Scott Jon Photography

A collection from two very different sides of Hutt Lagoon in Western Australia.

Up in the northern reaches I’ve been lucky enough to capture birds (red banded stilts) and swans over the lake, which is an incredibly difficult damn moment to get, as they almost always decide to fly over the parts that aren’t pink. 😂

The other side of the lagoon has been shaped by us humans through salt production, creating a completely different landscape with its own patterns, textures and colours.

Two sides of the same lagoon, one natural, one human shaped.

Which do you prefer? 👊

After 40 days on the road, crossing everything from the braided rivers of New Zealand to the remote corners of the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne, it’s hard to pick favourites. Yet this particular stretch of tidal flats near Broome remains one of the most remarkable landscapes I’ve photographed in recent years.

From above, the winding tidal channels carve their way through the mudflats in a way that feels almost impossible to believe. The resemblance to the braided glacial rivers of Iceland and New Zealand is striking, despite being shaped by completely different forces. Instead of meltwater, these patterns are created by some of the largest tidal movements on Earth, endlessly reshaping the landscape with each cycle.

It’s a challenging place to photograph. The tides need to align, the light needs to cooperate, and the aircraft has to be in exactly the right position at exactly the right time. But when it all comes together, the results are something truly special.

Places like this remind me why I continue to spend so much of my life exploring remote Australia. There are still landscapes out there that rival anything I’ve seen anywhere in the world.

If you’d like to join me in the Kimberley this year, we have just one spot remaining on our August aerial photography expedition. Bookings are also open for 2027, and I’m excited to announce we’ll soon be offering a brand new boat-based adventure into some of the most remote corners of the Kimberley, opening up access to areas few people ever get to experience.

📍 Kimberley Region, Western Australia