This is photographing the William Ricketts Sanctuary
Let’s dive into photographing the William Ricketts Sanctuary, shall we?
William Ricketts Sanctuary reopened on Monday 3 August, after a storm shut it down back in 2021 and a long, careful clean up brought it back. A few of the Loop Crew headed up the mountain this week to see it with our own eyes, and our cameras.
You feel it before you see anything. The car park sits across the road from the entrance, and the second you cross Mount Dandenong Tourist Road and step onto the path, the light changes. Mountain Ash towers overhead. Ferns close in. And then, half hidden in the undergrowth, a face. A hand reaching from a tree trunk. Ricketts spent decades building these clay figures into the bush itself, and the sanctuary still feels less like a gallery and more like something you stumble into.
This is a stage one reopening, so some areas, including the old residence and gallery building, are still fenced off while work continues. That’s fine. What’s open is more than enough for a slow morning and a full memory card.
A few things we noticed, camera in hand:
We let the forest do the framing. Ferns, fallen branches and tree trunks naturally box in the sculptures. Look for a gap in the foliage instead of forcing a clean shot. The mess around the edges is part of the story.
Shoot for the light you’re given. The canopy is thick, so expect deep shadow and thin shafts of light breaking through. It’s a gift for contrast, not a problem to fix later.
Go close, then go wide. A tight shot on a sculpted face says something different to a wide shot showing how small that face looks against the trees. We tried both. Neither told the whole story alone.
We’ve been talking about story lately, how a single photo can say plenty, but a sequence says more. So instead of chasing one perfect frame each, we shot in a small series. We spoke about the term, ‘intimate landscape’ so that became the exercise. It changes how you look, huh?
Obviously, I shot mine in black and white. The others went colour, chasing the browns & greens of the ferns and the warmth breaking through the canopy. Both were right. That’s the thing about a place like this, everyone leaves with a different sanctuary in their bag.
Go find your own version of it. Then come tell us what you saw.
Quick note on wheelchair access:
The sanctuary sits on the side of a hill, so while most of it can be reached, the paths are steep in places and there are a few sets of stairs along the way. Doable, but not easy going. Worth knowing too that the car park sits across the road from the entrance, so there’s a road crossing and a steep bit of path to navigate before you’re even in.
No dogs, no bikes, no rubbish bins (carry it out), and mind the wildlife.
Gates are open daily
10am to 4pm
last entry 3:30pm.
Free entry.
More info:
ParksVic
