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
This is an eastern grey kangaroo mom with her joey, locally known as foresters in Tasmania. Sometimes it seems that joeys just can’t fit in the pouch anymore and random arms, legs and tails start to poke out. This photo was taken at the end of a great day in Narawantapu National Park on the northern coast of Tasmania. Nikon D800 with Nikkor 70-200mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 800, f/5.6 at 1/50th of a second
The welcome swallow is a bird native to Australia and a few of the nearby islands. I had seen a few of them in flight while in Tasmania, but failed to get a good action shot due to their small size and rapid movement while in the air. I was happy (or at least pacified) when I finally saw one perched and was able to grab a quick take-what-I-can-get photo. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 800, f/4 at 1/800th of a second
Bennett’s wallabies are pretty common on Bruny Island in Tasmania. I photographed this one early in the morning, just outside of my lodge. As you can tell, they don’t scare easily. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 350mm) ISO 1600, f/4 at 1/160th of a second
This is the first platypus I had the pleasure of photographing. It was my first trip to Australia back in 2006. Platypus can be notoriously shy and elusive creatures so I was quite excited when I not only captured a photograph of this guy, but actually habituated him to my presence after about an hour or so of sitting by the edge of a pond in Flinders Ranges National Park on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. There was no one else around for the entire hour/hour and a half that I spent with the platypus. He/she kept diving and resurfacing, never still for a moment, making it a challenge as I was shooting with a 600mm manual focus lens back in those days. Nikon D200 with Nikkor 600mm f/5.6 manual focus lens, ISO 400, f/5.6 at 1/100th of a second
Macropods are any of the marsupials in the kangaroo family. Pademelons are very small macropods. This mother and her joey were foraging along the side of the road in Cradle Mountain National Park in Tasmania. I used the light from my car’s headlights to illuminate the animals as daylight quickly turned into night. Nikon D810 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 400mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/40th of a second
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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.
