Great Ocean Road Photo Essay by May Tang

Today, we’re featuring a beautiful photo essay from film photographer May Tang. Scroll below to view the images and read more from May about exploring the Great Ocean Road in Australia…

Analog cameras and films used: Canon AE-1 Program (Find at KEH Camera or on eBay) | Kodak Gold 200 (Find on Amazon)

Connect with May: Instagram

Great Ocean Road Photo Essay

By May Tang

I’m a buddying enthusiast photographer from a small town of the country New South Wales, in Australia. Moving to Melbourne nearly eight years ago and having not had the chance to venture to the Great Ocean Road since 2017, I decided to take my partner there as he’s never been.

I’ve also been a gal who loves to juggle between multiple hobbies, but it’s been difficult to balance that when I am also very career-driven. I have struggled to have it all but am still working hard towards this, as I have a vision, am ambitious, and know I can crush it in the corporate world and still come home to a beautiful safe space where I can practice my art and capture the beauty of life around me in still shots that stand the test of time. I want to build a life with my partner where we grind hard, but also play hard.

The decision to drive to the Great Ocean Road happened upon one December weekend morning, cold and dark, when the weather app alluded to me promising hints of consistent sun. For those who’ve not heard of Melbourne – the city promises you mostly four seasons in one day. With several nudges and a bit of patience, the promises of a cheeky McDonald’s run, I was able to convince my partner, Aaron, to embark on a spontaneous road trip.

I drove us to the closest petrol station that had a McDonald’s next to it, ordered the food, grabbed energy drinks (for sustenance), and headed for what was, originally, meant to be a 3-4 hour trip.

I drove us to Lorne, then Apollo Bay, and then to the Twelve Apostles by Port Campbell. Practically traversed a large scope of Victoria’s most beautiful oceanic coast. We had left at approximately 6:30AM, and had not returned home until a little before 5PM.

Our overstay and extended trip was purely accidental! I wanted to test the waters and drive from Lorne to Apollo Bay to try a popular pie place for their “scallops pie.” After munching down on a delicious but naughty meal, we decided it was not yet home time. Neither of us had ever gone to see the infamous Twelve Apostles; I felt like I had extra energy, and so we decided to keep moving forward.

The rising sun’s warmth dappled our faces as we ventured out of the black, monochromatic cityscape and into the grassy copper hills, like a warm embrace. I knew that whilst the world of the city was chaotic, dark, and ominous with the bustling and never-ending surge of humanity’s tension, I had a newfound safe space in the quiet at sea. I felt light. I felt nothing and everything, but it made sense.

The photo essay embodies some of the little stops I made every 20-30 mins, my happiest moments on the drive, when I raced against time to capture golden hour, and also the pot of gold at the end of the trip: The Twelve Apostles. The photos embody the warmth and safety I continue to yearn for, and hopefully build, in a year that felt most turbulent to me in 2024.

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