An unplanned sunrise at Cabarita Beach, and a photograph that became an enduring favourite.
Cabarita Beach, particularly its point, holds a pretty special place in my heart; I’d easily count it among my favourite spots on earth. There’s just something about the headland, the feel of the place with its surrounding nature, and, of course, the unique quality of the surf when it’s on. It’s a genuine happy place for me.
On this particular morning, a while back now, I was actually on a road trip with friends, heading south from the Gold Coast towards Byron Bay. We were doing the usual surf check pilgrimage along the coast, and as pre-dawn light started to creep into the sky, we found ourselves pulling into Cabarita.
The surf, as it turned out, was small, and not quite good enough for a paddle. So, instead, we just decided to chill out on the headland, and watch the day begin with the sunrise. As we were relaxing and taking it all in, I pulled out my camera. The sky was beginning to shift through those incredible early morning colours, and I started to wander around the headland, looking for different angles and compositions as the sunrise truly began to perform.
I took a fair few shots that morning, maybe around 50 or so, from various spots, trying to capture the unfolding beauty. But out of all of them, this one image emerged as my clear favourite from the shoot. For me, it’s the way the silhouette of the Pandanus tree and the line of the point create such a striking contrast against the soft, glowing light in the sky. That light, in turn, casts these beautiful reflections across the ocean and the gentle lines of surf.
Even now, after years of travelling and photographing so many other stunning locations, this quiet scene from Cabarita remains one of my most cherished landscape photos. It’s more than just the visual elements; it’s tied to the memory of that morning, the beauty, and the simple joy of being there with my mates to witness it.
Location: Cabarita Beach, New South Wales, Australia
Date: July, 2007
Camera: Canon EOS Kiss Digital N
Lens: Tamron 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3
Exposure: 1/50 at f5.6
ISO: 400
