Diary of a Turtle

Diary of a Turtle

Australia has six of the seven marine turtle species on the planet. The turtles live in the tropics, lay their eggs and hatch them on our beaches. After only 200 years of white settlement in Australia the turtle’s survival is threatened. Sea turtles are now protected but we still contaminate their habitat and put them at risk through ocean traffic and the encroachment on their nesting sites due to shoreline development and recreation.

I used a pinhole camera placed on the sand to reflect the perspective of a turtle and to create the ephemeral beauty of seascapes. The long exposure of the pinhole allows water to look like misty clouds, and people to ghost, creating a sense of movement and fluidity.

The near infinite depth of field allowed me to play with visual elements of close and faraway. In some of the images of the Gold Coast signs of urban development fade into the background. In other images I intentionally put the skyscrapers forefront as the wide-angle perspective of pinhole distorts the view just as the development has distorted the natural landscape and threatened survival of marine fauna.
My beach explorations have also been along the Great Ocean Road. Here I tried to capture the beauty of the Great Ocean Road, its wildness, cliffs, shipwrecks, and the recreation and tourism of its many visitors. All the pinholes were taken in winter so very long exposures.

With my wooden pinhole camera, no lens or button to click, I just uncover the pinhole and wait and listen to the rhythm of the waves, the bird calls, and the wind. A slow process but rewarding with the lensless camera capturing the magic and mystery of the sea.

Click an image to enlarge.