This one goes back quite a ways to when my main big lens was a manual focus 600mm f/5.6. I picked it up used at a bargain price and it enabled me to capture images that previously wouldn’t have been possible. I always loved the narrow depth of field and smooth bokeh. A perfect combo for late afternoon in Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia. Without auto focus, action shots back then were always a challenge, but the quality of the glass produced lots of great portraits like this red kangaroo. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/40th of a second.
Tasmania is a place of so many different incredible landscapes in its relatively small size. Everything from alpine meadows to rainforests with giant ferns to lichen-covered rocky coastlines. But within all those great landscapes, chances are there’s a wallaby hiding somewhere. This Bennett’s wallaby was enjoying the scenery up on Cradle Mountain National Park in the middle of the island state of Australia. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 95mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
I photographed these three sugar gliders at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in Tasmania. Bonorong rescues injured and orphaned animals and rehabilitates them before releasing back into the wild. Like much of the wildlife in Tasmania, sugar gliders are marsupials. They are also nocturnal possums. Their name comes from the fact that they prefer sugary foods like sap and nectar and they are able to glide through the air from tree to tree. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 105mm macro lens, ISO 3200, f/4.5 at 1/100th of a second.
Black swans are a fairly common sight in southern Australia. A few isolated populations have also been successfully exported to parts of Europe. This one was photographed early in the morning in Kingscote on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/250th of a second.
Bowerbirds are pretty interesting when it comes to mating behavior. The male creates an elaborate structure (or bower) on the ground — made up of twigs and other brightly colored objects. Apparently the ladies find the construction of such a structure to be irresistible. The male satin bowerbird is a uniformly purplish black color. The female is more of a speckled brown. They both have that striking purple/blue eye. Photographed in Lamington National Park near Brisbane, Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/200th of a second.
Few things in the wild are as cute as a koala joey. This guy was old enough to be out of the pouch on his own (although not too far from mom). Photographed at Hanson Bay on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 200, f/2.8 at 1/125th of a second.
A young Bennett’s wallaby takes a moment to enjoy the scenery in a field near Scottsdale in Tasmania, Australia. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/400th of a second.
I can only imagine all the animals over the years that quietly watched me pass as I hiked trails unaware. Occasionally, I also catch a glimpse of them. Thus was the case with this common brushtail possum that I spotted while hiking in Coles Bay in Tasmania. These guys are strictly nocturnal, but this one obviously woke up from its daytime resting place to take a quick look at what those footsteps on the trail down below were all about. After I passed, I’m sure those eyes closed right back up for a few more hours until the sun went down. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 135mm) ISO 1600, f/2.8 at 1/100th of a second.
I love birding in Australia. There’s just so many species around and of all varieties. This is one of the more common birds that I’ve seen in my travels — the new Holland honeyeater. I photographed this one from the open window of the house I was staying at on Maria Island off the coast of Tasmania. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/2000th of a second.
Bettongs are often called rat kangaroos in their native Australia. There are four different species, this being the Eastern Bettong, found in Tasmania. They are small marsupials and all are threatened due to predation by introduced predators like cats and foxes, as well as the general management of land since the British settlement of Australia. Difficult to spot in the wild due to their scarcity and nocturnal habits, I was able to photograph this one at the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, a rehabilitation center in southern Tasmania. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/800th of a second.
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This one goes back quite a ways to when my main big lens was a manual focus 600mm f/5.6. I picked it up used at a bargain price and it enabled me to capture images that previously wouldn’t have been possible. I always loved the narrow depth of field and smooth bokeh. A perfect combo for late afternoon in Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia. Without auto focus, action shots back then were always a challenge, but the quality of the glass produced lots of great portraits like this red kangaroo. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/40th of a second. 
