A Quiet Moment in Portsea
Shelly Beach in Portsea, Victoria, is one of those hidden gems along the Mornington Peninsula where calm waters and rugged rock pools create a peaceful contrast. I’ve photographed its jetties many times before, usually at high tide when the rocks are completely submerged, but on this summer day the tide was unusually low, exposing layers of stone and shimmering pools. The scene felt almost too empty, so I stepped into the frame myself, adding scale and presence to the composition. Using my Nikon D800 with a 17–35mm lens at 17mm, mounted on a tripod with a 6-stop ND filter and polariser, I softened the waves and reduced reflections, capturing the quiet, timeless whisper of this beach from a new angle.
