The Owl Hunters: Behind the Scenes of an Australian Geographic Assignment

Esther BeatonAustralian Geographic, Behind the ScenesLeave a Comment

Trapping Masked Owl

Have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of a wildlife photo? When I’m on an assignment to photograph wildlife, I often collaborate with scientists who are doing field research. I work hard to get my shots but sometimes these scientists have to get pretty creative themselves to accomplish their job. When I was asked to do a story … Read More

How to Photograph Owls

Esther BeatonWildlife PhotographyLeave a Comment

Lesser Sooty Owl

How to photograph owls? Well. This is a tough one. Owls are one of the challenges of wildlife photography because there are so many things going against them: they’re nocturnal, they’re camouflaged and their small. Mostly. You really have to have a good grasp of the photographic technicalities to beat all these odds. On the other hand, the reward of … Read More

Sticks from the sky: photographing Australia’s insect giants

Esther BeatonMacro Photography, Nature PhotographyLeave a Comment

Brown Stick Insect

A stick insect dropped in one day. Not a large one. Probably blown in by the wind, which we’ve been having a bit of last few days. (In fact I’m writing this under “cyclonic” conditions.) I thought everyone knew about stick insects. They look like sticks and they are large. But my quick post on Facebook received comments indicating surprise. … Read More

Tips from a Judge: How You Can Win the Next Big Nature Photography Competition

Esther BeatonPhoto Competitions, Photo CritiquesLeave a Comment

Australian Geographic just announced that this year’s ANZANG Nature Photographer of the Year competition is now open. I believe this is one of the most lucrative competitions available at present. It’s almost like a big secret. Everyone knows about the BBC wildlife competition, but hardly anyone knows about this Australian regional equivalent. In both cases the prize money is BIG … Read More