In this final instalment, Andrew Bertuleit shares more of his stunning photography from around the country and the commitment it takes to get the perfect shot.
Luckily he’s a patient man and the result is this second series of epic photography, including his tips on how to successfully capture quality photos.
BIG4 would like to thank Andrew for his wonderful photographic contribution. You can find more of Andrew’s work in his previous article titled The Australia you’ve never seen (part one), or by visiting his website.
Enjoy!
Melbourne. Aerial shot of the Melbourne CBD, St Kilda Rd running into Flinders St and becomes Swanston St. Shot out the window of a Cessna in May 2015.
I think this used to be the old fire station in Walhalla (a gold mining town in Victoria) and is now a museum. Interesting place to have a wander around.
I always thought Wineglass Bay in Tasmania got its name purely because of its shape but a customer once told me it’s because a long time ago whaling ships used to anchor there to do all their butchering and the whole bay turned red - like a glass of red wine. I think I was better off not knowing.
The old boat shed off Mounts Bay Rd in Perth. Every photographer that comes to Perth has a go at this shot and whether it works or not depends largely on the weather. It's an early morning shot so you just have to bite the bullet, get up before dawn and hope for the best. That rickety walkway was slippery and had the odd slat missing so it was hard to keep the camera steady for a long exposure. I had to set the timer and carefully walk far enough away that I didn’t send out any vibrations. I had $6000 worth of gear sitting precariously over water on slimy, rotten timber. That woke me up.
Sunset in Byron Bay. It's a nice place but I can't help wishing I could turn back the clock and visit it 40 or 50 years ago, before the crowds and commercialisation.
Nine days. That’s how long I had to wait to get this shot. I’d ridden the motorbike from Melbourne all the way up through the Flinders Ranges, Marree, Alice, across the Plenty Highway, up to the Atherton Tablelands, Cairns, Cape Trib, Cooktown, Weipa and finally up to the tip of Cape York where I looked around and decided the best shot would be an aerial of the tip, looking back.
So now I need a plane. First sunny morning and I’m in business - and that’s what took nine days. Every morning (it had to be a morning shot) was either overcast, raining, or just too cloudy. Normally I’d head off to the next destination and come back another time but it’s a long, hard ride to get there so I had to stick around. There are definitely worse places to be stuck for nine days but I was keen to get back on the road so it was pretty frustrating. Finally, on the ninth morning, some sun.
This is where you’d stay if you were visiting the rock and wanted to spend a few days. It’s a long drive if you want to go back and forth from Alice Springs.
Fruit Bat Falls - I love the name. This little spot is on the way to the tip of Cape York in Far North Queensland. It’s a quick detour off the main road and a great place for a swim to get the dust off. And just to the right, out of frame, are some pitcher plants - weird looking things that trap and eat insects.
This old shed is across the road from the Middleton Hotel in outback Queensland. I was up early one morning, a rare occurrence, especially after spending the night at a pub, and saw the sun shining through from window to window. It’s a simple shot but I like it because it’s also a bit different and you kind of have to look at it twice to get what it is.
I love the visual of this rampant rainforest being held at bay by the beach and ocean. I could have waited for those people to move out of frame (or just Photoshopped them out) but I like how they give scale to the size and shear abundance of the vegetation. Also I think it makes it easier for the viewer to imagine themselves sitting there.
It’s a long walk but it’s worth every step.
You’ve really got to see this place from the air. And if you can, spend a few extra days in the area because it's a beautiful part of the country.
You could probably tell it’s out west just by the colours. It's a long drive from anywhere but Karijini National Park is famous for so many reasons, not just the vibrancy of colour.
I mostly remember being cold when I look at this one. Tassie in May and I was sleeping in the van, as usual. There was still snow on the ground in parts of the state and I’m not a big fan of the cold or getting up early - two good reasons not to be shooting dawn shots in Tassie in May, but there you go. Had to come back a few times to get this shot without the cloud cover.
One of my oldest images and I still like it. I’d like it even more if the wedge tailed eagle who lives there had decided to fly home right then so I could get a shot of him just as he lands, wings spread majestically, silhouetted against the setting sun … who am I kidding? Those birds are way too smart to come anywhere near me. I can dream, though.