Earlier this year, in the middle of winter a friend and I set off from Perth, with our eyes fixed on the South West’s Stirling Range.

I had only ever seen photos of the Range and so was excited to find out what all the hype was about.

The Range itself is a place that represents perfectly the diversity and isolation of the state it lies in. It’s peaks dominate the horizon and stand in solitude as the only cuts into the sky for kilometres around.

Embarking on this project I wanted to capture the unique isolation of the national park whilst paying tribute to its natural beauty which is characterised by dramatic landscapes and the distinctively harsh light it is bathed in.

Spending only two days in any location is restrictive.  In some ways, however, the urgency to explore and absorb the atmosphere of the place means you get to see it an a unique way. This was the case when I visited the range in June. Photography was, as always for me, a large consideration in how I would spend my time explore the mountains.

Photography always seems to be a powerful force when I find myself in a unique location or situation, and in these two days it gave purpose to the seemingly endless mountain trudging.

In the weeks before this trip I had become particularly interested in the photography of Michael Kenna and Ansel Adams. In particular I was fascinated by the minimalistic composition of Michael Kenna as well as the way Adams managed to capture and mould the light.

I had also recently acquired a large, heavy, medium format film camera, which I even carried up the top of one of the mountains (all 5kg+ of it). Working with analogue film cameras ca be challenging at the best of times, but the freezing temperatures and precarious ledges made the experience particularly difficult.