A Week at Lennox Head
What better way to wrap up 2025 than a week at Lennox Head? Well, maybe there are better ways to spend the time, but surely not many. We had seven whole days by the beach, our longest holiday in a long, long time, and I hope it was well deserved. It certainly felt like a huge relief after the hectic final weeks of work for the year.
And while I didn’t get out to take photos (or even go for a walk) every day I was away, I tried my best, weather permitting, anyway. I wanted to keep things simple and travel light, so everything you see here was shot with my Canon R8 and a vintage Nikon Nikkor 35mm, something I plan to do much more of in the new year.
23/12/25
Our first full day was met with pretty average weather, not the most photographic conditions by any means. I still managed to snag a few shots I liked before my parents came down for a visit. I also managed to get a few decent shots of them, though nothing particularly of note.
I also took some photos of my sleeping dog, Snickers, as well, because she’s adorable and I can’t help myself…
25/12/25
Wait two more days, though, and damn, what a difference. The sun was out and the conditions were absolutely sublime, not just for photography but in general. I got up at 5:30 a.m. to see the sunrise, which was incredible as always coming over the ocean. It’s a sight I never get tired of.
It was Christmas morning, so the beach was a little quiet, not that I minded. I don’t need subjects every day; sometimes photos of vibes are enough, and there was absolutely no shortage of vibes.
Later that morning, I took my grandmother down to the beach for a few portraits. These were super low-key, and I didn’t really have any plans for how they would turn out, but I’m pretty happy with the results.
Which was good, because it acted as a bit of a warm-up before my parents arrived again. Much like the previous visit, I think I ended up taking more photos of the dogs than anything, because of course I did. That said, I did get some shots of my dad and grandmother that I absolutely love, particularly the shot of them from behind as they walk to the beach.
We wrapped up the day with a family walk along the beach with the dogs. Shooting manually, I missed focus on almost every photo I took with all the movement going on, something I very much need to work on, but it was a great end to the day. We even managed to save a big rhinoceros beetle we found on the beach, which certainly felt surreal in the moment.
26/12/25
The following day saw my dad and me making my second pilgrimage, walking all the way from Lennox Head to Ballina via the Coastal Path, an absolutely beautiful walk with an ever-changing landscape. Conditions weren’t ideal: it was rather overcast, we walked through a couple of light showers, the air was full of salt (which really messed with my lens and my glasses), and on top of that, I forgot to wear sunscreen and got particularly burnt.
It was still a good morning, but I didn’t get anywhere near the number of photos I took on my previous walk. Despite it being a weak morning photographically, I’m never going to complain about being able to take a leisurely 13 km walk along the coastline.
27/12/25
Then it was off to my parents’ place for a lovely BBQ dinner consisting of pork ribs and caramelised banana with ice cream. I didn’t really get any great photos, but it was nice to have the chance to chill out somewhere other than the beach for an afternoon. As nice as the beach is, it’s good to get out and do something different sometimes.
28/12/25
The next day saw the return of the sun, and what a spectacular sunrise it was. Once again, I didn’t see much in the way of human subjects during my walk to the headland and back, but there was one photographer on the beach that I managed to get a few cheeky snaps of, as well as a lone, chilling pelican who didn’t seem at all put off by my presence. All in all, it was a beautiful morning walk, even if it wasn’t a particularly productive one photographically.
30/12/25
Another two days passed, and it was our final day of the holidays. Thankfully, this was also the day the surfers came out, something I’d been waiting for the entire trip, and it led to my favourite photos from the whole excursion. The reality is that I absolutely love the way that 35mm lens flares, and when you’re shooting the silhouettes of surfers against the sunrise, it’s all too easy to get images that really feel like the aesthetic I want to make a core part of my brand and artistic output.
An excellent end to a fantastic week away. It’s a shame it’s going to be followed by a mountain of cleaning and housework as soon as I get home… happy New Year!
