The first sunset of 2021 was a truly majestic one, which was made all the better in that I shared it with my wife and two children who had accompanied me on the short trip for an evening at the beach. I had this shot in mind for a while and had visited here the previous evening, New Years Eve, in the hope that 2020 may have ended on a bright note but, as was probably to be expected, there was no light and the old year drifted away unceremoniously.
The following day, however, was a scorcher and after having a peaceful day we decided as a family to go an enjoy the warm evening weather with the kids exploring the beach while I set up my gear. In complete opposite to 24 hours earlier, the beach was packed and as I set up my gear it became obvious that as there was a real risk that I wouldn't be able to capture the epic light that was beginning to emerge overhead without having hordes of beachgoers in the frame. I set up anyway and refined my composition in the hope that I may get a fleeting moment where the crowds would part but, as the light began to fade the crowds also began to retreat back home and so just as the light peaked the water in front of the pier was completely clear. I fully accepted there would be some distant figure on the jetty and as I looked at the image later I could see that most of them were enjoying the scene I was capturing behind them.
 
​Location - Altona Beach, VIC.
 
This image won Silver at the 2021 Epson International Panoramic Awards
This image received an Honourable Mention at the 2022 Moscow International Foto Awards
 
This image will be custom framed using a comprehensive variety of traditional timber frames, mats and glass.
 
Every effort has been made to accurately attempt to represent the colours of the original images. However, due to the many differences in computer screens and certain other variations, the images here should only to be taken as a guide.