Aaron Stanley, our second photographer in residence here at Skymirror, finished up his time with us last month. Since then, we've been collaborating to bring you limited edition prints and postcards of one of his most beautiful Lake Tyrrell works!
Below, Aaron reflects on his time working with us and introduces his spectacular image entitled: The Collector II.
Lake Tyrrell is a unique, diverse, and forever changing landscape. From the mirror-like reflections, changing colours of the lake, windswept salt water, barren low shrub vegetation that’s a mecca for wildlife and desert-like salt plains during the hot summer months, just to name a few. That’s what keeps me coming back to Lake Tyrrell.
The opportunity to be the 2nd Photographer in Residence with Sky Mirror Gallery was the perfect starting point to begin building on my portfolio of the area. Capturing the uniqueness of the lake at its best.
From the first day arriving at Sea Lake, I would take the 10-minute drive north to Lake Tyrrell. A lot of people drive past on their way to their destination and don’t realise this gem just off the highway. Working at the gallery 6 days a week, one of the first jobs I was asked to help with was finishing off the renovations and continue the work of curating the gallery from the very talented photographer Anne Morley.
I’d head out to the lake most mornings and evenings before and after work, as the lake would change almost by the hour. Winds moving the water around the lake, revealing or concealing different areas, you never knew what to expect. Whatever the conditions faced, I’d always try to make the most of them and photograph different perspectives of the lake in search for the perfect photo. Not even the rain could keep me away.
Just over two weeks into the 6-week Photographer in Residence, I was invited to join Julie from Sea Lake Tyrrell Tours on a sunset tour. We were expecting a reasonable sunset if the high-level cirrus cloud hung around and providing there was a gap on the horizon. Closer to sunset, I became aware that the sky was going to pop with colour but was unsure exactly how much. Arriving at an exclusive location the gumboots went on and went into the water looking for perfect reflections. Not too far from the shore we found a great location. A band of high-level cirrus cloud stretching from North to South. Not long after the sun had set the sky started to pop with colour. At one stage not knowing which way to point the camera as the entire sky was alive.
Using a specialist tilt shift lens, I captured 3 images in which I would stitch together to produce this highly detailed panoramic image. If you look closely, the white mound on the horizon towards the left of image is the current site of Cheetham Salt. One of the benefits of using a tilt shift lens is to avoid converging lines and makes the process of stitching images seamless. This was one of a few memorable opportunities that I experienced at the lake. Enough so to be selected as my first limited edition print with Sky Mirror gallery.
The Collector II – I loved going back to this spot, one of the old sites for the salt works. Every time the water level would be different and the whole atmosphere would change. On this day, the winds had pushed all the water to this side of the lake providing some good reflections in the shallow water. Named ‘The Collector’ because the salt that had floated across the lake and collected in these half circles around the old lengths of timber. The composition – The low camera angle draws the views attention across the water, and the leading lines of the clouds direct the viewers’ attention to the centre of the image. The reflections slightly subdued due to the 1 second exposure time, movement in the water, the circular polarising filter to gain maximum contrast and detail under the water. The gentle tones of pink, orange and blue throughout the image reflected off the usually white salt.
The Collector II – Taken 12th October 2021, Lake Tyrrell. Limited Edition print exclusive to Sky Mirror Gallery. Print size – 1000mm x 395mm, frame size – 1210mm x 610mm. Printed on Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl 310GSM using Epsom UltraChrome HDX ink, Pigment. Natural wood frame, 42mm treated with bee’s wax. Arctic White double cut mat. Art Glass conservation grade anti-reflective glass AR-Control 70%.
A total of 10 copies will be available with prices starting at $1400. Unlimited postcards will be available.
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