From above, Hallett Cove is full of lines. Some follow the cliff face. Others cut into the slopes or disappear beneath the water. Looking across these photographs, the landscape becomes a sequence of textures and shapes.
In the gullies, the lines branch and divide. Pale surfaces sit beside reddish ground, with vegetation holding to the edges. Nearby buildings give the scene a familiar scale, but the exposed slopes draw the eye into finer detail.
Following the layers
At the shoreline, the pattern changes. Rock layers run at steep angles, close together in some places and more widely separated in others. Their direction contrasts with the flatter surface of the sea.
These photographs show the visible structure of the coast. Understanding the age and history of each formation takes more than an aerial view. Here, the interest begins with what the camera records: a change in angle, a band of colour, a sharp edge against the water.
Where the rock meets water
Looking directly down removes much of the horizon and the sense of distance. Brown rock gives way to clear green water. Individual stones remain visible below the surface, continuing the texture of the shore.
Then a wave passes through the frame. White water covers parts of the rock and leaves others exposed. The hard lines of the shore sit beside a pattern that keeps moving.
That meeting is the centre of this series. Rock gives the photographs their structure. Water keeps changing the way that structure appears.
Explore more photographs in the South Australia collection and Australia from Above.
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