I love Australia for many reasons. But mostly it’s the wombats. I mean, c’mon. Look at this chubby little fur ball just enjoying the afternoon on a blanket of freshly chewed grass. You eat a little, you rest a little, and then you eat some more. Taken on Maria Island on the island state of Tasmania.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/250th of a second
A mother koala and her joey taking it easy after a hard day of eating eucalyptus. That’s pretty much the life of a koala — sleep, sleep, eat leaves, sleep, sleep, sleep. It was nice to catch both with their eyes open at Hanson Bay on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/5.6 at 1/160th of a second
Just a simple portrait of a white Bennett’s wallaby (with a bit of a ripped ear). This was taken on Bruny Island, which is just off the southeast coast of Tasmania.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/500th of a second
Something a bit more abstract today. In Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia, you can get so close to the birds that I was able to get a few macro shots of the crimson rosella’s feathers. I used my close up filter to really get tight and magnify the bird’s back.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 80-200mm lens (at 200mm with Canon 500D close up filter) ISO 160, f/16 at 1/60th of a second, Nikon SB-600 flash
Here’s another of the great birds to be found in Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia. Male bowerbirds, like this regent bowerbird, are known for making elaborate “bowers” to lure in females. They make these shady little structures out of whatever they can find — twigs, rocks, and any brightly colored objects they happen to stumble upon.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 100, f/5.6 at 1/80th of a second
The emu is the second tallest bird in the world behind the ostrich. Like the ostrich it is flightless. But it can run pretty fast at 31 miles per hour. In this photo (taken in Flinders Ranges National Park in Southern Australia) it almost looks like the emu wants to test that speed in a race against the red kangaroo in the background — as if they’re both waiting for the starting gun before sprinting out of the blocks.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 200, f/8 at 1/250th of a second
Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia is a fantastic bird location. But then again, all of Australia is great for birds (not to mention all the amazing furry locals). King parrots are one of the specialties at Lamington. This male was staring down the barrel of my old 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens.
Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm lens, ISO 100, f/5.6 at 1/50th of a second
Here’s another look at Binalong Bay on the east coast of Tasmania. Orange lichen covers the rocks at the water line in this incredibly picturesque area known as the Bay of Fires, which stretches from Binalong Bay in the south to Eddystone Point in the north.
Nikon D800 with Nikkor 17-35mm lens (at 17mm) ISO 200, f/18 at .3 seconds
Quolls were my favorite animal that I photographed in Tasmania. And I didn’t really know what one was until I started researching the trip. There are two species, the eastern and the spotted and they are both carnivorous marsupials, like their cousins the Tasmanian devil. I was able to photograph both species, but only the eastern in the wild. They are strictly nocturnal, making it a bit more difficult to capture decent photos. This one was out on his nightly hunt in the northern forests of Australia’s island state.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 380mm) ISO 500, f/6.3 at 1/200th of a second. Two Nikon SB-900 flash units
This green rosella was enjoying a snack of purple thistle weed just outside the room I was staying at on Maria Island, which itself is just off the coast of Tasmania. The green rosella is one of the twelve endemic bird species that call Tasmania home.
Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 400, f/4 at 1/1250th of a second