Mildura Campus

Allison Hoover

"Just grab as much as you can." My new friend and our Aboriginal guide, Peter Peterson, told us to do exactly that on our photographic journey throughout Australia's Outback. In the past five months I've had heaps of fun exploring the major cities of the country and the coastal landscape in-between, but one major component that was missing was the atypical Australian landscape; dusty red deserts and hopping kangaroos. I couldn't have asked for a better experience traveling through land that was breathtakingly unknown to me with a group of great people led by a colorful cast of professionals.

From hiking rocky cliffs to watching the sunrise across the rolling dunes of sand, there have been photo opportunities galore. But I've found that in all my time spent in the outdoors, the harder it is to capture the actual beauty of it in a photo. When looking at my photos, I am transported back to my state of mind at the moment it was taken, nature's tranquility, and how surreal it is of me actually being there in the Outback. I can only hope this translates to others and they can "feel the serenity" like the father in my favorite Aussie flim, The Castle. The places we visited were truly special, not only for their beauty but for their rich cultural ties to the Indigenous people of Australia.

I am so grateful for this experience and wish everyone had the chance to partake in such an amazing course. There isn't a better way I could have spent the final leg of my epic semester in Australia. It's been an unforgettable two weeks, and I've certainly grabbed as much as my brain, camera, and journal can handle.

Allison Hoover

Please select an image

• 
• 
•