Flos venerae (Erotic Flower), Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

While I was in Brazil running a workshop with Ken Duncan at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil, I heard rumours of an amazing area called Rio Negro (Black River) full of immense dunes. Our pilot claimed he discovered it and was very keen to show it to us and the only way to get there is by chartering a flight. So, we took him at his word, went out there in his plane and I have to say, it didn’t disappoint! It was absolutely beautiful. This is an aerial image that I created from this flight for the Australian Professional Photography Awards in 2019. The final image was created from a single capture, but it was quite a process to bring its symbolism to life.

The colour palette is beautifully complementary and there is a plethora of texture and detail for the eye to wander through, but the true hero of this image is its powerful and evocative symbolism through the flower.