Exhibitions 2023

Bombora

Bombora is an Australian Indigenous term for an area of large waves breaking over a shallow reef. This exhibition is from a life spent at sea documenting the ocean's wild and ever-changing tempestuous movements.



The size and shape of bombora waves make them attractive to surfers who risk riding what is generally considered a hazardous pursuit. Photographing them brings the added danger due to a lack of peripheral vision. These water formations can pose a significant danger even in good weather. A bombora may not be identified because they may not always have breaking waves, and undercurrents are immensely strong.



The most common cause of ocean waves is wind. Wind-driven waves, also known as surface waves, are formed due to the friction between surface water and wind. When the wind is blowing on the sea, the surface exerts the gravitational force on the bottom layer of the wind. This, in turn, exerts the pull on the layer above it until it reaches the top-most layer.



With the gravitational pull being different at each layer, the wind moves at a different speed. The top-most layer tumbles, forming a circular motion. This creates a downward pressure at the front and upward pressure at the rear of the surface, causing a wave.



Waves are one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring natural phenomena but photographing them in a way to capture their vibrance, beauty, and characteristics is a challenge.