Shark Bay Instagram Trail Map

Stretching for more than 200km, the Zuytdorp cliffs are the true definition of impressive, and we think, one of the most incredible parts along the entire West Australian coastline. While you do need a 4wd to access the Zuytdorp cliffs out at false entrance, there truly is nothing like driving along these overpowering cliffs. This particular spot was our absolute favourite – especially to shoot. To get here, follow the dirt track south from false entrance beach for 2.5km. While we think you can easily get an Insta-worthy shot here any time of the day, we think sunset is especially beautiful as the cliff face lights up with the setting sun. In terms of capturing this spectacular landscape, you have a few options. You can use a drone and fly it below the cliff facing up, or, (like us), you can set a camera/phone up on the cliff face to the south (about 100 metres away). We zoomed in a little but kept the shot relatively wide (so we could capture the entire cliff and water below). Disclaimer - be careful near cliff edges.

The most westerly point of Western Australia – and an incredibly beautiful one at that! There are lots of photography options at steep point – you can snap the iconic sign, the view of Dirk Hartog Island or, like us – this amazing wee cave. Although it’s not so wee! To access this cave, park near the sign and walk five minutes south-west (to the large sunken section). You will see the gap off to the right – that’s the cave! The cave is beautiful any time of day, but we highly recommend visiting at sunset if you can! Watching the sun go down through your very own "window" - overlooking the ocean is special beyond words. In terms of equipment, we think a phone or camera works best here. To capture the entirety of the cave, we recommend using a wide angle lens and placing your camera or phone as far back as possible. Or, if you really want to take your shot to the next level here, why not visit at night and shoot the stars or milky way through the cave! For help aligning the milky way, this cave looks out at approx. 250 degrees.

One of our favourite places to paddleboard or kayak in all of shark bay! The range of contrasting colours and changing tides make big lagoon an aerial photographer’s dream. No two visits here are ever the same! At a really low tide, you can capture the most amazing blue water snaking its way through the centre of the lagoon and creating swirling tidal patterns in its wake. And at high tide, you can capture the same amazing blue water but this time, lapping right up against the bright orange sand and creating a colourful contrast. Don’t have a drone but still want to get that Insta-worthy shot? Fear not! A go-pro or waterproof camera is a great option to accompany you on a kayak or paddle out here. Keep your eyes out for the abundance of marine life as you go too! Our personal favourite at big lagoon is the orange sandbar on the west side of the lagoon (approximately a 2.2km paddle/kayak from the parking area), and we find this best suited to drone photography. If you can time your visit to this spot – we recommend trying to coincide high tide with golden hour so the sandbar is defined/prominent and the light nice and soft.

One of our favourite spots in all of Francois Peron – we love the contrast between the two sands – the patterns in the red sand up top against the smooth white of the sand down below, plus of course, how beautiful does the bay look! To access this spot, walk south-west from the parking area for approximately 15 minutes (follow a fence, then a walking track, then climb over the red sand dunes until you reach this lookout over the bay). To shoot this beautiful location, we think the biggest consideration is wind! Shooting here with a wind greater than 25kph will make things pretty tricky (and sandy!). We also think late afternoon is the best time of day for shadows and capturing the true contrast in colours. We recommend using a phone/camera to shoot here and playing around with its positioning – if you set it low to the ground you can make the patterns in the sand more prominent, and if you set it up high, you can capture more of the beach down below. If you want to be in the shot, we think it's best to wear light/neutral coloured clothing as it’s quite a colourful frame already!

A truly iconic spot in Western Australia! Famous for its unique dolphin feeding experience, Monkey Mia is full of Insta-worthy experiences. You can of course snap a photo of the bottlenose dolphins at their daily feedings (usually three each morning), but the wildlife doesn’t just stop there! There are friendly pelicans that hang along the shore, local emus that cruise through the resort (and sometimes the water!) And of course, the plethora of marine life out in the water. The beauty of Monkey Mia can be captured any time of the day but if you manage to nab a still day, be sure to play around with shooting the crystal-clear waters! To add interest to your shots you can add floaties, paddle boards, beach umbrellas, even bright swimmers. For any of these shots we recommend using a regular camera or phone but an underwater camera/housing would also be great here! Plus - if you have a drone and fancy some exploring, head around the point (to the east) and you will find a few sandbars that are particularly stunning to shoot at mid to high tide.

Feel like a nice hot soak under the starry sky? Well you're in luck! The Peron Homestead has a hot tub where you can indulge in the artesian waters. This spot can get rather busy during the day (and rightfully so!), so we recommend doing something a bit different and coming at night! This way you might even get the place to yourself – plus as it’s cooler, the water temperature feels even nicer! In terms of camera equipment, we think a regular camera or phone works best here! To shoot the hot tub at night, we used fairy lights for warmth and a tripod for longer exposures. This helped smooth the water and give the lights a nice twinkle. We also had a nearly full moon which helped to light up the background. If you’re using your phone and shooting here at night, make sure night mode is turned on to capture more detail. If shooting here during the day, we recommend a wide aperture for a crisp image and slight blurring of the background! To get this effect on your phone, use 'portrait mode'.

A little gem that is less than 5 minutes drive from Denham! While 2wd accessible, if you have a 4wd you can drive right up to the edge of the lagoon and set up for the day! We think the options for photographing little lagoon are endless. You can walk into the calm waters and shoot back towards the shore (and get your vehicle set up too!), you can drive right around the far end (where the creek first hits the lagoon) and shoot the sandbar, or, (like us), you can head a little further west (following the creek) and shoot the blue water contrasting with the bright red sand! If you want to shoot the sandbar, we think a low to mid tide is best and of course - be careful 4wding out there! If you are worried at all you can always walk! We think both the sandbar and orange banks are best suited to drone photography, but the lagoon itself can be shot with any camera/phone, especially if shooting over the water (back towards the shore). Low wind is the main consideration here to bring out those beautiful blues and sparkling ripples.

One of only a handful of beaches in the world to be made solely of shells. While shell beach is beautiful any time of the day, we recommend visiting during high tide (and on a still day if you can manage it). If you want to capture yourself in this unique location, we also recommend wearing bright clothes (so you stand out against the endless white!). In terms of camera equipment – we think anything works well here. You can use your phone or camera and play around with the shells. Try throwing them, writing in them or making shapes with them. To capture any type of movement/action be sure to turn your phone to ‘burst mode’ or your camera to ‘continuous’. If you set your camera/phone down low and shoot with a wide aperture, you can experiment with the focus - e.g. capturing the shells in focus and a person slightly blurred, or vice versa. Alternatively, if you have a drone – shell beach is the most amazing place to have a float given the high salt content (it's similar to the dead sea in Jordan!). We loved walking west along the beach for about 15 minutes and capturing this incredible (and defined!) Bright blue channel!

The perfect road to showcase your epic road-trip along the coral coast! After driving up and down this road many a time, we have to say this section is our absolute favourite. We love the never-ending ups and downs of the road and the red dirt lining the sides. This part of the road is located 13km past the turn off to steep point. In terms of photographing this road, the number one consideration is safety and making sure there is no oncoming traffic. We shot during the early hours of the morning which meant the road was very quiet (plus there were no harsh shadows!). To shoot this epic road any camera will work! We personally liked using a zoom lens so the road filled the entire frame! You can also experiment with shooting high and low to create leading lines with the lane markings! For the ultimate road trip photo, you can play around with props too - hats, sunnies and of course the obvious one - a car, works really well here! We also think a drone works amazingly to capture the long (and almost never ending) straight road!