I spent an afternoon last weekend sweltering on a hillside, photographing kangaroos for the Victorian Kangaroo Alliance. It was hot and hazy, and my favourite shot of the day wasn’t a kangaroo but this male Superb Fairywren.
1/1000, f/5.0, ISO 1600 – handheld
Canon R5, Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM
He landed on distant bracken to survey his territory – such a handsome fellow! The detail is as superb as the fairywren and I absolutely love the curves formed by the bracken. I’m wanting to print this shot, maybe cropped a little wider, maybe not, as it emphasises how tiny these birds really are.
1/1000, f/4.5, ISO 1600 – handheld
Canon R5, Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM
I took this week’s photographs as I was heading back down the hillside, the sun was getting low and a few clouds were scudding across the sky. I photographed these kangaroos just a few minutes after photographing the fairywren. Already I had lost some light so I changed the f/stop to allow more light to the sensor. I shoot fully manual as I like the control that gives me when choosing shutter speeds and depth of field settings according to the wildlife I’m photographing. So much depends on the size of the subject, the lighting, the activity, the distance between me and the subject and between the subject and the background – all very fascinating to a photographer and probably very boring for anyone who just enjoys looking at the photographs!
1/1000, f/4.5, ISO 1600 – handheld
Canon R5, Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM
Fairly often people mention that one of my shots would look good as a painting, and they often do. I find the comments interesting though as sometimes they seem to imply that it would be improved that way (and maybe it would – there are so many incredibly talented artists out there!). Though I think it sometimes comes from an awareness of the work it takes to create a painting without a corresponding understanding of the work it takes to create a photograph. I might travels for hours, even days, for a photograph. I might take hundreds, even thousands, before capturing one that I love. So while I truly admire beautiful artwork based on photographs, I am generally more in awe of the photographer than of the painting.
Several people have mentioned that they think this week’s fairywren photograph looks like embroidery – that is fascinating, and lovely.
Happy birding, Kim
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Lovely shots of the roos, no shortage of them in my area. They are living up the road from me on a few different farms, large packs that every now and then they have to cull some of the big males, but not often though and the farmers don’t seem to have an issue with them on the land. The photo of the wren is beautiful, I’m not sure if we have the Superb Fairywren here in the west and I’ve never seen one. We do have the Splendid Fairywren and its blue all over, sometimes I’ve actually had to reduce the colour when I photograph them as they look too bright and oversaturated. I’ve actually been accused of over saturation on them by some overseas people. I have not had much time to get out and photograph wildlife lately, looking after my elderly mother, however as shes just gone into residential care I hope to get back into it, I don’t do it for competition or money, just the love of it.
I’m glad there are lots of kangaroos around your way Julie. I’m seeing fewer and fewer on my regional trips. I believe it takes something like 60-80 kangaroos to have the same impact as one cow and many farmers realise that so aren’t worried about them, thank goodness! The Splendid Fairywrens are magnificent! I know exactly what you mean about reducing the saturation, I have done that myself with Eastern Spinebill eyes that really did look way too red to be real, even though they were real. I hope your mother is content in her new home and that you have lots of time to get back to your love of photography.
Spectacular photos of two of the most glorious beings we are so lucky to live amongst. Thank you for capturing them so beautifully.
100% my pleasure Alyssa, thank you xo
I forgot to add – the kanga shots are so lovely! kangas are my favourite animals, and with my fave fairy wrens, too, Lirralirra is a double delight for me, today. A friend of mine used to be a wildlife carer in Tassie, and when i lived there too, once she let me hold a tiny rescued joey, all wrapped up and gazing up at me with those great big eyes, ears all twitching. I took a deep sniff, and was amazed at the lovely, natural scent of the joey – sort of earthy, herby and sweet, and my friend told me that the joeys absorb the oils in the plants that their mums graze on, it flavours the kanga’s milk, and the joeys just soak it up, and it perfumes their fur. I have never forgotten that beautiful scent…
I love kangaroos too. Seeing their interactions is just beautiful. I loved hearing about your memory of their sweet smell. I have a huge regard for all the wonderful wildlife carers out there.
I really needed that dazzling splash of blue today, Kim! The Superb Fairy Wren is my absolute favourite bird – out of all our 850 species in Oz. They just make my heart sing. I saw one perched on a twig of salt bush yesterday – the first one in ages by the bay -and he was so close, I was tempted to pick him up and pop him on my pocket! We gazed at each other for about 5 minutes – amazing! You are right about their tiny size – if my thumb were slightly chubbier, this is the size the wrens are – titchy but so feisty at the same time. I have never seen a blue so intensely vivid on any other living thing – plant or animal, and I wonder if it makes them easy prey for larger birds to spot and predate upon them? I know their lady loves are excited by the blue, and the boys are strutting their stuff to impress them. I remember that brill photo you took of the male wren with a yellow petal in his beak, to give to his mate – that photo is so charming. Don’t doubt yourself, Kim, as far as being an artist goes, you have what Beatrix Potter had. She wrote in her journal – ‘Thank God, I have the seeing eye.’
Oh how I wish I’d been with you watching the tiny fairywren on the salt bush! But you have taken what I call a ‘heart photo’ that you’ll always remember. When I’m watching tiny birds it’s often the flashes of white that I notice most clearly – I wonder if that’s the same for birds of prey or whether they see things quite differently because of their ability to see UV and different shades than we can…
That is a lovely study – the ferny curves snd the busy wren -as you say. I have a lovely photo of yours from years ago- a blue wren holding sideways on the stalk of a thistle- looking so alert to whats off to the side. Brings joy to the heart. Yes its an artform- the framing of it- apart from the incredible craft and expertise with the camera.
That’s so lovely to hear Judy. I remember taking that photograph, and loving the curves in it. There is clearly something about curves and fairywrens that appeals to me.
You are an artist – just as a painter/sculptor is and I am in awe at your creations.
The fairy wren does indeed look like an embroidery – a particularly intricate one.
Thank you so much for sharing your creations and your delight in and concern for the natural world.
Thanks EC. A photography friend of mine wanted to join a local art group some years ago and was told he couldn’t as photography isn’t art – that created a long and complex discussion!