Trying to replicate Todd Hido at Narooma
Todd Hido is an American photographer who is known for his moody and bleak landscapes. They are often shot at night, or in low light, with blurring on the lens to simulate rain or mist. His first project was externally photographing houses at night, often making them appear isolated, with light from a room showing the interior but no people. His method was to drive around in his car and take a photograph of the houses that he found. More recently, he completed a project titled Bright Black World, which looked at the landscapes of Northern Europe and beyond, in his trademark, dark and moody style. One of the images he created was of a breakwater with a street light providing light to the scene. The image resonated with me and inspired me to create similar photographs at Narooma on the south coast of New South Wales. These are not the style of photographs that I would normally take but something about Hido’s image motivated me to try. While Hido generally captures his images with a standard shutter speed, I decided to use a long exposure.
The beauty of seashells
In December 2023 I was practiced still-life photography of some seashells that showed the simple, stylistic beauty inherit in these works of nature. Unfortunately, after that time, other things got in the way so I never got around to sharing the photographs, until now. There were only a few shells, but I hope that they represent the elegant beauty of seashells, with their curves and colours, and I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
Testing the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens at Jerrabomberra Wetlands in Canberra
Part of the Canon RF range of lenses includes the Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens. With this lens Canon is making an 800 mm zoom lens available to its mirrorless camera users at a price point for the hobbyist and someone new to wildlife photography. The lens covers the 200 to 800 mm focal range so has good reach but it only opens to F/9.0 at 800 mm, not making a great lens for low light, such as early morning shooting. I had already photographed with the lens a little but I wanted to try it at a location where I could use its range. I also wanted a place where I could find a steady rest for the lens because hand holding the lens is frustrating, with the view through the camera swinging wildly while I try to control the lens. I decided to visit Jerrabomberra Wetlands and sit in one of their permanent hides for a few hours while the sun rose. The hides had ledges where people can rest binoculars and cameras to give them a steady view. I am glad that I visited the wetlands because I had a wonderful time and enjoyed taking photographs there. I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
Attempting to capture a decisive moment in black and white
I don’t usually photograph in black and white because I see nature in colour and that is what I want to convey with my photography. However, for the photography course that I am enrolled in, we are trying to replicate the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, in trying to capture the decisive moment. In his own words, what that means is that, "there is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever." In walking around the Australian National University (ANU) I came to the area where some stairs lead down to Sullivans Creek from the precinct with many student services and facilities, including eateries, so it is a heavily transited area. There are often Gippsland Water Dragons (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) there, sunning their cold-blooded bodies on the convenient concrete stairs and walls. Concrete is really just a human-made rock, so it absorbs heat and makes a quick way for a lizard to warm its body. The dragon I was photographing had had enough of me, and ran across the top of a low wall to the adjacent stairs, climbing one step, only to pause at the top, poised on the edge. It appeared to be watching the students pass by the top of the stairs. Its eyesight probably registered the movement, but it seemed to forget my presence behind it. I was able to move slightly forward and take a few photographs, including the one above. I liked this photograph because it seemed to capture the decisive moment, when the dragon looked to the top of the stairs and a student was framed in the middle of the opening. The viewer is left to their own interpretation as to what the dragon may be considering. It is just fortunate that Canberra is a city where these water dragons have thrived with the changes to their environment and there is ample opportunity to photograph them.
Testing the Canon EOS R5 Mark II at Narooma
After familiarising myself with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II with photographing around Canberra, I took it with me to Narooma, NSW, to continue to get used to it. I was hoping to find some good photography subjects and I was not disappointed. One of the wonderful birds I encountered was a juvenile Black-Shouldered Kite. The experience of photographing that bird alone was enough to make my time in Narooma worthwhile, but I also found a number of other subjects as well. I hope that you enjoy the photos in this post.
New camera - Canon EOS R5 Mark II
In January 2025 I was finally in a position to upgrade my camera gear and go mirrorless. The camera I purchased was the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. This was my first mirrorless camera and my first professional level camera. Of course I tested the camera in the garden as soon as I could but I really wanted to find better subjects to see what it could do. So early on a Sunday morning I headed to Callum Brae Nature Reserve. After just a couple of hours of using R5 Mark II, I was so happy with my choice and my only regret was not upgrading sooner.