Orchid Fly - New to Science?

I ran into some orchid hunters on the weekend and instead of doing what I was "supposed" to do, I played hooky and went out into the fields to play with my new friends. It was well worth the effort (fun?) because we may have stumbled on to something new to science. 

Orchids are some of the most mysterious and mesmerising flowers ever. Part of their allure is in their behaviour. Behaviour? Plants have behaviour? Yes, there is an interrelationship between the flower and the insects that pollinate it. Each orchid species seems to have evolved more bizarre mating rituals than the last. There are peculiar relationships between orchids and wasps. And there are equally peculiar relationships between orchids and flies. 

What my friends and I may have discovered over the weekend, as we investigated a some ground orchids called "Midge Orchids" is the strange behaviour of the fly as it transfers pollen sacs from one orchid to another. The Australian Museum and an international entomologist would like to know more about it as it's new to them too!

But alas! I can't tell you about it yet. I'll be proposing this series of photos as a feature for a major national magazine. So until it's published in their pages, I can only reveal a hint of what's going on. Here's a little "reveal" of one of the photos, but with the fly discreetly blurred for now. 

One Minute with Nature: Cicada's Summer Song

New Year's Day started out warm - at last. It has been one of the coldest summers anyone can remember. Insects have been low key so it was a delight to find them calling from above my head, as I headed out on my first exploratory bushwalk of the year. This late in the summer Green Grocer cicadas should have been finished but they were still singing their little hearts out. 

I don't have a photo of a Green Grocer in my collection and I must correct that omission. But how am I going to get one down from those high tree tops in order to photograph it? Stay in touch to see how I go. In the meantime, here's a photo of a Floury Baker cicada which landed in my garden a few days ago. This guy's call was a sweet little chirp unlike that of the deafening Green Grocer.

Let's Encourage Young Photographers

I'd like to acknowledge a budding young nature and wildlife photographer, Mikaela Clews. She won the Young Encourage-ment award at the recent Gosford Council photo competition. 

Mikaela Clews deserves a lot of credit for getting out into the bushlands around Gosford, New South Wales. The aim of the photo competition was to portray how nature is on the city's doorstep. Mikaela got hold of a young girl (probably her coerced little sister) and 'put' her into the picture. So many of my workshop students are hesitant to work with people; they're uncertain about how to pose them, or where to place them in the landscape. Very few of the adults who entered the competition dealt with this situation but young Mikaela made a noble effort.

With her photo of a Kookaburra she managed to get close enough to almost fill the frame. She also chose a fairly large aperture to throw the background out of focus enough to concentrate attention on the bird. There is a little bit of distraction in the background with the light on the tree trunks but I'm sure she'll notice that next time. I like the different perspective of looking down on the bird, with the gully below/behind it, don't you? 

Congratulations, Mikaela - I hope you continue your photographic efforts.

Louie Schwartzberg's mesmerizing cinematography

I have been humbled. I saw visuals today that impressed me. But more so, they were accompanied by words - words that encapsulated my life story. Maybe the story of all my lifetimes. It was only yesterday I was speaking to a friend about the uplifting power of nature and photography and this video lands in my inbox today. 

Do you like TED? The speakers on that program are all equally spellbinding; all bring such profound knowledge. Louie Schwartzberg is a rare TED speaker for he's a cinematographer. Rarely do you get visual artists who can speak well, but his words are a perfect marriage with his pictures. He puts into words everything I've been feeling and wanting to express through my own photography. If you like nature photography, if you want to know why you like it, if you have 10 minutes, then watch this video. If you normally meditate, then you can forget your session today because this video is a great substitute. May we rekindle our childlike wonder; may we grow wise in our old age. May photography help us do that.

Apple Needs to Think Like a Photographer

Isn't the camera in the iPhone the coolest thing? As a professional photographer I love to have a little snappy camera in my bag to grab the occasional fun shot. Or if I'm doing a reconnaissance for a shoot or a workshop I make "photo notes" with my iPhone camera. I simply love the picture-taking capabilities of an iPhone. It saves me the bother of pulling out the big gear when it's not really necessary.

That's why I want Apple to design the camera a bit better. 

The problem is the button. Isn't it just the most difficult thing to "hit"? Using the iPhone camera is definitely a two-handed job because of the placement of the shutter button. I think it's totally illogical to place the button down near the bottom where your grip on the phone is totally imbalanced. If they redesigned the interface to put the button directly under your index finger, getting those grab shots would be so much easier and you could work with one hand. 

Here are some pictures of what I mean; they might explain it better than words. 

This is a very difficult way to hit the button one-handed. 

Look how white my thumb and finger get from trying to 

hold on tight to the iPhone.

This would be a much more natural and comfortable grip when holding it in camera mode. It seems like it would be an easy and logical redesign of the interface to place the button under the natural position of your index finger, whether right handed or left handed.

This is how normally I hold the iPhone to take pictures. I need a two-handed grip and it works pretty well. If the button were on the left hand side, you could hit it with your thumb just as easily. But so often I want to use it one-handed and that's when it's hard to hold it steady AND compose accurately.

What do you think? Am I the only photographer out there who struggles to hold the iPhone steady with one hand? I'd love to get the feedback. If there's a lot of it, Apple might sit up and take notice. Thanks!

Obama, Obama…and press photography woes

I hadn't planned to watch the arrival of the US President but when I saw the GG's yellow outfit I was captivated. I was so impressed by the welcome given to President Obama by our two gracious first ladies. And it was so low-key, just like every thing Australian - so casual, so laid back. I was so proud of the Aussies, despite my American roots. 

I watched the poor journos and photographers and felt so sorry for them. It reminded me of my days in Canberra and having to shoot under such stressful conditions. I used to be a press photographer for Time magazine (freelance only) and it was just horrible. You had to battle with all the other photographers in a tight space and they were all so big and muscly and aggressive. To get this shot of Paul Keating I found a high vantage point and the shot turned out better than everyone else's. 

I would also be stomach-wrenching worried about getting the shot. In the film days there was so much that could go wrong and you just didn't get a second chance. Even today with digital where you've got the instant feedback monitor, you don't dare take your eye away from the viewfinder in case you miss that split second when the shot of a lifetime happens. No thanks, press photography is no longer for me. I'm sticking to nature. 

And welcome, Barack, to our sunny shores. 

Keep it Beautiful This Week

Did you know it is Keep Australia Beautiful Week? Sometimes ugly things are happening in the world and it's easy to despair. I wonder how people in London and other cities in England feel upon hearing the "Keep it Beautiful" motto. After the damage and chaos of recent weeks, just cleaning up seems an overwhelming task let alone attempting to recreate beauty.

But as nature photographers we can't abrogate our responsibilities; it's our mission to keep places beautiful. We are always noticing the beauty around us; we depend on beautiful environments and places that support beautiful flora and fauna for our work. We notice when a stick is out of place or a candy wrapper is intruding into our shot. Getting out into the neighbourhood and doing a little clean up would be a generous contribution of our time - and all part of our awareness as outdoor photographers.

However I think there's an even grander way of making a contribution - by using our talents and creating a piece of work that demonstrates to others how truly beautiful our environment is. Whether that's a landscape shot of a remote location that others are unlikely to see in their lifetimes, or a macro shot that reveals a phenomenon new to science, the work of a nature photographer is all about bringing beauty to the people.

So let's get out there, before the weekend is over, and create a piece of beauty. Create a photo that makes the soul sing - not just your own - but print it up, show it and let others share in that good feeling too.

For those needing a little more incentive to get out there, here's news about a photo competition. It's just for local residents around Gosford, New South Wales. See if you can dig up some really beautiful places and inspire the locals with your work! I'll be judging the competition and to give you a good kick start, you can download for free my "7 Secrets to Emotive Photography"

Watch Your Whales - They're Back!

June 1st announces the start of the whale watching season. Humpbacks and southern rights can now be sighted off the New South Wales Coast as they head north to breed in warmer waters.

I've been blown away by this annual event ever since that June in 1988 when I carried out an assignment for Good Weekend magazine. It was unique not only for being a wildlife assignment (something rarely given those days) but because it introduced the general public to whales. Before then, they were almost mythical creatures. Whales were so little known, seen or understood.

Twenty three years later they are now incorporated into holidays, businesses and educational programs. They are myths in a new way, in that they now represent the mystical in our lives. Many people call the experience of seeing them a spiritual one.

I had something like that. Years ago whales would regularly beach themselves - remember that? - even on our Australia shores. People from different organizations and lifestyles would attempt to help them back into the sea. I wondered, "Why do whales do this? Why do they beach themselves as a group?" The answer came to me, through a flash of insight: "Because they're teaching us humans to shed our boundaries, our attitudes of who has authority, who is in charge, and instead work together as a single team for a common purpose."

Regardless of whether or not you agree with these metaphysical musings, you can go out and experience the spirit of whales for yourself. See if you won't come back with a new sense of exhilaration, freedom or awe.

To photograph them, you really should be in a boat. (Tip: try to get as close to water level as possible.) And do a little research first with a whale-watching guide like this one (with one of my photos on the cover). Although it's a few years old, it's been reprinted and is still quite useful.