Photographing Rainbow Silo Art

About the Artwork

Rainbow Silo Art is one of the most unusual installations on Victoria's Silo Art Trail.

Located in the small Mallee town of Rainbow, the attraction combines large-scale exterior mural art with an illuminated artwork inside the silo and an elevated viewing tower.

The external mural was painted by Australian artist Geoffrey Carran and completed in September 2025.

Rather than treating the silo simply as a large canvas, the Rainbow project allows visitors to experience the structure from several different levels.

An adjoining tower incorporates both stairs and an elevator, providing access to viewing platforms and to the interior of the silo.

From the upper platform, visitors can also look across Rainbow and the surrounding Wimmera Mallee landscape.

Inside the silo is a second artwork created by Collide Public Art, led by artist James Voller.

The internal installation uses lighting and suspended imagery inspired by flowers from the garden of local identity Llew Schilling.

The combination of:

Exterior mural.
Internal artwork.
Industrial architecture.
Elevated viewing tower.
Views across the Mallee.

makes Rainbow quite different from most other silo-art locations in Victoria.

Artwork / Subjects

Mallee Emu-wren

One of the principal subjects of Geoffrey Carran's external mural is the Mallee Emu-wren.

This tiny bird is strongly associated with the Mallee environment and provides a striking contrast with the enormous scale of the silo.

Its delicate form, fine plumage and long filament-like tail are greatly enlarged across the concrete surface.

Photographically, the bird should be recorded both as part of the complete mural and through tighter compositions showing:

The head and eye.
Blue facial and breast colouring.
Feather detail.
Tail.
The relationship between the tiny natural bird and the enormous painted version.

Euphorbia Trigona

The second major inspiration for the exterior artwork is a Euphorbia trigona cactus growing in the neighbouring garden of Rainbow resident Llew Schilling.

This creates an unusual relationship between the artwork and its immediate surroundings.

Rather than depicting only a generic Mallee landscape, the mural incorporates something specifically connected with the site itself.

Look for compositions that use the strong vertical and repeating forms of the cactus as graphic elements within the mural.

Internal Artwork

Rainbow's most unusual feature is the artwork inside the silo.

Created by Collide Public Art, with James Voller as lead artist, the installation uses suspended panels, light and photographic imagery inspired by flowers from Llew Schilling's garden.

Illuminated within the dark cylindrical interior, the artwork creates a completely different visual experience from the exterior mural.

The internal artwork can be viewed from different heights, allowing photographers to explore both the installation itself and its relationship with the immense industrial space surrounding it.

The Unpainted Silo Interior

One particularly interesting part of the Rainbow experience is the opportunity to look inside a grain silo that has not simply been converted into a painted gallery wall.

The second silo bin provides an unusual view of the original industrial interior.

For photographers interested in architecture, industrial heritage, geometry and abstraction, this may be almost as interesting as the artwork itself.

Look for:

Curved concrete surfaces.
Vertical lines.
Repetition.
Shadows.
Industrial textures.
The enormous apparent height of the internal space.

The Viewing Tower

The external viewing tower is an important part of the complete installation.

It provides both stair and elevator access to the upper levels and allows visitors to experience the exterior mural from viewpoints that are impossible at conventional silo-art sites.

From the upper platform, the surrounding Mallee landscape also becomes part of the photographic experience.

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Artist

Geoffrey Carran

The exterior Rainbow Silo mural was painted by Geoffrey Carran.

Carran is particularly well known for large-scale paintings of birds and wildlife.

His detailed natural-history subjects are especially appropriate in the Wimmera Mallee, where native birds and their habitat form an important part of the character of the landscape.

Carran has also created silo artwork elsewhere in western Victoria, including the bird murals at Goroke.

Collide Public Art / James Voller

The internal Rainbow Silo installation was created by Collide Public Art, led by artist James Voller.

Rather than applying another conventional mural to the interior wall, the installation uses suspended imagery and lighting to transform the large enclosed volume of the silo.

The result is closer to an immersive gallery installation than a traditional silo mural.

Photographing the Artwork

Rainbow should be photographed as a complete experience rather than simply as an exterior mural.

There are effectively four separate photographic subjects:

The exterior artwork.
The viewing tower and industrial architecture.
The internal artwork.
The elevated view across Rainbow and the Wimmera Mallee.

The Complete Exterior

Begin from ground level with an establishing photograph showing the complete silo, external mural and viewing tower.

Move around the public viewing area before choosing the final camera position.

Small changes in position can alter the apparent relationship between the tower and mural substantially.

Mallee Emu-wren

After recording the complete mural, move progressively closer or use a longer lens to isolate the bird.

Photograph:

The complete bird.
Head and eye.
Blue facial colouring.
Feathers.
Tail.
Areas where the artwork interacts with the silo surface.

Cactus Detail

The cactus provides strong shapes, repeated lines and colour.

Look for abstract compositions that do not necessarily reveal that the subject is part of a much larger silo mural.

From the Viewing Tower

The tower provides a rare opportunity to photograph silo art from approximately the same height as parts of the mural.

This reduces the extreme upward perspective normally encountered when photographing tall silo art from ground level.

Try photographing sections of the mural from several levels rather than waiting until reaching the top.

Inside the Silo

The internal artwork requires a very different photographic approach.

Light levels are lower and the relationship between the illuminated artwork and dark industrial interior becomes the main subject.

Look for:

Symmetry.
Repeating shapes.
Illuminated panels against darkness.
Curved silo walls.
Vertical scale.
People for scale.

Take care not to obstruct stairs, platforms or other visitors while making photographs.

Upper Viewing Platform

At the upper level, turn away from the artwork as well.

The elevated platform provides broad views across Rainbow and the surrounding Wimmera Mallee.

These photographs provide valuable landscape context for the silo and show just how flat and expansive the surrounding country is.

Map

Location

Rainbow Silo Art
11 Bow Street
Rainbow VIC 3424

Rainbow is in north-western Victoria, approximately 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.

The silo is close to the centre of Rainbow and can easily be combined with the town's murals, heritage buildings and other attractions.

Google Maps: Rainbow Silo Art

Access & Parking

The exterior Rainbow Silo artwork can be viewed from the car park at any time.

Access to the viewing tower and internal silo is controlled by an automatic gate and requires a free access code.

The access code can be obtained through the Hindmarsh Shire Council Rainbow Silo Art information page.

The tower and internal attraction currently operate during set daily hours.

Before travelling specifically to enter the silo, check the current opening hours and access arrangements because these may change.

Official information: Hindmarsh Shire Council - Rainbow Silo Art

The site includes car parking and coach parking.

Visitors travelling with caravans, motorhomes or other large recreational vehicles should use appropriate parking space and avoid entering confined areas where turning room is uncertain.

Accessibility

Rainbow is unusual among silo-art sites because the elevated experience has been designed to provide an alternative to climbing the entire tower by stairs.

An elevator provides access to the upper viewing level, while stairs are also available.

The lower internal viewing area and upper viewing platform provide different perspectives on the silo and artwork.

The external mural can be photographed from ground level without entering the tower.

Photographers with limited mobility should check current accessibility information with the operator before visiting, particularly if access to the internal platforms is important.

High winds, high temperatures or other extreme weather can make the elevated tower unsuitable or unsafe, and access may be restricted.

Best Light

Rainbow requires a slightly different approach from most silo-art locations because exterior and interior photography have very different lighting requirements.

Exterior - Morning

The external mural is on the northern side of the silo.

Morning light can provide useful modelling and texture, particularly when sunlight crosses the curved surface at an angle.

Examine the entire mural before choosing the viewpoint because the cylindrical silo surface means different parts of the artwork may receive different amounts of light.

Exterior - Middle of the Day

Higher sun can provide relatively even illumination across the northern face, although the light may become harsh during summer.

This can nevertheless be useful when the objective is a clear documentary record of the artwork.

Exterior - Late Afternoon

Late-afternoon light can create stronger texture and shadow across the concrete structure.

It may also provide warmer light on the surrounding Mallee landscape.

Bright Overcast

Bright overcast conditions can be excellent for photographing the exterior mural.

Soft light reduces harsh shadow and makes it easier to record detail throughout the Mallee Emu-wren and cactus.

Interior

The internal installation is illuminated and therefore does not depend on direct sunlight in the same way as the exterior mural.

The contrast between the illuminated artwork and dark silo interior is part of the photographic appeal.

Take care to preserve highlight detail in the illuminated panels rather than exposing primarily for the surrounding darkness.

Nearby

Rainbow Murals

Rainbow contains a collection of colourful murals around the town, particularly near Federal Street.

These depict aspects of Rainbow's history, early pioneers and local life and provide a worthwhile extension to the silo-art visit.

Yurunga Homestead

The heritage-listed Yurunga Homestead provides a very different photographic subject.

Its architecture, gardens and associated mural make it particularly useful for photographers interested in the history of Rainbow rather than only its contemporary public art.

Rainbow Streetscape

Federal Street retains the character of a small Mallee town and is worth exploring with a camera.

Look for:

Historic shopfronts.
Murals.
Gardens.
Signs.
Rural architecture.
Small details reflecting Mallee life.

Albacutya Silo Art

Albacutya Silo Art is approximately 9-10 kilometres north of Rainbow.

Kitt Bennett's colourful and deliberately surreal artwork is completely different in style from Geoffrey Carran's wildlife-based Rainbow mural.

The two silo sites should be photographed together whenever possible.

Lake Albacutya

Lake Albacutya is a Ramsar-listed wetland north of Rainbow.

The lake is frequently dry, but its surrounding Mallee landscape, vegetation, wildlife and exceptionally dark skies still provide worthwhile photographic opportunities.

Wyperfeld National Park

Rainbow is an excellent base for exploring Wyperfeld National Park.

Photographic subjects include:

Mallee woodland.
Sand dunes.
Dry lake beds.
Wildflowers.
Birdlife.
Wildlife.
Night skies.

Herman's Hill

Herman's Hill provides an elevated view over the surrounding Mallee, including the broad landscape towards Lake Hindmarsh and the Big Desert.

The walk also provides opportunities for photographing Mallee vegetation, birds, reptiles and wildflowers.

How to Get There

From Melbourne

Rainbow is approximately 400 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.

A common route is via the Western Freeway and Western Highway through Ballarat and Horsham, continuing towards Dimboola before travelling north through Jeparit towards Rainbow.

Allow approximately five hours of driving, plus stops.

From Dimboola

From Dimboola, travel north towards Jeparit and continue through the Wimmera Mallee to Rainbow.

This route can easily be combined with Arkona Silo Art and other photographic locations around Dimboola.

From Horsham

Horsham is the nearest major regional centre and provides the broadest range of accommodation, fuel, food and other services.

Travel west towards Dimboola before turning north through the Wimmera Mallee towards Rainbow.

From Rainbow Town Centre

The silo is at 11 Bow Street, only a short distance from Rainbow's central Federal Street precinct.

It is therefore easy to photograph the silo and then explore the town murals and streetscape on foot or by car.

Caravans, Motorhomes and Large Rigs

Rainbow is an RV-friendly town and is accustomed to visitors travelling with caravans and motorhomes.

The silo attraction includes car and coach parking.

Drivers of particularly long combinations should nevertheless assess available turning space before entering any confined parking area.

Rainbow Holiday Park provides a convenient option for leaving a caravan or motorhome before exploring the town and surrounding photographic locations in a smaller vehicle.

Techniques used

Techniques

Kit used

My kit

Where to Stay

Rainbow

Rainbow is the preferred base for photographing the silo and exploring Lake Albacutya and the northern Wimmera Mallee.

Staying locally also makes it easier to photograph the town, surrounding landscape and night sky without unnecessary driving.

Rainbow Holiday Park

Address: 2A Railway Street, Rainbow VIC 3424
Telephone: (03) 5389 1416
Website: Rainbow Holiday Park

The park offers modern cabins, powered caravan sites and unpowered camping sites in a Mallee setting close to the town centre and Rainbow Silo Art.

An all-abilities cabin is also available.

Dimboola

Dimboola is another useful base when Rainbow is being combined with Little Desert National Park, Pink Lake, Arkona Silo Art and the Wimmera River.

Dimboola Riverside Holiday Park

Address: 2 Wimmera Street, Dimboola VIC 3414
Telephone: (03) 5389 1416
Website: Dimboola Riverside Holiday Park

A useful riverside base for caravans, campers and visitors exploring the southern part of Hindmarsh Shire.

Horsham

Horsham provides the widest range of accommodation, restaurants, shopping and other services in the region.

It is particularly useful for photographers undertaking a larger Wimmera trip incorporating Rainbow, Dimboola, Mount Arapiles, Murtoa and the Grampians.

Photographic Recommendations

Wide-Angle Lens - e.g. 16-35mm

A wide-angle lens is useful for:

The complete silo and viewing tower.
Interior photographs.
Industrial architecture.
Views from confined positions.
Elevated landscapes from the upper platform.

When photographing the exterior from close range, watch carefully for exaggerated perspective and converging verticals.

Standard Zoom - e.g. 24-70mm

A standard zoom is likely to be the most useful general-purpose lens.

Use it for:

The complete exterior mural.
The Mallee Emu-wren.
Cactus forms.
Viewing tower.
Town views from the upper platform.

Where space permits, moving farther back and using a moderate focal length generally preserves the proportions of the silo better than photographing from close range with an ultra-wide lens.

Telephoto Lens - e.g. 70-200mm

A telephoto lens is strongly recommended.

It is particularly useful for:

Mallee Emu-wren head and eye.
Feather detail.
Cactus details.
Paint texture.
Architectural details.
Compressed views over Rainbow from the tower.
Distant Mallee landscapes.

Tilt-Shift Lens

A tilt-shift lens is not essential, but it can be useful for making a technically controlled photograph of the complete exterior structure.

Keep the camera level and use upward shift to include the top of the silo rather than tilting the camera sharply upwards.

This reduces converging verticals and preserves the proportions of the artwork.

Tripod

A tripod is useful for the exterior artwork but may be more difficult to use inside the silo where visitor circulation must be maintained.

Where tripods are permitted and practical, they can assist with:

Low-light interior photography.
Exposure bracketing.
Architectural compositions.
Panoramas.
Blue-hour exterior photographs.

Always comply with current site rules and avoid obstructing stairs, platforms or access routes.

High ISO / Image Stabilisation

The internal artwork may require photography at higher ISO settings than would normally be used outdoors.

A lens or camera with effective image stabilisation can be particularly useful if tripods are impractical.

Check highlights carefully because illuminated artwork can be much brighter than the surrounding silo interior.

Polarising Filter

A polarising filter may help reduce glare and strengthen colour in the exterior mural.

Remove it for most interior photography because the additional light loss is unlikely to be useful.

Drone Photography

The combination of silo, tower, Rainbow township and surrounding flat Mallee country could make an interesting aerial subject.

However, the purpose-built tower already provides an unusually high photographic viewpoint without requiring a drone.

Before flying, check current CASA airspace requirements, local restrictions, take-off and landing permission and separation from people and buildings.

A drone should be used only where it provides a genuinely different composition from the elevated views already available from the tower.

Controlling Perspective

The Rainbow silo is a tall vertical structure, so perspective becomes important when photographing the exterior artwork from ground level.

Standing close to the silo with an ultra-wide lens and pointing the camera sharply upwards can make the base appear disproportionately large while the top seems to lean away.

Wherever possible:

Move farther away from the silo.
Keep the camera reasonably level.
Try moderate focal lengths before resorting to an ultra-wide lens.
Use a tilt-shift lens if technically corrected verticals are important.
Compare the proportions of the painted bird with the artwork as viewed naturally from a distance.

Rainbow provides an unusual alternative to conventional perspective correction.

The viewing tower allows parts of the exterior artwork to be photographed from much closer to their own height.

This substantially reduces the upward camera angle and can produce photographs with more natural proportions.

Perspective does not always need to be corrected completely.

Deliberate convergence can communicate the enormous scale of the silo, provided that it is a conscious compositional choice rather than an accidental result of standing too close.

Suggested Photographic Sequence

Begin from ground level.
Walk around the public viewing area and study the relationship between the mural, silo and tower.
Make the establishing photograph.
Include the complete silo, exterior artwork and viewing tower.
Make a perspective-controlled exterior photograph.
Move farther back and use a moderate focal length where possible.
Photograph the complete Mallee Emu-wren.
Use a telephoto lens for detail.
Concentrate on the bird's head, eye, plumage and tail.
Photograph the cactus.
Look for both complete and abstract compositions.
Photograph the tower and industrial architecture.
Enter the tower.
Photograph the exterior mural from different heights where the viewing arrangement permits.
Photograph the lower internal artwork.
Balance the illuminated panels against the darker silo interior.
Photograph the unpainted silo interior.
Concentrate on scale, geometry and industrial texture.
Continue to the upper viewing platform.
Photograph the internal installation from above.
Look for symmetry and relationships that were not visible from below.
Turn away from the silo.
Photograph Rainbow and the surrounding Wimmera Mallee from the elevated platform.
Return to ground level.
Revisit the exterior mural now that its details and structure are better understood.
Explore Rainbow.
Photograph the town murals, Federal Street and heritage subjects.
Continue to Albacutya Silo Art.
The nearby artwork provides a natural second chapter to a Rainbow silo-art visit.

How Long

A visitor interested only in seeing the exterior mural could spend approximately 15-20 minutes at Rainbow Silo Art.

That is not enough time to experience the complete attraction.

Allow approximately 45-60 minutes for the exterior mural and principal details.

Allow approximately 1.5-2 hours to photograph the exterior, enter the tower, explore the internal artwork and photograph the elevated views.

A photographer working carefully with several focal lengths and architectural compositions could easily spend 2-3 hours at the silo complex.

Allow half a day to combine the silo with Rainbow's murals, streetscape and Yurunga Homestead.

Allow a full day if Albacutya Silo Art and Lake Albacutya are also included.

One night in Rainbow is worthwhile for photographers exploring the district.

Two nights provide enough time to combine Rainbow with Lake Albacutya, Wyperfeld National Park, Herman's Hill and night-sky photography.

Priority Photographs

Complete Rainbow Silo Art installation showing the silo and viewing tower.
Perspective-controlled photograph of the complete exterior mural.
Complete Mallee Emu-wren.
Mallee Emu-wren head and eye.
Blue facial and breast plumage.
Feather and tail detail.
Complete cactus component.
Abstract cactus patterns.
Concrete surface and paint detail.
Viewing tower against the silo.
Exterior mural photographed from an elevated tower position.
Lower view of the internal illuminated artwork.
Wide photograph showing the artwork within the immense silo interior.
Person included within the interior to communicate scale.
Abstract illuminated-panel detail.
Unpainted silo interior.
Industrial geometry and concrete textures.
Internal artwork viewed from the upper level.
Elevated view across Rainbow.
Telephoto landscape across the Wimmera Mallee from the upper platform.
Rainbow murals and Federal Street.
Yurunga Homestead and its mural.
Albacutya Silo Art as a companion artwork.

Artwork Information table

Location	Rainbow, Victoria
Artwork	Rainbow Silo Art
Exterior Artist	Geoffrey Carran
Exterior Artwork Completed	September 2025
Exterior Subjects	Mallee Emu-wren and Euphorbia trigona cactus
Internal Artwork	Collide Public Art
Lead Internal Artist	James Voller
Internal Artwork Theme	Illuminated imagery inspired by flowers from Llew Schilling's garden
Address	11 Bow Street, Rainbow VIC 3424
Entry	Free - access code required for tower and silo interior
Exterior Viewing	Available from the car park without an access code
Upper Viewing Platform	Approximately 28 metres
Upper Access	Elevator and stairs
Parking	Car and coach parking available
Recommended General Lens	Standard zoom - approximately 24-70mm
Detail Lens	Telephoto - approximately 70-200mm
Interior Lens	Wide-angle - approximately 16-35mm
Specialist Equipment	Tilt-shift useful but not essential for the exterior; image stabilisation useful inside
Suggested Photographic Time	1.5-3 hours
Rainbow Photographic Visit	Half day to full day