Light fantastic

Showcasing photographs from the 2023 OUTBACK calendar and diary.

Photo Kerry Lorimer

The great Australian road trip has gained a fresh bunch of converts since the pandemic and, if the plethora of images on social media is an accurate yardstick, people from all walks of life are loving the opportunity to explore beyond the cities and the coast and share the photographs they take along the way.  

OUTBACK editor-in-chief Mark Muller spends many hours assessing the images that pour into the magazine each week. He’s no slouch at driving a Nikon himself, and says it’s the golden hours of dawn and dusk that light up the most memorable captures. “The right light can turn a mundane shot into a magnificent scene,” he says. You’ll see examples of Mark’s work in the 2023 OUTBACK Diary, including a great shot of his RMs west of the Darling, taken with his phone. “The best camera for making memorable images is the one you have in your hand,” he says. “Better to capture the moment than miss the shot.”

Sunshine Coast-based photographer Kerry Lorimer, whose work is also showcased on these pages, and in the 2023 OUTBACK Calendar and Diary, specialises in landscape, wildlife and conservation imagery and says she’s also learnt that less is more when it comes to being on the road. “I used to carry a full-frame camera, but it was so heavy I often left it at home,” she says. “These days I use a mirrorless DSLR, 3 lenses and a tripod and I guess the total weight of my kit is 3kg.” 

Kerry observes that the most challenging places to reach are often the most rewarding in terms of results. “The shot of the Spa Pool in Karijini National Park took a bit of commitment,” she says. “It’s a 4WD trip into the park, then a grade 5 hike. You have to spider climb along the canyon wall or, if you have a fear of heights, swim into the gorge. I hope my work inspires viewers to appreciate – and protect – our wild places.”

With an OUTBACK Calendar on your wall and an OUTBACK Diary on your desk, you can enjoy the spectacles of regional Australia year-round and hopefully be inspired to get out there and start making memories and capturing images of your own.