You’ve Never Seen Western Australia Like This Before
There’s a common misconception that Western Australia is empty. Sure, much of the enormous state is made up of arid desert and its capital is one of the most isolated cities in the world, but what it lacks in urban areas and population, it more than makes up for in stunning natural scenes. The two guys behind Salty Wings know this better than anyone.
[related_articles]66896,65631,66237[/related_articles]Creating bespoke aerial content and imagery of WA’s natural beauty, Michael Goetze and Jampal Williamson are experts in all that this massive state has to offer. From the lush Kimberley region, with its waterfalls and heavy tropical air, to the 12,000 kilometres of coastline, they’re showing us a totally different side to our westernmost state. We had a few questions for them.
How did you guys get into aerial photography?
Jampal: I bought my first drone in 2013, and I was hooked from day one. I met Michael in mid-2015 and introduced him to the technology; from that day he was hooked too.
What makes WA such a great place to photograph?
Western Australia is a very large, very diverse state. You can fit half of Europe in it. With so much variety – the red earth in the north and blue water of the south – WA is rich with interesting and unique imagery. Apart from the Kimberley, WA is typically quite a flat landscape, which is why aerial photography is so effective; being able to look down on the land to photograph is the best way to capture it.
Where is your favourite place to shoot in WA?
We love the south coast of WA – Denmark to Esperance. You’ll find some of the best beaches in the world there, with the whitest sand and the most amazing electric blues of the Southern Ocean. In addition, there are amazing forests and rugged coastlines to explore.
[related_articles]29175,21155,4540[/related_articles]What is WA’s best kept secret?
Esperance. Being an eight hour drive from Perth, most people don’t make it that far south. Esperance town has such a great vibe; the people are really friendly and the beaches are incredible. Driving an hour east from the town, you find the epic Cape Le Grand National Park, with sheltered beaches like Lucky Bay and Thistle Cove as well as vast granite outcrops to hike. We encourage everyone to get down there, it truly is an amazing place.
Can you tell us the story of your favourite image?
Our favourite image, and one that seems to be the most popular, was shot during our very first adventure as Salty Wings. We took it in late 2015 at Shelley Beach, Albany. Getting to the location is amazing. You drive half an hour out of Albany into West Cape Howe National Park. The road turns from tar to dirt as you pass through dense forests and down into a sheltered beach. Under the umbrella is me (Jampal), while Michael took the shot. The waves and the swirling of the sand look incredible, while the umbrella really gives you a great sense of scale.
What else do you guys do?
We sell prints of our photos that we deliver worldwide! Check out our online store. We also surf, travel and drink copious amounts of coffee. We also add videos of our adventures to our YouTube channel.
[media_embed]https://youtu.be/yzF-pJsA6yI[/media_embed] [qantas_widget code=PER]Time to explore Western Australia? Check out Qantas flights to Perth here.[/qantas_widget]
