A former journalist and University of Wollongong graduate has been capturing the morning sun from the waters around Wollongong, with the stunning images providing a break from COVID-19 saturation on social media.
Rob Virtue started the early morning shoot to introduce routine and regular exercise into his ‘new normal’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, but he was soon hooked.
He said the swimming and photography provided early morning peace in an otherwise hectic world.
“It’s just that time of the day, sunrise, where it’s so quiet and the world is just is starting to wake up,” Mr Virtue said.
“It’s an amazing time of day no matter, sort of, if you’re in a pandemic or not.”
Mr Virtue said the ocean, especially of an early morning, provides immeasurable photographic potential.
“There is just something about the ocean that, I think, as a photographic subject it’s always different, every day, every hour, every minute it’s changing,” he said.
Mr Virtue hopes his photography helps take people’s minds away from coronavirus and to stop and be more mindful during a stressful time.
As a former ABC journalist, Mr Virtue has spent almost a decade crafting his talent, but has never been paid for his photography work or sold an image.
Mr Virtue will continue to post images freely for anyone to view on his public Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/robertvirtue/