(Reflector was awarded 3rd place for Photograph of the Year in the 2021 International Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards with an 89.8/100 score.)

Lake Bonney is one of South Australia's top photographic hot spots. The hundreds of dead trees around the perimeter make for unlimited creative compositions. On this particular overnight trip in 2019 I was looking for something bit different from the standard sunset/sunrise that is so commonly seen in photos of Lake Bonney. The still conditions were perfect for reflections and the hazy background and soft sun made the trees really pop.

The challenge for me was to find the right combination of trees before the conditions changed. I walked hundreds of meters around the shoreline not finding a composition I was happy with, before I found this cluster of trees. Immediately I recognised the surreal scene in front of me as something out of a Dali painting. The trees seemed to be dancing with each other under the lone cloud. I knew I had found my spot, and I set the tripod up and captured this incredible moment.