Daniel Sallai, Fate (LANDSCAPE 2025)

After the previous nights failed attempt at Barn Bluff, I set off before dawn on a mission to photograph another location I had in mind. But as Fate would have it, as I was walking through the scrub in some gloomy pre dawn glow this pool caught my eye. The sky was average at best and I had doubts staying in the low ground was a good idea. However something about the scene called to me, so I decided to risk it for the biscuit and hang around till the sun hopefully showed itself. Just as it broke on the horizon there was a momentary gap in the clouds that shone a horizontal beam of light straight on the middle of Cradle Mountain bouncing warm light back down into the pool. It lasted just long enough for me to take a series of frames for a panorama before the clouds obscured it again. I have since found this Pool to be named the "Artist's Pool.” Which is more than fitting as that scene I witnessed was like a painting on a canvas that will be forever etched into my memory. It's moments like these that make the blood sweat and tears involved in Landscape Photography worth it.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.