It is not often that the photographer is presented with such a perfect confluence of earth, air, fire and water but this certainly one of those times. I count myself very lucky to have arrived in the Glencoe valley just as all these elements came together in the scene before me. Perhaps that is the essence of the art of landscape photography – to put oneself out there for enough time and with enough determination to, occasionally (perhaps even very occasionally), be granted a glimpse of the immense beauty of Mother Nature. I love this shot for the complimentary colours of the sky and the hillsides, the almost three dimensional quality of the horsetails in the sky and the perfect, yet imperfect, reflection in the lake. What a privilege! Alba Elemental received a “Highly Commended” in the 2025 Landscape awards run by Australian Photography Magazine.