Country Calling

Whenever a commercial shoot comes through, I always try to pair it with a location I’ve been itching to photograph  somewhere that sparks something in me. This time, I was filming a campaign for Ray-Ban sunglasses and knew I wanted to include proper outback Australia in the visuals. That’s what led me back to Alice Springs.

It wasn’t my first visit. In fact, I’ve been to Alice a number of times now. Something about the place keeps pulling me back. I’ve never felt like I’ve fully captured its spirit  but maybe, just maybe, this time I came close.

While scouting locations for the commercial, I was quietly taking mental notes  logging spots that might work for a panoramic landscape later on. We drove past this hill scattered with ghost gums, and I just knew there was a photo waiting up there. I had to climb it. Sure enough, the scene unfolded exactly how I hoped  a character-filled gum tree standing proud, backed by an epic mountain range. It looked like something straight out of a Robert Namajara painting. There was a feeling in the air  that still, timeless kind of magic.

I ended up returning to that hill every morning and afternoon during the shoot. On my final visit, I came away with this image. And next time I’m in Alice, I already know I’ll be heading straight back to that tree.