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow fineartphotography

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A very remote lake in South Australia, Lake Gairdner. The sky lights up, just before dawn on this dried salt lake. Magical experience....
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