Bay of Fires – TASMANIA

Bay of Fires on Tasmania’s northeast coast extends from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point and is a popular tourist destination due to its gentler climate and picturesque beauty. Bay of Fires region is best known for the orange lichen that grows on the rocks along the coast. The lichen’s striking color contrasted with the surrounding white sand beaches and crystal blue waters makes it an idyllic photographer’s delight. Interestingly, Bay of Fires was not given its name due to the the flaming orange lichen for which it is famous but, rather, the many Tasmanian aboriginal fires spotted in the area by early European explorers.

Print Code: BF1 | Sizes Available: A5, A4, A3, Oversize

Photographer’s Reflection:

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

I am one of those people who ultra plans and prepares to ensure that things work out efficiently and effectively. In regards to my landscape photography, a great deal of planning and preparation goes into my trips to make them successful. Being spontaneous strips my gears.

This trip to the Bay of Fires was a little bit different though because I was on holiday with my family from overseas, so my photography had to fit in around several other people and their sometimes spontaneous plans. 

I rose well before dawn and headed to Binalong Bay in order to give myself some time to find a good location to shoot sunrise. I took it for granted that with so many rocks around, I was bound to find a great shot pretty easily. 

However, everything went completely opposite to my plan (or lack thereof). I have rarely struggled so hard to find any good composition. 

After quite awhile I finally decided on one scene and with great effort long persisted with it to ‘make it work’. Afterwards, however, something told me deep down that it wasn’t “the” scene I was meant to capture that morning.

The sky was completely overcast with only one small crack for the sun. I knew my time frame of ‘good light’ was extremely short and that, unfortunately, I had already wasted most of it on the wrong scene. In frantic desperation I abandoned my trust in myself and quickly prayed that the Lord might be gracious to me and guide me to a good composition.

Almost immediately I looked up and there it was right in front of me! 

Most strikingly, it looked like a staircase leading toward the light.

The scene immediately spoke to me.

Here I had made all these plans and done everything to make “my way” work in the first shot, but it had all turned out in vain. (This was confirmed when I got the photo back up on the computer; it wasn’t worth keeping.) 

However, as soon as I cried out to the Lord for help and guidance, he immediately presented me with this image that speaks so eloquently of the providential guidance he gives to those who ask him.