This Lake Obsesses Photographers: A Quiet Afternoon at Lake Bonney
There are places that pull you back time and time again — not because they’re easy, or predictable, but because they always offer a new way of seeing. Lake Bonney is one of those rare locations. A shallow inland lake dotted with stark, skeletal trees, it’s the kind of place landscape photographers dream about: open space, shifting light, reflections, simple compositions that rise and fall with the weather. For me, it’s become a personal refuge. It’s also a favourite of Raffy, my little sidekick, who hasn’t seen much water lately thanks to the algal bloom closures along South Australia’s coast. So this trip wasn’t just about long exposures — it was also a chance for him to splash and roam again.
SO80 | f14 | 31mm | 60 seconds
When we arrived, the sky was pure blue, the sort of harsh light that normally spells trouble for long-exposure work. But as I wandered along the shoreline, clouds drifted in, light softened, and suddenly things began to happen. Trees standing proud in the shallows became silhouettes, then subjects, then characters. With the GFX at f/11–f/16 and a mix of 10-stop and 3-stop NDs, the lake came alive in slow motion. Thirty-second and one-minute exposures smoothed the water, pulled the clouds into streaks, and revealed textures in the old trunks that you rarely notice at normal shutter speeds.
As the sun dipped, the magic turned on. A soft golden glow swept across the water, then deepened into that brief window of light you only get when the sunset meets the clouds at the perfect angle. I chased compositions as quickly as I could — lone trees, roots standing proud, branches catching the last of the colour. It was a dance between patience and urgency, waiting for light but moving before it vanished entirely. Even when a shot wasn’t working, or a log intruded, or the wind shifted, there was always another frame waiting a few metres away. That’s the beauty of Lake Bonney: minimal elements, infinite combinations.
ISO100 | f14 | 35mm | 60 seconds
In the end, it was one of those afternoons that reminds you why you pick up a camera in the first place. Not for perfection, not for control, but for those rare moments when nature cooperates just long enough for you to press the shutter — and for a lake to reveal something unexpected.
If you enjoy minimalist landscapes, skeletal trees, dramatic clouds and slow-shutter creativity, Lake Bonney deserves a place on your list. And if you want to see the full experience — along with Raffy’s triumphant return to the water — the video is now live on my channel.
Take care of yourself, take care of your loved ones, and until next time, see ya’.
And don’t forget to Get up. Get out. Get the shot.