The Pinnacles . . . by Neil Creek
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The Pinnacles are a striking geological formation in the Nambung National Park, near Cervantes in Western Australia. The limestone pillars were formed from the ancient remains of seashells through a complex geological process of transportation, deposition and erosion into the remarkable form we see today. The Pinnacles Desert is covered with countless jagged pillars, which can be several metres tall.
When we had planned a trip to Western Australia, The Pinnacles were high on our list of must-see destinations. We would be arriving there at the end of our first day of travel so everything was organised to time our arrival there at sunset. In an experience that I will long remember, I hurriedly worked to capture all the photos that I had in mind as the sun slipped below the horizon. The scenery, however, did not match my mood. The air was still, and the setting sun caused the ochre desert to glow radiantly. Stark, serene and silent, the Pinnacles had quite an impact on me, even as I rushed to capture their beauty.
This panorama is a composite image made from six fisheye photographs, taken using specialised panoramic photography gear. The panorama itself is a complete 360 degree view of the Pinnacles, and the left and right edges meet seamlessly. If you are requesting a signed print, it is possible for me to recompose the panorama by sliding the whole scene left or right to suit your taste. Please contact me for more information.
The “More Info” button below takes you to an interactive panorama of this photo, where you can look around the whole scene as if you were there yourself.
It’s interesting how the shadows change direction as you move around.
Fantastic shot, Neil. I’m a big desert fan, it would be fun to explore those on your continent. I think the effect with the shadows changing direction is because this is a view of greater than 180°, is that right? I thought at first the left side might have some flash on it, but then I realized that’s a lot of light with shadows extending far beyond the reach of any traditional lighting setup…other than the sun.
Nice work!
This is gorgeous!
Thanks for the comments everyone! The odd looking shadows are indeed because of the 360 degree wide field of view. Shadows at 180 degrees from each other will naturally appear to point in the opposite direction. If you haven’t viewed the interactive panorama version of the photo yet (click on the “More Info” button), then have a look, as the shadows seem a lot more natural when you’re looking around the photo.
Cody, it would be fair to say that Australia is one giant desert. The arable areas of the country cling primarily to the East and Southeast coastline, with 80% of the land being bone dry. It is the driest inhabited continent on Earth, and is essentially perpetually in drought. If you like deserts, you could spend more than a lifetime exploring ours and never get bored. Look me up if you ever come out here and we can desert crawl together
What intriguing natural structures , It has a sort of otherworldly effect with its unique rock structures and dunes , I really like the golden yellow of the rock and sand stands out in a blue sky , and the shadows lend an aspect of depth that’s mesmerizing to watch.
The entire serenity of the picture is very relaxing , this picture could be placed in your office or workroom and when your stressed out you can just sit back and look at it and watch your stress just melt away.
A great panorama and as a fellow 360 panorama photographer I’m glad to see that you managed to take in the beauty of the scene even as you worked. It is so easy to get everything on to film/memory card and yet not actually experience what you are there to see with your own eyes….
Awesome image, the Pinnacles is definately one of our favorite places as it is so easily accessable from Perth. Is like wandering around a moonscape… I just wish my photo’s were a fraction as good as this one. Jamie