The right gear, local knowledge or advice, good management and a pinch of good luck are the critical ingredients for taking an image worthy of inclusion in OUTBACK’s annual diary and calendar.
Story Kirsty McKenzie Photo Andrew Kendall
That’s the recipe for the stunning front-on shot of galloping horses that Corryong farmer and photographer Andrew Kendall captured during the rehearsal for the annual Stockman’s Challenge at The Man From Snowy River Bush Festival in the Victorian high country.
“I’ve covered the festival for a few years, so I knew what I was after,” Andrew says. “The long lens made it look like I was much closer than I actually was, but nonetheless, I couldn’t have taken it at the real event as the crowd and media are cordoned off further from the action. From past experience, I knew exactly where to stand and the organisers trusted me to be there. I do a lot of wildlife photography, so I had the right equipment. But on the day, it was a matter of bringing a lot of fast-moving parts together and that’s where luck comes in. I was pretty happy with the result.”
The photographers whose work is showcased spent long days and many kilometres on the road in pursuit of the perfect shots. They include our art director Peter Pap, who managed to freeze a few serendipitous seconds while on location in the Red Centre. His photograph of Rainbow Valley was taken when most of his companions had put their cameras down after the sun had set “and the rockface was covered in this ethereal glow”. Pete also shot Simpsons Gap with a full waterhole on a clear autumn day and his capture of brumbies from Binns Track in the East MacDonnell Ranges was another case of right place, right time. “We spotted the horses, stopped, and I kind of crept into position to get the shot,” he says. “Then the others got out of the car and startled the horses,” he says. “It was just a matter of grabbing the image as the brumbies took off.”
This story excerpt is from issue #163
Outback Magazine: Oct/Nov 2025
