Life Through a Lens — A Photographer’s Guide to Western Australia

Tourists heading Down Under often overlook Perth and the rest of Western Australia. Melbourne, Sydney and the scorching Queensland coastline are often just too tempting for visitors to ignore.

Even so, as Western Australia becomes more popular by the day flights to Perth have grown in demand. In addition to the natural terrain and laidback way of life, Perth and the surrounding area enjoys long, sunny days and boasts beaches to die for.

This can only be good news for photographers, as the possibilities the Australian landscape offers are a dream. If you’re planning a snap-happy trip to Western Australia and don’t know where to start, here are some must-see attractions and tips on how to take the best photos possible.

Swan River

Perth

Perth has a skyline that no photographer should ignore. For the best picture, position yourself opposite the main buildings looking over the Swan River. As the sun sets and daytime turns into dusk, the skyscraper lights reflect beautifully off the water.

Another great vantage point is in Kings Park, which looks over the city and river. At night, if you use a slow shutter speed, you can capture light trails coming off the fast-moving traffic.

The park itself, which stretches over 400 hectares, features towering gum trees and immaculate gardens in addition to some native flora, fauna and wildlife. They all make for a nice photo or two.

Golden Outback

Even if you didn’t take multiple pictures of the Golden Outback’s expansive skies and endless landscape, the region would still live on long afterwards in the memory. With a flat horizon and abundant space, this is a glorious location for shooting a time-lapse of the sun rising and setting.

As well as the scenery, the Anthony Gormley sculptures simply beg for you to take a photo of them. Spread out over 10 square kilometers, 51 individually cast black steel statues stand proud against Lake Ballard’s white salt plain.

Elsewhere, the sight and smell of Australian wildflowers are a spectacle to behold. If you suffer from hay fever but want to get up close and personal with these flowers while taking a picture, remember to take some medication!

Coral Coast

Featuring marine life and arguably one of the bluest oceans in the world, Australia’s Coral Coast is a region that definitely requires an underwater camera.

But before you plunge into the water with your camera, be sure to visit the Pinnacles, one of the country’s most incredible natural attractions. You’ll probably need a wide-angle lens to capture all of the tall limestone rocks, which date back millions of years.

On the coast, Ningaloo is the world’s largest fringing reef and one of the few places where you can swim with the whale shark. You can also tread water alongside 500 species of fish, manta rays and turtles at this UNESCO World Heritage site.

Whether you prefer taking pictures of skylines, landscapes or wildlife, there’s a good chance that Perth and the rest of Western Australia will shower you with opportunities. Regardless of how well your photos come out, you’ll come away with memories that will last a lifetime.

Image by Looking Glass, used under Creative Commons license.