Bridgewater Bay, Blairgowrie

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Bridgewater Bay is my favourite location to shoot on the Peninsula. It's relatively easy to get to and the area offers a huge variety of subjects and compositions. Note the tide times before going there though, this is definitely a low tide location.

Access is straight forward. Park in the car park at the end of St Johns Wood Road then follow the walking track to the staircase at the top of the cliff (watch out for that last step).

I suggest turning right at the bottom of the stairs and head to the rocks at the northern end of the bay. Not so many people go to these rocks but they should, they offer spectacular views across the bay and, if conditions are right, the chance to photograph waves breaking from side-on. Be careful though, those rocks are fraught with danger.

Turning left from the staircase will lead you towards the famous Keyhole Rock. You'll find numerous, interesting angles to compose shots that include Keyhole Rock but don't overlook the many other possibilities all around you. When the tide is out it's possible to walk all around the rock and out on to the rock ledge.

Squeeze your way through the gap in the rocks to the left of Keyhole Rock and another world opens up, almost like an alien landscape. Acres of flat, open rock shelves with rock pools full of plant life. In summer, it's quite common to see people jumping from the top of the rocks into the pool below. Personally, I'm happy to just watch :)

It's a better sunset location than sunrise. If you are keen on shooting sunsets, at certain times of the year you can catch the sun shining through the hole in the rock. You just need to find the right angle, it looks pretty cool.

It's also a fantastic spot for long exposures with water running off and around the rock shelves. I'd recommend taking a graduated neutral density filter to even out the exposure between the sky and rock shelves, at least a six stop ND filter to slow the water movement, and a circular polariser - of course. If you'll be leaving after the sun is down you'll need a good torch.

Seriously, the entire place is stunning. I can't wait to go back again with my large format camera after having used medium format previously.