Who else has made the absolute best-laid plans for a photo shoot and it just hasn’t worked? Yep, I can see your hand up there! That’s because it’s happened to ab-so-lutely everyone.

This week started with me doing a few reconnaissance missions down a few backroads looking for, (for lack of any more eloquent words) ‘dead trees’. Gorgeous gums that have lost the ability to produce new life on their twisted and contorted dried out limbs, creating the most fabulous forms in neatly manicured and cared-for paddocks.

I had found the location – tick. Figured out what time to go shooting – tick. The weather and sun were just right – tick. I got to the shoot location again last night and I stopped at three different places on the side of this sleepy backroad and took heaps of shots; none of which felt right. I’ll keep going, I thought. Just keep following the road, maybe something might just come up…

BEING OPEN

I followed the road around, through fields bathed in an increasingly golden glow and forgot what I was actually driving for. I forgot everything else as well; all things nagging and upsetting now insignificant and dissolving quickly from my thoughts.

I had somewhat of an epiphany at this point as I drove past a country general store, still standing in its original form created a century or so ago.

Both hands tapping the top of the wheel, I said aloud “This is what I came home for.”

My whole purpose of spending last year in the UK was to find my creative voice. I figured it out; it came to me in bits and pieces throughout the year. Little flashing thoughts of comparison to Australia. It grew into a deep longing and desire to capture things I had no idea I loved and missed so dearly. I missed our colours, our trees, the smell of eucalypts, our native birdsongs. Our big skies, our sense of space, and I really missed our light.

I yearned for nights like last night where it was me, the countryside and the day’s dying light.

I kept along these winding backroads and stumbled upon a large and rather tall grey and withered stump. Shaped and moulded by monstrous westerly winds over the years. I pulled over the car, dashed across the road and got snapping away. The shots were turning out better than my previous road stop shoot half an hour prior, so I was moderately happy; but kind of wished I could have got a wee bit closer. I didn’t want to jump the fence on to private property. I still haven’t’ investigated the etiquette of such a situation yet!

I kept taking shots until I heard a thundering coming towards me; although it didn’t sound like a car and it’s tyres rolling along the bitumen road. A sharp neigh made me jump out of my skin and there were two horses pulling up to a dusty holt two feet away from my camera lens. A bold chocolate brown face stood staring at me intently. I gently brought my camera back to my face and resumed photographing the tree in the neighbouring field.

Each time I tried to, my viewfinder would fill up in either brown or white horse hair. I gave in and called them over; my camera lens becoming the focus of their inquisitions. I took a step back and focused on my new equine friends. They were willing to hang around, but they weren’t’ willing to be actively-engaged portrait subjects. Within ten or so frames, they turned and galloped down an avenue of fledgeling gums.

I wonder if they no longer deemed me a threat to their property and just left? It was a completely unexpected encounter; one I wouldn’t have had if I didn’t just enjoy the drive, the process of finding another place to shoot. Sometimes when we throw our best plans out the window, the powers that be have better ones for us.

Feeling buoyed by my horsey interaction, I jumped back in the car. Just before arriving home, the most fabulous mauve and blue sky adorned with a crisp white (and huge) full moon appeared before me. What more could a girl ask for on a Wednesday evening!

Who else captured the full moon last night? Let me know below!