On we went through an avenue of tall majestic pines that guided us down into a dark wetland which we crossed via a narrow bridge. The wetlands were filled to overflowing from recent rain. Gushing from beneath the bridge ...a small waterfall reinvigorated the dark and silent, mysterious wetland, feeding it with new life, like a mother feeds a child.
Crunching gravel roads led us onwards towards signs of habitation. We had arrived at Coonar Beach.
The beach is dotted with a small number of houses old and new, but there was no sign of life. The houses were locked up and unresponsive. Blank facades hid secrets of the lives that must go on behind those walls...lives that were irrelevant to us today as we had come to the beach.
From the back of Brad's car we extracted, a dress shop mannequin torso, two mannequin legs, three parts of arms, a bag full of wedding veils and our photographic equipment. We were off on another adventure with a mission to 'capture Coonar' in a new way.
Darling loped about joyfully, sniffing up all that is Coonar... and loving it.
Relentlessly waves rolled in across a large vista of empty beachscape, licking the littoral. Savouring its briney taste.
The big sky above bares down on the landscape compressing it into the thin dark line of the distance.
We head off towards those distant places, where the dead trees have fallen.
We pass a group of beautiful young people camped around a small fire.
"What are you doing?" they called out having noticed the unusual props we carried.
"We are off to capture Coonar" we replied.
"Good luck!"
Finally at our destination Brad and I set out to take our photos. Jess helped me with setting up for pictures with the wedding veil and later set up the tree stump from which the arm emerges.
Brad, ever helpful, persists in his belief that if he remains patient with me, I will eventually master some understanding of photography basics. He helps me with some suggestions.
And then, in his 'zone' he disappears into the landscape....where I know he will be capturing magic.
The photographs we took speak for themselves. The mannequin, Adele takes on a new role as Venus emerging. She has lost the veil that hid her truth.
As we prepare to leave, the huge grey sky is graced with an enormous rainbow...then soon after, a double rainbow.
It has been a truly wonderful afternoon.
Photo above:Turner
Photo above: Marsellos
Photo above: Turner
Photo above: Turner
Photo above: Marsellos
