Michelle Hartnett, Melaleuca Morning Reflections (LANDSCAPE 2024)

Lake Ainsworth is found on Bundjalung Land, at Lennox Head in Northern NSW. It's also known as the 'Tea Tree Lake', thanks to the surrounding strands of Melaleucas that release tannins into the fresh water, creating a reddish brown tinge and giving the water reputed healing properties. On this particular morning, the reflections of the Melaleucas smudged the glassy lake surface with shades of green, rust, caramel and hints of blue. There was just a whisper of a breeze, awakening a gentle flurry of ripples. Nature's brushstrokes creating a picture perfect moment.

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