Cards Against The Horizon
- Ella Schleter
- Apr 26
- 3 min read
Updated: May 10
A creative empowerment session on the edge of the Earth
Some creative shoots are planned, mapped out for weeks, inspiration gathered, moodboards pinned, props purchased. A date carefully selected.
And some shoots come about in an hour, with a loose plan, a stunning location and a solid commitment to just getting out there and making it happen.
This shoot was one of those. Amelia had been out adventuring and getting back into photography herself when she sent me a photo - dark clouds rolling in over the ocean, rain starting to fall on the edge of the horizon - a beautiful scene unfolding from a cliff at Rifle Range on the outskirts of town.
It wasn't until I saw the photo again a few weeks later that a concept popped into my head. I did a little bit of sweet talking to persuade Amelia to get back out there on that cliff with me and 24 hours later, we were standing out there looking at the ocean, tarot cards and lanterns in hand.
Woman in a white dress holding lanterns on a cliff at dusk under the moon 
Woman in a white dress throwing tarot cards into the air on a cliff at dusk in Warrnambool, Victoria 
Close up of a woman's face in a white dress with the ocean in the background on dusk
The stars aligned for us that night, there was not a breath of wind on this muggy 25 degree evening. The moon was visible during the sunset and afterwards on dusk. The ocean was flat and stretching into infinity but the waves that were making it to the edge of the cliff were crashing against the rocks. It was the kind of evening that you couldn't plan if you tried.
Amelia wore a gown that I had tucked away for a future shoot (stay tuned for that one!) - the skirt was layered with fabric making it perfect for movement, which is pretty much all you want in a dress when you're twirling on the edge of the world howling at the moon.
We pulled some tarot cards while we still had daylight and in a roundabout way creatively did a reading, tossing them into the air and watching to see how they fell. If anyone who can read Tarot is looking at these photos, please tell us what the cards on Amelia's dress mean, we'd love to know!
Once the sun dropped, the lanterns came out and this is where the real magic happened. Framed by the light of the moon, the reflection of the sky on the water and the soft glow from the lanterns flickering, Amelia stepped into power she didn't even know she had.
Woman in a white dress holding a candle up to the moon at dusk on a cliff in Warrnambool, Victoria 
Woman in a white dress holding a candle and staring into the flame in black and white 
Woman in a white dress twirling on a cliff with a sunset in the background in Warrnambool, Victoria
It was just unfortunate that every ungodly insect within a 2km radius flocked to witness the light of the lanterns as well. Nothing humbles you like batting away insects the size of your head while stumbling blindly across the face of a cliff, cameras swinging, fists swinging. At one point, I nearly backed myself over the edge trying to escape the gravitational pull of these bugs. An unsettling reminder that while 'whimsical and magical', the vibe is still very much 'take one wrong step and it's a rapid descent into the ocean'.
But somewhere amongst the chaos, something changed. This session felt like a shift and the beginning of something different. A step into a style I've been craving for a little while now, something more whimsical, cinematic and story-led. Using light intentionally, using simple props to create an experience and letting the mood and moments lead instead of trying to control every single little detail.
It's not just about taking pretty photos. It's about creating a feeling, a mood and an experience. And this is what I want so much more of.
If you've been craving something different - a little creative, a little magical, I have endless ideas waiting. All it takes is a little faith - and maybe a can of bug spray.
Comments