For seven mornings in a row, the clouds thwarted Jake Lapham’s plans to photograph a glorious sunrise.
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But the weather gods were kind yesterday, leaving the sky bright and clear for him to capture the last sunrise over the Port Kembla stack.
The 18-year-old Edmund Rice College student and aspiring photographer (pictured right) was on site early, jostling for a spot to set up his tripod and camera among other snappers by 7am.
‘‘It’s pretty rewarding,’’ he said.
‘‘For the past seven days it’s been cloudy and horrible, but today was good, so it was a bit of a reward.’’
‘‘The sun rose right behind the stack.’’
Jake and two friends stuck it out for almost five hours, with naught but a coffee to sustain them, to take images of the stack’s last moments and demise.
Delays in the demolition time and traffic jams as people left Port Kembla after the fall meant Jake missed a day of school, but he said it was worth it to get final shots of the stack.
‘‘There’s not too many events like this,’’ he said.
‘‘The last sunrise was pretty special. That was probably my favourite shot from the day.’’
While photography is not one of the subjects he is studying for his HSC, Jake said he enjoyed snapping important events that showcased the Illawarra community – a hobby he hoped would show his passion for a career in journalism when he applies for a place in the course at university later this year.
- KATE WALSH