Family holidays change the way you experience a place.
Before kids, a trip to the snow might have meant chasing sunrise and sunset light, exploring trails with a camera slung over my shoulder, and waiting patiently for the landscape to reveal something special. But family trips are different — and better in their own way. They’re about shared experiences, cold fingers wrapped around takeaway hot chocolates, soggy gloves, exhausted children, and the kind of memories that stay with you long after the snow melts.
This image, Snowfall in the Bare Eucalypts, was created during one of those family trips to the Snowy Mountains.
Like most parents on holiday, my priority wasn’t photography — it was making sure everyone had a great time. Snow trips with kids are equal parts magic and chaos. There’s the excitement of toboggans, snowball fights, endless layers of clothing, and the inevitable “I’m cold” moments that somehow arrive five minutes after getting dressed.
I only had a very small window to step away with my camera.
As any landscape photographer knows, that kind of pressure can be frustrating. Great images usually come from patience — from slowing down, exploring, and letting the landscape speak. On this day, I didn’t have that luxury. I had just enough time for a quick walk before heading back to family duties, and I was already making my way back when I found this scene.
It stopped me instantly.
The Australian Alps in winter have a character that’s very different to the romantic snow scenes people often imagine from Europe or North America. There’s a starkness here. A harshness. The eucalyptus stand stripped bare, their pale trunks twisting upward like weathered bones. The landscape feels exposed and unforgiving, yet undeniably beautiful.
What I love about this image is how honestly it represents the Australian alpine environment. It doesn’t try to be dramatic in an obvious way. Instead, it embraces the quiet severity of winter in the high country — the resilience of these native trees, the muted palette, and the solitude that can exist even during a busy family holiday.
That fleeting detour gave me one of my favourite winter images.
Snowfall in the Bare Eucalypts is available as a limited edition framed fine art print, produced using museum-grade archival materials and handcrafted to last for generations.
For me, it’s more than a snow scene.
It’s a reminder that even in the busiest seasons of life — when your time is short and your priorities are elsewhere — meaningful creative moments can still find you.