In a world dominated by online images that barely register as we doom scroll, it takes something truly special to make us stop and smell the roses. Or in this case, stop and appreciate the amazing art someone has captured with their camera. As more and more businesses push to exist only online and AI challenges the authenticity of image-making, standing in front of a large printed image is an experience that should never be underestimated. One downside of online galleries and social media feeds is that we never truly get to experience the qualities of a printed image at a scale that envelops us. Nor can we understand or marvel at what it took to document a scene or subject. Unfortunately, there’s often a vast disconnect between knowing the artist and appreciating the image or how it was captured.
I’m a huge advocate for printing and frequently encourage my peers and community to print a winning image or simply print a bunch of 4x6 photos from a recent trip, shoot, or experience. Seeing your work in print is an entirely different experience from the postage-stamp-sized images we view on our phones. Of course, the ultimate way to view any photographer’s images is at a gallery, and one of the most remarkable gallery experiences I have enjoyed was visiting Alpine Light Gallery in Bright, Victoria (Australia).
Alpine Light Gallery is located in the Alpine Region of central Victoria, Australia, around 300km northeast of Melbourne. Bright is one of the most visually stunning towns that sits in the cozy valley created by Mount Buffalo, Mount Hotham, and the Alpine National Park. The clean and crisp Ovens River cuts through Bright, adding to its visual story. As a year-round and popular tourist town, Bright is a stone's throw from mountain bike tracks, ski fields, hiking trails, wineries, and of course, the stunning views from one of many mountain tops. Justin (Lucky Straps Founder), Jim (Lucky Straps Customer Experience), and I (Greg, the guy with the beard) recently visited Bright to take part in the Bright Festival of Photography 2025 (BFOP).
This year’s BFOP was even wilder than the previous year, and while we were there to support The Camera Life podcast and promote Lucky Straps, we also got to hang out with some fantastic people. I caught up with friends old and new and found solace in my community once again. It was during this visit that I took the time to drop by the landscape photography space, Alpine Light Gallery, and chat with award-winning, internationally acclaimed landscape photographer and gallery owner Mieke Boynton. While he wasn’t there at the time, the gallery is co-owned and operated by professional landscape photographer Matt Palmer. Mieke and Matt have created an artistic oasis set in the heart of a vibrant and stunningly beautiful part of the world. What’s more, the creation of the gallery is deliciously intertwined with their story of finding and loving one another.
Who is Mieke Boynton?
Mieke (rhymes with sneaker) Boynton is an internationally acclaimed landscape photographer with a remarkable eye for landscape composition, aerial landscapes, abstracts, and intimate landscape image-making. Having grown up in the Bright area, Mieke’s love of the natural world began at a young age while out exploring the forests and mountains surrounding her family’s local winery. After studying abroad and working in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia, Mieke returned to her hometown of Bright, intent on building a career as a professional photographer. Mieke’s decade in the Kimberley afforded her the opportunity and jaw-dropping scenery to hone her craft and make a name for herself. To her credit, Mieke’s dedication, focus, and commitment to learning and mastering her craft are inspirational. Once back in the Alpine Region of Victoria, Mieke expanded her landscape work by hiking and photographing the area, its mountains, valleys, forests, and all the intricate details of the natural world. Today, Mieke is a highly sought-after international photography judge, workshop operator, private mentor, and, of course, a gallery owner. Plus, she ran several landscape photography workshops during the BFOP 2025 weekend.
“My great-grandmother actually used to come to this area to paint. So it's been an area that's known for its beauty for a long, long, long time.” - Mieke Boynton.
You can also watch Mieke Boynton’s full interview from Episode 51 (July 2025) of The Camera Life Podcast here, and read our blog article about Mieke here.
Who is Matt Palmer?
Not to be outdone, Matt Palmer is an internationally recognised master of landscape photography who has documented the natural world at home in Australia and across the globe. Considered one of the top landscape image makers in the country, Matt’s list of photography awards, exhibitions, presentations, and featured publications is impressive to say the least. While Matt is widely known for his landscapes, he has worked in the live music scene and other professional genres. As a full-time professional photographer, Matt is also a sought-after photography judge with extensive experience across the Australian, New Zealand, and global competition scenes. With a background in design and a mind for tech, Matt has leveraged his photography-judging experience and expertise into a new business venture. Photo Kaizen is an online site designed to provide pro-grade image feedback from a range of industry experts and judges. Submitting images to Photo Kaizen removes the pressure of applying for competitions while still receiving feedback to enhance your creative output.
“Kaizen is the Japanese concept of continual improvement through small steps. This philosophy is at the heart of our approach. I've assembled a team of genre experts, all known for providing constructive feedback, to help you take those small but significant steps in your photographic journey” - Matt Palmer.
Check out Matt Palmer's full interview on The Camera Life podcast from Episode 20 (July 2023) here. If you’re interested in learning more about Matt’s Photo Kaizen platform, check out our article about it here, or simply head straight to the Photo Kaizen site.
How did Alpine Light Gallery come to be?
After over a decade living in the remote top-end of Western Australia, Mieke returned to Bright with big plans for her landscape practice and professional output. Matt, living and working in Tasmania at the time, also had big plans to build his photographic career. Matt was considering and researching opening a photographic gallery in Tasmania or elsewhere in mainland Australia. The township of Bright was on both photographers' radar!
“And he thought Bright. Bright could be a spot. But he knew that I was there. So he gave me a
call out of the blue, and gentleman that he is, said to me, ‘Hey, how would you feel about another professional photographer living in the area?’ And I said, ‘No, that's fine. No worries. As long as you don't open a gallery.” - Mieke Boynton.
During the height of COVID and the resulting lockdowns here in Victoria, Mieke and Matt met through the former Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) while delivering online workshops and Q&A sessions. As the saying goes, one thing led to another, and the two found they had much more in common than a love of Australia’s landscape. The pair continued to chat and get to know one another via the only means possible during a global pandemic: Zoom. As lockdown restrictions eased, and the relationship grew, Matt made the bold move to travel to Bright and spend time with the one he had fallen for. The couple knew this was something special, and before long, their relationship blossomed. While visiting Mieke in Bright, the news of a new COVID strain surfaced, and their world was once again forced into lockdown. There was no way for Matt to return home, and so they found themselves in a new relationship and suddenly living together. Understandably, it was a fast and challenging transition, but, to their credit, not only did they find a way for love to shine, they also opened a photographic gallery in the heart of regional Victoria.
“And so I moved back to Northeast Victoria to Bright, because Bright doesn't have a photography gallery. And it is the perfect place for a photography gallery because it's a destination, and people come here for its beauty. And I feel like that really factors into the success or not success of a gallery. So I moved back here with the intention to open a gallery, and I joined the Australian Institute of Professional Photography.” - Mieke Boynton.
“We officially opened on December 11, 2021. It was an interesting time as the Omicron variant of COVID had just been announced as making it to Australia, and there was a lot of uncertainty for businesses. Fortunately, the community and visitors supported the gallery straight away, which gave us a lot of confidence.” - Matt Palmer
My experience visiting Alpine Light
The Bright Festival of Photography (BFOP) was a massive weekend for Justin, Jim, and me. Fortunately, we played it smart and arrived in town a couple of days early to set up for BFOP, catch up with friends, and enjoy all Bright had to offer. I took advantage of that pre-festival quiet time to capture some macro images (a new genre for me) and enjoy a walk around Bright. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day, and whilst on my walk, I stopped by Alpine Light Gallery. It was my first time visiting, and upon entering the gallery, located on Gavan Street in the middle of Bright, a sudden sense of calm washed over me. Like a weary, thirsty traveller who happens upon an oasis in the desert, Alpine Light Gallery offered me a similar and refreshing experience. It’s often hard to put into words the emotional impact of seeing printed images, framed, well-lit, and hanging with their companion pieces on a gallery wall. I was immediately transported to a world of captivating landscapes demanding contemplation and appreciation. It was an artist's space and one that afforded quiet reflection and a lot of admiration.
“Yeah, but it's not like you look at the work and go, that's Matt, that's Mieke. It just sits really comfortably together. And I do feel when people come into the gallery, as soon as they close that door, it's our little oasis. And I don't know if you felt that, but it just feels like time stops. You just have time to peacefully enjoy. And there's enough work that you can spend time here. And that atmosphere is only there because we have co-created that space and it's equally our work up on the walls.” - Mieke Boynton.
Alpine Light Gallery is a refined and powerful celebration of image curation between two of the country’s best landscape photographers. The collection of principal images on display reflected not only the beauty of the natural world, but also the mastery with which Matt and Mieke employed to capture them. And on that note, it’s uncanny how well the two photographers' individual styles and approaches to the craft support and complement one another. While Alpine Light Gallery isn’t a huge space, the collection of images on display is vast and rich, showcasing the diversity and beauty of the natural world. In the quiet, calming space of the gallery, a carefully curated mix of large and small prints draws you in to view and appreciate the scene, while also questioning what it was like for the photographer to reach that snow-capped summit before dawn and capture the light.
Fortunately, upon my visit to the gallery, Mieke was on hand to greet me and talk about the space and their shared work. While we had previously met online, it was a delight to meet Mieke in person and make that connection real. She was excited for me to see the gallery and was clearly proud of the space. As more eager photographers and travellers entered the gallery (many of them BFOPers), it became clear that the warmth and genuine connection I experienced with Mieke were not reserved just for me. Mieke warmly welcomed every visitor and chatted with them about their travels, experiences, and reasons for being in Bright. As it turns out, the gallery's calming aura is due to both the fantastic images on display and the humble yet open presence Mieke brings to the mix. And I am sure, having since met Matt over the course of the BFOP weekend, he, too, delivers an experience above and beyond expectations. Matt has an equally calming demeanour and loves nothing more than talking about photography.
“The two things that I keep in mind are, one, it should be about 50% for each of us in representation on the walls. And two, we have 50% local and 50% international. And that's because people come to Bright because it's Bright. And so we do feel like they want to see imagery that reflects what they came for. But then we also want to be excited about the work that we're producing, too, and we've done a lot of travel. Last year was incredible. Last year was the most travel I've ever done in one year.” - Mieke Boynton.
I took my time exploring the gallery and absorbing the images on display. It’s fair to say that the quality of work blew me away. Whilst I have seen Matt and Mieke’s images online, nothing prepared me for the impact of viewing them in person. It comes back to my earlier statement about seeing images in print versus online. Standing in the oasis that is Alpine Light Gallery, hearing Mieke softly talk about her craft with other visitors, I marvelled at each image as it drew me in and fed my creative soul. What’s more, Matt and Mieke’s award-winning images (often on display post an award ceremony or season) compelled me to ask an intrinsic question: ‘What was their experience in witnessing and capturing such a scene?’ It’s a question I find myself asking peers and like-minded creatives because all too often, we focus purely on the outcome. But every photograph tells a story of a moment in time as experienced by the photographer. It’s documenting what is, before it inevitably becomes what was. The camera simply records it. Granted, Mieke and Matt’s printed images are stunning, but the real magic came from talking to them about the process and challenges of capturing that scene. It’s enriching to hear and celebrate the skill, effort, commitment, and love others put into pursuing the light.
Heading To Bright? Head To Alpine Light!
2025 has already been a massive year for Matt and Mieke as they have travelled extensively to some of the world’s most captivating landscape destinations. And let’s not forget their involvement in BFOP 2025! While they claim 2026 will be much quieter, they still have a lot on their plate. Plus, they have a gallery to run! Speaking of which, Mieke and Matt’s gallery is a popular destination, especially during school holidays when Bright’s tourist numbers swell. Alpine Light Gallery is regularly open every day except Wednesdays, and closed Christmas Day, with the Gallery opening every day of the Summer school holidays. If you're heading to Bright or the Alpine Region, do yourselves a favour and drop by Alpine Light to witness captivating images, gain some local knowledge and photography tips, all while spending time with two of the most humble, insightful, and capable image makers in Australia.
“We're actually focusing on the gallery, on existing projects and local photography most in 2026. So not so many grand adventures. We are working on a group project with Lumen Australis, which also features Chris Saunders and Ricardo Da Cunha, based on our work from Kyrgyzstan this year. We'll have our typical involvement in local competitions, and it is likely (but also up to the NZIPP) that we will be in New Zealand to judge the NZIPP IRIS Awards this coming year. It is now the only print competition of its kind in Oceania. We're also representatives of Australia in the World Photographic Cup, with the top 10 final places announced next year in Iceland. Hopefully, we're able to secure some points for Australia! We're also part of the Bright Autumn Festival and, of course, BFOP.” - Matt Palmer.
Matt and Mieke have achieved what many visual creatives hope to do one day - take their craft to new levels in purposeful and meaningful ways. I know countless photographers who wish to print, curate, and exhibit their images in one way or another. Let alone those who want to become pro at some point. However, being the humble and committed people that they are, Matt and Mieke believe they are still climbing that creative slope of achievement. They set themselves on a path to achieve those same goals, purposefully and independently of one another. But in the process, they found one another's love, support, and shared appreciation of the land. They heard the undeniable call to set up shop and build a life among the mountains of Victoria’s Alpine Region. It’s a whimsical and wonderful tale and one worth celebrating. Whilst I have no doubts that it has been a tough slog at times, especially during the COVID years, they made it happen and created one of Victoria’s best independent gallery spaces. And perhaps, upon reflection, that inexplicable sense of calm and serenity I experienced while visiting Alpine Light is the by-product of the union of art and love. Love of what they do. Love of their community. Love of the land. And the undeniable love and respect for one another. Yes, I believe that’s the secret sauce that makes Alpine Light Gallery such a memorable experience.
