Mark McLaren Photography

18/09/2025

I was out on the water yesterday and well Mother Nature always seems to make you smile.
Let me explain ..
I was filming and finished the mornings videos and as i got back into Dampier the water looked so still and beautiful.
Before i knew where i was i was out of breath and heading out into the blue.. It was like driving a car out early on a Sunday there.. Smooth roads , great tunes and no traffic.

I pulled up an hour later to my little fishing mark and started to fish. I was brought to my senses by a really loud fishy WHOOOOSH !..

As a Humpback whale surfaced beside me.. Then another .. and another.. I scrambled around looking for my phone .. dropped it.. as i looked up one breached right beside me .. I let out a sentence that only one may use when they see their pay packet after a very large bonus..

I took a few snaps which looked like they were far away.. I remembered choosing not to bring my large zoom lens and camera and thought the drone would be better to find some bommies to fish..

Thats right the Drone !..

Before i knew it the drone was up and they were down .. way down..

I brought the drone back and sat reflecting on a missed opportunity..

About an hour later at a new position guess who decided to say goodbye.. The same pod.

They were having a blast fin slapping , breaching , all of the above and as they finished their little farewell show i wished them well and safe travels .

The wind picked up and the drone decided to put on a farewell show of its own ...
Luckily i convinced it to get back on board..

So there you have it ... "Goodbye To The Pilbara"

When you watch the video see if you can tell the bits where the large bonus in the pay packet is seen..

Have yourself a bonus filled weekend beautiful people.

A unique moment , when a pod of Humpback Whales decided to say goodbye to the Pilbara , with a Pilbara wave , as they headed South leaving the Dampier Archi...

11/09/2025

The sky looked nice .. I see a photo opportunity .. I got closer and closer ... lower and lower .. Turns out i have the reaction speed of a cat .. a wall mounted museum exhibit cat..

That is all ..

10/09/2025

When I lived in ol Scotland.. I dreamed of a weather forecast like this … now I look to see if we have storms .. or rain … Oh how one is never satisfied 😂🌈⚡️⛈️☀️🕶️

09/09/2025

Looking out the window..

Ive spent a lot of time in my life doing just that ..
Staring into the abyss through a window.. Somedays it was a clear view of a school playground whilst my teacher tried to install some outdated views on life upon me.
Hungover and not really wanting to be there .. not me .. my teacher !

Just being there well, that made all of us longing to be somewhere else.

Later in life i found myself doing the same thing ...
Bus journeys to work I found myself wiping away the cold condensation from the window, as the overcrowded bus trundled its way around stopping every 100 yards..

It may seem a bit melancholy , but I found solace in that faraway gaze through the window.
looking out into the multiple ...endless possibilities that life could offer..

tbc....

05/09/2025

Mother nature showing she has no boundaries... Identify yours and politely step over them.

That was a quick week.. Busy as can be .. but quick.. Just about to sign off for the weekend , got dinner planned with friends, a few sunsets to enjoy, maybe have a fire in the garden..
Got to love a Friday :)

Whats your plans ?

Have a boundary free weekend beautiful people.

02/09/2025

50 years ago my favourite movie was made …

I read the book … flying to Australia , seen the movie many times .. wrote a song about it … bought screen prints from the movie … and even dived with the Great White Shark ..

My friend Chico and i know the words off by heart and it wasn’t uncommon from time to time to drift in to the script after a few shandies .. much to the delight of the other person..

To celebrate and tip my hat im sharing these images were from my cage diving 4 day trip to the Neptune Islands in South Australia..

One of the best experiences in my to do list..

It’s making me smile typing this … just thinking about it.

So Mr Spielberg and the team … and of course the awesome trio that made the characters in the movie .. Thank you 🙂

“You ever seen a Sharks eyes Mr Hooper …”

31/08/2025

Now you all know im a man that is easily pleased, I dont want for much .. and things that make me smile are simplistic to say the least ..

This is a thing that makes me smile .. A fish in my esky.. on ice and my reel screaming away in the background with another monster of a fish ..

Simple things ...

Pity you need to buy a boat fill it with electronics, fuel , ice , nibbles .. and spend a day to get the feeling ..

Of course i jest .. sometimes its more than a day ;)

The fish in the pic ... Spanish Mackerel

29/08/2025

I headed to Onslow recently to film for a client.
Leaving early in the morning in the North West of Australia has its advantages and like everything its disadvantages.

Up here we share the landscape with big animals some that bounce and others not so bouncy ...
They really don't follow the road user requirements like us .. and in the dark can make your day finish before it begins..

Thats why there are vehicles driving in the North West Coastal Highway that can be seen from space... They have what must be WWII search lights bolted onto their cars trucks and buses ..

Thankfully most of them are still awake and they are dipped to a human level before they come over the hill or round the bend ..

Well the road that morning was empty, well apart for a few retina collectors , who played nice.
Driving along listening to some tunes the sun was rising behind me and as i looked in the mirrors the sky was lit with an intense orange / red hue.. Which made me pull over get out and send up my eye in the sky ..

Click ! .. and there you have it ..

I know as we move through this experience we shouldn't look behind us and keep moving forwards .. but this was a moment that i was glad i did.

So there you have it ....A Pilbara Sunrise ...

Incidentally ....heading back this way later in the day it was pouring down ... and i mean pouring down ....

Red sky at night .. Shepherds delight .. Red sky in the morning .. gonna rain like crazy later on ... ;)

Have a Red Sky at night weekend beautiful people

26/08/2025

Well over 1,000 reactions on posts last week! Thanks everyone for your support!

26/08/2025

A little bit of rain and the hardiest flowers burst into life !
This little oasis of colour grabbed my attention .. and now yours 😉