Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

Capturing this image was no walk in the park! Cape Leeuwin, famously the most south-westerly mainland point of Australia, is where the Southern Ocean and Indian Ocean are said to meet. With no landmass to the south, the fierce southern winds batter this area relentlessly—this night was no exception, with gusts hitting around 70 km/h. Even the sturdiest rig would struggle, and the foreground caught a touch of motion blur from the chaos...especially the grass.

 

Adding to the challenge, the lighthouse is surrounded by fencing far from the structure, and it closes at 5 PM, leaving no chance to get closer after hours. It is lso left unattended, so, my plan to snag permission for a post-5 PM shoot was dashed.

 

I hunkered down behind some rocks for a bit of relief from the wind and lucked upon some wildflowers in the foreground. The lighthouse may look tiny from this distance and angle, but I promise—it’s there! 😉

 

The final image is a 4x6 vertical panorama, and while it wasn’t easy, the effort was worth it to capture this wild and beautiful spot.

 

 

EXIF

Nikon D5500 (fullpectrum mod) - Nikon D5200 - 24mm f/1.4

Sky: 12 RGB x 90s at f/2.8 - 20 halpha x 60s, f/1.8

Ground: 12 shots at f/10

Done