In 2018, I spent two weeks in Byron Bay, exploring the coastline and carrying my camera everywhere I went. The weather was incredible — sunny, calm, and clear every single day. But after two intense weeks of shooting, I was exhausted. I just wanted to slow down and enjoy a quiet beach day without my camera.
It was a beautiful winter day that felt like summer. The sky was crystal clear, the temperature was perfect, and there wasn’t a breath of wind. Gentle waves rolled into the bay, glassy and smooth. Parking near the beach was full, so I left my car a fair distance away and made the walk with nothing but a towel.
As soon as I laid down my towel and looked out to the ocean, I froze.
Right in front of me, where the waves were breaking over a shallow reef, I saw something I could hardly believe. The water was unbelievably clear — visibility must’ve been at least 15 to 20 metres. A large school of luderick were feeding on the rocks below, and as each wave curled and broke over them, their bodies shimmered through the glassy surface like I was looking into the ocean through an open window.
For a few seconds, I couldn’t move. My mind raced through all the possibilities — then finally shouted a clear instruction to my body: RUN.
I jumped to my feet and sprinted back to the car, breaking every personal record I’ve ever had. I grabbed my camera, raced back, and dove into the water. What followed was one of the most incredible sessions I’ve ever experienced — a rare combination of perfect light, perfect visibility, and a scene I couldn’t have dreamed of. The resulting series of images remains one of the most unique and unforgettable I’ve ever captured.