Kalgoorlie, Lake Lefroy & Wheatbelt

Kalgoorlie, Lake Lefroy & the Southern Wheatbelt

Paul and I have spent the better part of the last decade exploring Western Australia’s rugged coastline, immense salt lake systems and industrial interior through the lens of aerial photography. Over that time we’ve watched modern drone technology completely transform what’s creatively possible from above, allowing us to capture imagery and perspectives that simply weren’t achievable only a few years ago.

We’re excited to once again invite a small group of photographers to join us on one of the most visually diverse aerial photography workshops we offer, beginning in Kalgoorlie before travelling through Lake Lefroy, the Southern Wheatbelt salt lakes and a range of incredible locations along the way, all the way down to the south coast.

The Most Comprehensive Aerial Workshop in the Region

As far as we know, there’s no other workshop that covers this part of Western Australia as thoroughly from the air. Over the course of the trip we travel from the heart of the Eastern Goldfields, through the salt lake country of the Southern Wheatbelt and all the way to the Fitzgerald River National Park on the south coast, photographing everything from working gold mines to remote, rarely seen salt lakes.

It’s a route Paul and I have refined over many years of scouting, and it’s built around one simple idea: showing you the full story of this landscape. The ancient salt lakes that formed long before the first gold rush, the vast industrial scars of more than a century of mining, and the farmland and coastline that wrap around it all. Very few places in the world let you photograph that much contrast in a single trip.

Most of the locations we visit aren’t on any tourist map, and many can only really be appreciated from above. Every year the colours, water levels and textures change, so even the places we know well still surprise us.

Workshop Ethos

The core of this workshop is now heavily focused around drone based aerial photography and the incredible flexibility modern drones provide. Rather than being locked into the speed and limitations of traditional aircraft, drones allow us to slow down, refine compositions, respond to changing light and weather conditions and work landscapes in a far more immersive and creative way. From giant abstract tailings ponds through to delicate salt textures and reflective lake systems, this approach gives participants an enormous amount of creative freedom throughout the trip.

Alongside the drone based component, there’s also the option of a scenic flight in a Cessna 172 from Kalgoorlie, taking in the Goldfields and the surrounding salt lake systems. It’s entirely optional, but it offers an incredible sense of scale and a completely different perspective over some of the larger industrial and natural landscapes we photograph during the workshop. Otherwise, drones cover everything else beautifully.

Our goal is for every participant to head home with a diverse catalogue of powerful aerial imagery while also gaining a much deeper understanding of our approach to image making, exploration and working creatively from above. Whether you’re creating bold abstract compositions over mining infrastructure, isolating subtle textures within the salt lakes or experimenting with reflections and colour at dawn, Paul and I will help guide you through both the technical and creative sides of aerial photography.

This workshop is extensive and immersive by design. By the end of the trip you’ll have covered an enormous range of landscapes and subject matter, often shooting across long days, early mornings and huge sections of regional Western Australia. The pace can be demanding at times, but the reward is an incredibly diverse collection of imagery and a genuine sense of adventure throughout the journey.

The Goldfields

Kalgoorlie and the Super Pit

Kalgoorlie was born in the 1893 gold rush, when Paddy Hannan’s find sparked one of the biggest rushes in Australian history. The Golden Mile that grew from it has been mined almost continuously ever since, and at its centre sits the Super Pit, one of the largest open cut gold mines in Australia. At more than three and a half kilometres long, around one and a half kilometres wide and over six hundred metres deep, it’s a staggering thing to see from above.

Around the pit, the tailings ponds and mine infrastructure create vivid colours and abstract shapes that change with every pass. It’s a rare chance to document the scale of human intervention on the landscape, and some of the most striking industrial abstracts you’ll find anywhere in the country.

Lake Lefroy

Lake Lefroy, near Kambalda, is a vast salt lake known for its reflective surfaces and striking salt ridges. Kambalda itself grew around the discovery of nickel in 1966, and the lake today offers a fascinating mix of untouched beauty on its eastern edge and large scale mining operations through its centre. From the air, the contrast between nature and industry here is something special, with abstract patterns, causeways and colour that shift with the light.

The Southern Wheatbelt Salt Lakes

The salt lakes of the Wheatbelt are some of the oldest landscapes on the planet, sitting on remnants of ancient river systems that once drained this part of the continent. Today their colours range from bright whites and soft pinks through to deep reds, ochres and blues, depending on the season, the water levels and the tiny organisms that live in the brine. No two visits are ever the same.

Lake Grace

As we journey deeper into the Wheatbelt, we’ll visit Lake Grace, another stunning salt lake renowned for its patterns created by mineral deposits and seasonal water levels. Drone photography over this lake reveals geometric compositions that shift throughout the day, perfect for experimenting with light and shadow.

Lake Dumbleyung

We’ll also visit Lake Dumbleyung, famous for its place in Australian history. On the last day of 1964, Donald Campbell set the world water speed record here in Bluebird K7, reaching more than 440 kilometres an hour. Today the lake offers stunning reflective surfaces ideal for aerial compositions, especially during the golden hours.

Salt lakes near the Stirling Range

Formed over thousands of years through evaporation, these salt lakes shift colours from pink and white to deep blues. We’ll shoot here at sunrise and sunset to capture the interplay between light and reflective surfaces, with the Stirling Range rising on the horizon.

Fitzgerald River National Park and the Coast

Our journey south ends at the Fitzgerald River National Park, one of the most botanically diverse national parks in Australia and part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It’s home to dramatic cliffs, expansive beaches, river mouths and coastal heathlands, offering endless aerial photography opportunities. The vibrant colours and textures of the park, especially near the shoreline, create ideal conditions for abstract aerial compositions and a beautiful contrast to the inland salt lakes.

Industrial Abstracts

Alcoa tailings ponds

On our final day, we’ll stop by the Alcoa tailings ponds south of Perth. These ponds provide one last opportunity to photograph artful industrial patterns from above, with a palette of turquoise, rust and emerald hues formed by the refining process. It’s a fitting end to a trip that’s all about the meeting point between nature and industry.

I’m looking forward to exploring the Goldfields and the Wheatbelt with you and seeing what we create together.