How to carry out an assignment for a geographic magazine – Part 2 – Being in the moment

Esther BeatonAustralian Geographic, Behind the Scenes, Bird Images, Environment, Habitats, Nature and Wildlife, Nature Photography, New South Wales, On the Beaton Track, People Photography, Photography Techniques, Professional Photography2 Comments

I started shooting the story on pearl faming in New South Wales before I’d even signed the contract with the magazine. That was because a key event was happening immediately – an event that could not be rescheduled or wait for the convenience of a photographer — seeding the oysters.  On one beautiful warm morning, as the first flush of … Read More

How to carry out a geographic magazine assignment – Part 1 – Finding a great subject

Esther BeatonAustralian Geographic, Behind the Scenes, Nature and Wildlife, Nature Photography, New South Wales, On the Beaton Track, People Photography, Photography Business, Photography Techniques, Professional PhotographyLeave a Comment

Sometimes you’re lucky enough to get a call from an editor asking you to do a photo assignment. But sometimes you have to initiate the contact yourself. If your relationship has developed over the years to one of mutual trust, then chances are high that the magazine’s editors will listen to your idea and commission you to carry it out. … Read More

Photo Detective Challenge – How was this “shot” taken?

Esther BeatonBeautiful Images, Behind the Scenes, Digital Photography, Landscape Images, Landscape Photography, Photography Techniques, Professional Photography6 Comments

I only recently installed MacOS Catalina, even though it was released 7 months ago. Apple as usual, uses a stunning landscape photo of a California landmark for the wallpaper. That evening, I sat and admired it on my huge 27” Retina screen, just revelling in the crisp, fine detail of the photo. Just endless eye candy.  Then something funny happened.  … Read More

Add More Sparkle to Twilight Shots

Esther BeatonLandscape Images, Nature and Wildlife, Photography Lighting, Photography Techniques, Travel Photography, Workshops & CoursesLeave a Comment

sunset behind the subject

Talking about night time events, well, dusk really, one of the key things a photographer has to prepare for is the need to add light, that is, more light than is available from the sky.  At one of our recent Meetups, we started at The Haven in Terrigal. There were birds, boats, waves and people. The best part was the … Read More

Outdoor photographers – why we do what we do

Esther BeatonBehind the Scenes, Flower Photography, In The Media, Landscape Images, Landscape Photography, Nature and Wildlife, Nature Photography, Photography Techniques, Western Australia2 Comments

Photographer Jean-Paul Ferrero

I can understand why outdoor photographer Matthew Dwyer got blown off Bluff Knoll. I’ve been to the peak twice myself. At the top, the winds are fierce, as this tree can attest. I tend to take risks myself, but it’s nothing to what my ex-husband, Jean-Paul Ferrero used to do. In this photo, he had climbed out to photograph a … Read More

Victoria’s Coast and Photo Tip: Charming the Birds

Esther BeatonBird Images, Bird photography, Habitats, On the Beaton Track, Photography Techniques, Quick Tips, VictoriaLeave a Comment

There are some great bird photography locations in Victoria, but during my January trip the drought was playing havoc, with days of unexpected rain, paralytic heat, and dust storms. But even with a little persistence, even in the worst of weather you can still find a few plucky birds. The scenery along the shores of Western Port Bay, might not … Read More

Wildlife Photographers to Follow

Esther BeatonAnnouncements, Beautiful Images, Bird Images, In The Media, Nature and Wildlife, Wildlife PhotographyLeave a Comment

I’M FEELING PROUD AS PUNCH     I’ve been given another nice “award”. I’m very honoured to be considered one of “25 Amazing Wildlife Photographers to Follow”. You can read the blog post here at Loaded Landscapes. They sell some great Lightroom presets and have very knowledgeable articles in their blog too. As a matter of fact – it is … Read More

A Visit to AWC and the Challenges of Mammal Photography

Esther BeatonConservation, Nature and Wildlife, Photography Techniques, Professional Photography, South Australia, Threatened species, Wildlife PhotographyLeave a Comment

Wayne Lawler, staff photographer for Australian Wildlife Conservancy, photographing Boodies and Woylies at night with several flash units, Yookamurra Sanctuary, South Australia

I love the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. I love all conservation groups but the AWC has an astounding success rate. Not only are they re-establishing populations of highly threatened species, they are achieving the job at discount rates. They run a mean, tight ship as far as admin spending goes. Income goes almost entirely to field projects.  So a trip in … Read More

Think the Reciprocal Rule is safe? It fails with high resolution cameras

Esther BeatonBird Images, Photography Techniques, Photography Workshops, Quick Tips, Wildlife PhotographyLeave a Comment

Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) on nest among casuarina trees, Lake Tuggerah, Central Coast, New South Wales

The reciprocal rule is handy to know when you are hand-holding your camera, especially with a long lens attached. It states “always use a shutter speed whose reciprocal is faster than the focal length of the lens”. So if you’re hand-holding a 500 mm lens, you have to use a shutter speed of 1/500 or faster. I still don’t fully trust … Read More