After a long day shooting the Australian Celtic Festival, we stopped by Thunderbolts Cave for a quiet reset and a quick portrait test as the sun dropped. The results were mixed, but it’s a location I’m keen to revisit—and at the very least, we left far more relaxed than we arrived.

The Australian Celtic Festival returned bigger than ever this year, with multiple events running at once and barely enough time to capture everything before rushing off to the next location. Despite the chaos, the shorter shoot day, and my first-ever taste of haggis, I still came away with some shots I’m really happy with—and a bottle of mulled wine for a rainy day.

Quoll Headquarters’ annual open day saw smaller crowds this year, but it was still a rewarding experience as I volunteered to photograph the event and made the early drive out to Tenterfield. With new areas now open and ongoing conservation work on display, it was great to see the team’s progress—and I’m hopeful for a future collaboration on educational video projects.

In the final days before daylight saving ended, I experimented with shooting on my phone, creating a small series called Stories that I originally shared on Instagram. With the early morning light now lacking mood, I’m keen to revisit the idea soon—possibly with my everyday camera setup for a grittier, low-light approach.

The Cascades Project continues with Lisa as my second subject, returning to the Cascade Trail under much drier conditions and very different light, resulting in another set of dreamy, atmospheric images. With winter approaching and drought setting in, the project is now a race against time and weather to bring it all together.

Covering the Campus to City Canter pushed me well outside my comfort zone, trading my usual work for fast-paced event photography along the 5km route from SportUNE to Civic Park. Despite my best efforts (and literally racing the winner), I still missed the key shot—but it was a fun, worthwhile experience, and I’m keen to give it another crack next year.

Another Autumn Festival has come and gone, but despite the great atmosphere, I wasn’t quite feeling it photographically—possibly due to the harsh light or just general burnout. I still came away with a small handful of decent shots, and I’ll no doubt be back to try again next year.

A recent visit to Yarrowyck Crossing Reserve revealed just how quickly drought conditions are setting in, with the once-flowing Gwydir River reduced to a sandy bed and scattered pools of algae. The unexpected change meant fewer photos than hoped, but it offered a rare chance to walk far downstream and observe the shifting landscape. It’s an interesting transformation to witness, though not an encouraging sign for the summer ahead.