A lot of photographers dream of capturing that one image that will resonate with people far and wide, but despite their best efforts, for many it never happens.
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Diamond Beach photographer Martin Von Stoll was no different until he took a photo that has since been seen by countless people around the world.
But at the time he had no idea how special it was.
"I saw the smoke and the flames coming up, and the boys were just in front of me playing in the water and having a look at what was going on, and I thought, 'I'll just take a couple of photos' and didn't really realise," he said.
"I thought I had something when I took the photo, the perspective of the boys there and the flames and fire in the background, but it wasn't until I got home and was going through the photos that I thought, 'I think I've really captured something here.'"
Within an hour of posting the image on Facebook community page Hallidays Point News and Chat, Martin knew he had indeed captured something.
The response was enormous.
And in the days and weeks that followed, it didn't slow down.
There's a bit of pressure there, but I haven't changed my style.
- Martin Von Stoll
Since Martin took the photo less than a month ago, he's been interviewed by Seven, Nine, ABC, Ten, the Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Who, New Idea and an Istanbul news program.
The photo itself has been showcased by all those media outlets, as well as a number of other print and online publications.
It's also been shared on social media platforms all around the world.
For the father of four, the whole experience has been pretty crazy.
"I'm blown away," he said.
"I didn't expect this kind of response at all."
A lifelong photographer, Martin has been chipping away at his craft for more than 30 years while also juggling the responsibilities of working a day job and raising a family.
An avid surfer and lover of the ocean, he admits he had dreams of pursuing a career as a surf photographer when he was younger, but because of the cutthroat nature of the industry, he decided against it.
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Now, with the exposure he's received from his incredible image, he's once again thinking of giving professional photography a shot.
But it's been a steep learning curve.
"I'm trying to figure out the best way to do it and at the same time get some exposure," he said.
He's also unsure of what to do with the photo itself, having received various suggestions.
"I'm hoping it becomes an iconic image," he said.
"I hope it's timeless. I think it is."
There's also some pressure to live up to the high standard he's set himself, but not enough to make him second guess himself.
If you can capture something special, something that people can relate to, that's what has an impact.
- Martin Von Stoll
After all, for Martin the photo captures just one of the many stories to come from the recent fires.
And that's been one of the most satisfying things for him personally - the way people have responded to the way he's tracked the fires through his images, from the initial terror to the devastating consequences to the uplifting human spirit that has emerged from it all.
For this reason he's looking forward to returning to the fire grounds in the coming months to capture the regeneration of the plants and trees.
"We're storytellers, that's what photographers do," he said.
And at the end of the day, that's what it all comes back to for Martin - not whether he gets to do it as a profession or not, but that he simply continues to do what he loves.
"If from all of this something can come of it where I can make a profession out of it, then great; if not, so be it," he said.
"I'll keep taking photos."
To see more of Martin's images, click here.
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