The story behind the image....landscapes
2027 South Australian landscape images calendar
It was a big decision really, when I decided that this year I was going to produce two calendars. I’ve never done two versions before, but this year felt right.
2026 was the first time I’d produced a wildlife calendar, and it was huge. Record sales and it really signaled for me that wildlife photography is a “thing” for me.
But I was also conscious that many people indicated they would really prefer a landscape photography calendar like I had produced for the two years before that.
And so, with that, here we are…heading into 2027 with a South Australian landscape image calendar and an Australian wildlife calendar and, I love them both.
While it's really just a technical thing, this is my first time putting together calendars in portrait orientation as well!
Last year I enjoyed telling the story behind the images in the calendar, so here’s to a new annual tradition of “the story behind the image” for my calendars.
Of course, if you’re reading this and you didn’t know I’ve got 2027 calendars available, you can order them here.
Let’s start with the 2027 South Australian landscape images calendar…
13 images, showcasing Australia’s driest state, in all its beauty. This calendar is a culmination of landscape and seascape images I’ve captured across South Australia in the last 4 years during some of the most epic conditions.
The front cover was a bit of a no brainer for me. Most well known as the Midnight Oil album cover house near Burra in the Mid North, likely one of SA’s most photographed houses.
Year round it presents a range of different foregrounds and backdrops of weather and pasture or cropping.
This image was captured on a September evening, the final moments of sunset behind me and a clear sky. I previously felt like I struggled with clear skies and sunset, without the cloud to catch the light, but the light on the front of the house and the pastels in the sky with a stunning green field in the front really bought it together for one of my favourite images.
The January image was captured at Cape Douglas on the state’s Limestone Coast in January, right on sunset, a slightly longer exposure with this one to streak the water bit. The cool tones of the water, contrasting against the warm colours of the sky and in the foreground on the sand and rock, really bring this image to life, in my opinion.
This is a photo I took on my way back from a Great Ocean Road photography trip, it was a real reminder for me at the time that SA really matches it with the best when it comes to seascapes and photography opportunities.
Well now, the Aurora Australis over the Murray River at the Big Bend lookout, what an incredible experience. This was my first time witnessing the Aurora and to be fair probably my last for a while. I don’t like being out in the dark on my own and I also really value my sleep!
Incredible light beams, dancing in the sky, clearly visible to the naked eye, but brought to life even more by the camera. Wow!
What you can’t see in this image is that it was absolutely blowing a gale and I’m standing on the edge of a pretty massive cliff. The things we do for an image!
The March image takes us to Sellicks Beach on the Fleurieu Peninsula, this was a chance visit, looking to photograph something else, but the sunset and the light on the cliffs gave me a photo opportunity like no other, combined with capturing the water flow and the light reflecting off the rocks in the foreground. This is a big favourite of mine.
April takes us to Lake Bonney in the Riverland. Known for old trees in the water and the ability to capture reflections, you never know what you’ll get with Lake Bonney in terms of conditions, but on this day, I hit the jackpot. I've used a long exposure here to smooth out the water and ensure it reflects the tree like a mirror. I also really love the bird's nest in the tree. To me it's like the last living thing hanging on to life in the tree.
May and July – aptly named Waterfall Gully, an ever-changing location in the foothills of Adelaide, is a wonderland in winter. Fog, lush greens and waterfalls, what more can you ask for really. The May image is one that sat on my camera for some time after capturing it, knowing full well the potential particularly with the fog.
I wouldn’t call the waterfall a hidden gem, but it’s certainly one of the most picturesque waterfalls in the Adelaide Hills that is well worth a visit, if you enjoy a bit of a steep walk.
June’s image is along the banks of the might River Murray.
A dream shot for me really on a freezing winter morning. Fog is pretty common along the river at this time of year, but nonetheless it can be hard to predict, so you can imagine my delight when I arrived on this morning, just before sunrise to see the conditions.
Ideally, like this image, I was looking for the fog in the background but not in the foreground taking away from the main subject of the grand river gum. I've taken countless photos of this tree, and this is the only one I've published. Often nature photography is about revisiting the same locations time after time until you get the conditions you're after.
August finds us at Petrel Cove, Encounter Bay, near Victor Harbor on a very wet and moody morning.
Referred to as the golden egg by many photographers, this image was about lining the island up in the background in the top third of the image and then waiting for the water to rush in towards this rock pool.
I’ve set the shutter speed here to be just long enough to show the power of that water streaking into the rock pool but capturing it before it fully came in and disturbed the golden egg and sea life living within the pool. I got absolutely soaked with rain this morning, but I couldn’t be more stoked with the image captured.
In the photography world, people often think shots like this can only be captured on a tripod, but the reality of this image is that it would never have worked with a tripod and so this is a handheld shot, balancing over rocks in a precarious position and a whole bunch of hoping for the best.
September features the vehicle bridge over the Murray River at Murray Bridge, disappearing into the fog with an incredibly still morning providing the perfect reflection in the water. Proof that just about anything can prove beautiful and spectacular under the right conditions.
This shot wasn't planned; it speaks to always having the camera with me for capturing the right moment when you see it!
October is an oldy but a goody in terms of images. I captured this image in 2022, and it stands the test as my best canola photo since. Just out of Strathalbyn, sun light shining on the tree and the canola and a moody sky in the back supports the colour contrast.
As is the way with farming, and the drought we've had since 2022, I haven't seen this paddock look this good since.
Into November and the calendar visits Grange jetty along Adelaide’s coastline. This photo is really about capturing the majesty of the jetty against the summer light and sunset. I enjoy photographing jetties, but I'm not convinced I've truly mastered a photo of one yet.
December sees the year out looking over the Murray River out of Renmark, just over the Victorian border. This image is brought to life by the sunset, it’s an impressive location to visit at any time, but from a photography perspective relies heavily on the right light and conditions.
I called this image "Welcome home" because it feels a bit like we're welcoming the river home from Victoria.
And that is the 2027 South Australian landscape images calendar.
Thanks for reading,
Tim
