Pied Currawong

Canon 1Ds III with 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 IS USM lens @275mm f5.6

The above shot was created recently while I sat in our "Troopy" having lunch. I'd like to spin you a yarn about how difficult it was to capture this image of the Pied Currawong, or Strepera graculina to his friends. I'd be fibbing if I did that because this guy and in fact most of his extended family were anything but camera shy.

At one stage he even ventured into the troopy and sat on the steering wheel with me seated right behind it. I'm pretty sure it was my lunch, rather than my company that he really desired, but it matters not. To get this shot the only technical problem was getting it into his head to sit on a nearby fence so that he was outside my minimum focus range.

If your wanting to check out some real nature photography may I suggest Laurie Excells blog, to see some images created in Alaska over the psast week.

Photoshelter collection to call it a day...

I was disappointed, not surprised to receive an email from the good folks at Photoshelter this morning. After a brave attempt to give the world an alternative source of original stock photography, not to mention photographers a viable form of distributing their work, the collection is to close early October. Just one short year after its launch, a lot of market research, much enthusiasm, innovation and hard work, the Collection will be no more.

Photoshelters archiving facilities for photographers will thankfully continue, giving many of us access to geographically remote backup and storage of valuable images. Combined with the ability to access high resolution files from our own personal archives from vitrtually anywhere on this planet of ours. Any photographer who spends a lot of time on the road or around dodgy internet conections will attest to the value of this service.

Check out Photoshelters announcement on their blog. Or check out the collection here.

Grampians wild flower spectacular

If you have any interest in Australian wildflowers, the first week in October is the time to be in the Grampians. The bushland around the Grampians will be alive with wild flowers beyond your imagination. There are a couple of spectacular displays of wild flowers on in the area during that time as well. The Pomonal Wild Flower show, is I’m told not to be missed, click here for more info.

My brother, has just returned from Halls Gap, which is right in the centre of the wildflower action. He tells me that already the display of Wattles in the bush is amazing, and at night the perfume from these natives is just sublime as it fills the valleys. He also reckons, this year will be fantastic for wild flowers. So as a photographer you know were I want to be.. See you there.

Went hunting this morning.

Canon 1D IIn with f4.5-5.6 100-400 IS

Tried a little bird work this morning with no a lot of success. What's the saying? "Some days are diamond and some days are stone", well today was a little closer to stone. The only shot I manage to get that will end up in our stock archives, is this Little Pied Cormorant, who had just jumped off her nest and was not all that please to see me.

But hey, that's the fun of doing this stuff, You never know unless you try. Check out a few more of our Australian Water Birds stock images here.

So you want to be a fine art model!

Ever thought you'd like to be a nude fine art model? If you have you should check out The Women of Avalon blog. This group of ladies explore their minds as well as their bodies in various collaborations with fine art photographers. They manage to turn the act of modeling into an art form of its own.

Any form of fine art photography involving people is always difficult. For a photographer looking for models, the difficulty is finding a model who really "gets it" and has an understanding of what the final goal is. A fine art photographer who shoots people, is nothing without a model, who not only understands the concepts being portrayed, but understands the process of getting the image. The old term "Making haste slowly" springs to mind. Working towards a final image is often time consuming and for the model physically demanding. Stretching, forming shapes and holding poses for extended periods in often uncomfortable surroundings, isn't everyones cup of tea.

For a model wanting to get into fine art modeling, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to find a photographer, who is not only technically proficient but who also has a similar mindset to the model. There are hundreds of photographers claiming to be fine art nude photographers, but only a small handful who are producing anything above cheap mindless smut.