How to carry out a geographic magazine assignment – Part 3 – Approaching people

Esther BeatonBehind the Scenes, Landscape Photography, New South Wales, On the Beaton Track, People Photography, Photography Equipment, Photography Lighting, Photography Techniques, Professional PhotographyLeave a Comment

Even when I’m in that high vibrational state, where I feel at one with  the environment and where the art of photography seems like innate intuition, it’s not. It’s like driving a car: you can cruise on auto-pilot but that’s only because you’ve put in many miles of experience behind the wheel. Photography only comes easily after you’ve shot thousands … Read More

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

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

Whitsunday Islands Photography Sailing Safari

Esther BeatonAnnouncements, Landscape Photography, Photography Tours, Photography Workshops, Queensland, Travel Photography, Workshops & CoursesLeave a Comment

I’ve been wanting to do longer than one-day workshops and heres’s one that will thrill some of you to bits. Together with Southern Cross Sailing Adventures, I’ll be running workshops aboard a well-known tall ship, the Solway Lass. But wait, theres’s more! It will be in the Whitsundays, a land beautiful beyond belief. There’s the amazing Whitehaven Beach, the dolphins, … 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

Judging The Nature Conservancy Photo Competition 2016

Esther BeatonAnnouncements, Beautiful Images, Conservation, Exhibitions & Artworks, Nature and Wildlife, On the Beaton Track, Photo Competitions, Wildlife PhotographyLeave a Comment

Eye Spy by Mark Seabury

Nature Conservancy Australia contacted me in June to see  if I’d be interested in being a judge for this year’s Nature Photo Competition. Of course I would! I’ve admired the work of the Nature Conservancy in the US for years. They also spread their activities around the globe and have successfully protected over 48 million hectares of land and thousands of … Read More

Don’t frame too tight

Esther BeatonBird Images, Cute Animals, Nature and Wildlife, New South Wales, Photography Techniques, Quick Tips, Wildlife PhotographyLeave a Comment

Sometimes, when I’ve been judging photo competitons, I’ve had to evaluate an image where the subject in the photo is wedged so tight in the frame that you get an uncomfortable feeling looking at it. When I’ve commented that “there’s no room to breathe” the photographer usually rebuts me by saying “but I’ve been criticised in the past for not cropping tight enough!” … Read More

Mating Madness

Esther BeatonAustralian Geographic, Behind the Scenes, Did You Know?Leave a Comment

Male Cane toads jump on anything that moves

You’ve all heard about the rampaging Cane Toads, right? How for the first few decades after introduction they stayed in Queensland? Then suddenly, say about the year 2000, they spread. Like the plague. They even hit the Kimberley in the west and Sydney in the south. One reason they are so rampant in their reproduction success is that they like … Read More