ALANA MITCHELSON casts an eye over the work of Lynden Smith, a fine-art photographer with a penchant for moody mornings.
FAR from his 9 to 5 accountancy slog with spreadsheets, Lynden Smith spends his wee hours surveying serene beaches and sweeping landscapes for the perfect angle to capture sunrise.
He always prepares for his adventures with research of weather maps the night before but his ambitious nature sometimes ends in unplanned escapades, such as finding himself isolated on a disappearing beach during a quickly-rising tide.
Smith’s photographs document seascapes, landscapes and architecture throughout the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast as well as other iconic settings across Australia.
His latest goal is to complete 2000 daily photos in 2000 days, which he details on his website blog. He is 500 photos from his target as he speaks with GC .
Fine-art photography became a hobby for Smith in 2004 when he bought his first Digital SLR camera.
He grew up on a wheat farm near Mount Arapiles, a world-famous rock-climbing destination west of Horsham.
Smith recalls four-hour road trips to visit his aunt and uncle at Queenscliff as exciting family excursions during his childhood, his parents ferrying all six kids in a 1961 Chevy.
“They had a house on the beach. We used to go down there often, especially during the summer break,” he says.
“I’ve always had a love for the beach. I like being by myself.
“Walking around the beach at 6am, it’s nice and quiet. I find it relaxing; so peaceful.”
Smith’s underlying passion for the area eventually brought him to live on the Bellarine Peninsula with a family of his own.
Now at Grovedale after 20 years in Geelong, he relishes his proximity to the Surf Coast and its stunning beaches.
Moving here was the best decision of his life, Smith maintains.
Creativity runs through his family of five. One daughter is a photographer by trade, while wife Christine paints in oils and watercolours.
Quietly working away at his website in his spare time, Smith’s regular use of social media has contributed to his accumulation of more than 34,000 followers on Google+.
But it’s the environment that prompts him to snap up an opportunity for a photo.
“Nature has a way of presenting itself,” Smith explains.
“It’s all about capturing that magical moment.”
The built environment also features in his work, such as an image of Drysdale Railway Station at dawn.
As with each photo, he finds beauty in what looks like a desolate scene at a particular hour of the morning and evokes a unique mood and feeling.
Smith’s layered photos blend the shadows of night with the harsh light of the rising sun, often framed with rainbow-coloured clouds like fairy floss scattered across the sky.
The detail behind each of his photographs are available at lyndensmith.com.
