Using light to convey feeling

There are occasions when the light contributes substantially to the overall message that you want to convey when you are making pictures. For example, blue natural light in the background of underwater pictures immediately takes the viewer to that world. A bright blue sky and red sand transport an audience directly to the desert, even though there may be little other visual information in the picture to communicate locality.

The photos in this section were taken on the floodplains of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Even though there is nothing to suggest Kakadu specifically, there is plenty of information to say "wetlands" and, when grouped together, they take the viewer to this "other" tranquil mirror-water-world. What I want to say by grouping them together might be little more than "wetlands are special places". The colour tones are evocative and they are balm to the spirit. In my experience as a photographic visual communicator, I have found that reflections touch people's emotions.

A Pacific Black Duck floats on liquid gold [135/600 mm, f5.6].

Waterlilies in reflection [135/600 mm,f4].