Richard Woldendorp has cast his artist’s eye across the continent to create his distinctive landscape photography.
Story by Orien Harvey, Photos by Orien Harvey and Richard Woldendorp
Richard Woldendorp stands on a boulder outside the house where he and his wife Lyn live in the hills east of Perth. He is looking out across a valley in the late afternoon, towards a ridge that is lit in warm, green tones. He surveys it with obvious satisfaction and then shifts his attention to his immediate surroundings. “Aren’t these great,” he says in a strong Dutch accent, gesturing at the patches of granite rising among the grass trees and gums that run steeply down the valley side. His Kelpie/heeler-cross, ‘Lilly’, belts down the driveway after a tennis ball, sending gravel flying, then changes direction in a burst of energy.
Full of energy himself, Richard has had a prolific career as a photographer, travelling the breadth of Australia and forging a strong identity for his distinctive landscapes. He is best known for his colourful, and often abstract, aerial photographs that offer a unique and awe-inspiring perspective of the country and, in particular, the west.
This story excerpt is from Issue #47
Outback Magazine: June/July 2006
