Into the Fireswamp

How I look out for images with narrative potential

Years ago I discovered Peter Dombrovskis. I remember looking at an image he had made of a Tasmanian rainforest completely transfixed by its beauty, its complexity and yet the brilliance of his image. So when I had the opportunity to visit Tasmania on a workshop/tour in 2026 I jumped at the opportunity - it had been a lifelong ambition. Sadly limited to ~10% of Tasmania today, there are nevertheless still some remarkable areas of rainforest wilderness as well as patches that are more easily accessible.

My first introduction to a section of rainforest on Bruny Island on the first day of the trip exceeded all my expectations - it was breathtakingly beautiful, particularly the ferns. (See the alternative image). However after a couple of weeks of visits to sections of rainforest I began to look for something different, something more unique. On a return to a favourite location (in Cradle Mountain National Park) after the tour had finished, I found a section of rainforest that I had not fully explored at the time. It was remarkable. A short while into the path, I stumbled on this scene and was excited to set up my technical camera - initially with my standard 70mm lens and then after some consideration (the main image) with my 50mm lens.

Constructing images that have a degree of narrative potential is one way of adding depth to photography and I am always on the lookout for such potential. I was reminded of the fireswamp in the fabulous children’s film ‘The Princess Bride’ and when I got the image back home that night I was able to process it to add a degree of menace. I love that there is just a suggestion that Rodents of Unusual Size (R.O.U.S’s) might actually be lurking in the background.