On The Beaton Track: December 2006
Travels & Treks
The major photographic shoot for 2006 was a trip to Western Australia, in September/October, to photograph the amazing wildflowers. Rather than drive the huge, empty distance across the continent, I chose to fly and rent a car upon arrival. My Hyundai Getz got me everywhere and carried all my equipment, photographic, camping and otherwise. The southwest corner is so flat and the roads rarely get washed out, so a 4WD really isn’t necessary. For the few bumps on the landscape called hills, well, they’re so steep you have to walk up them anyway.
I had a special assignment to photograph certain wasps in flight, pollinating tiny, tiny ground orchids. Impossible? Just about. I worked with Ryan Phillips, a PhD student from the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority wouldn’t have been able to do it without him. But what really did the task was the special equipment I purchased: a Nikkor sharp-as-a-tack 105 micro lens with vibration reduction and a state-of-the-art R1C1 macro lighting kit. I can’t speak highly enough about this kit, so I’m going to write a full report about it later. My new D200 camera performed so much better than the D100 and the Epson P4500 media viewer was a brilliant alternative to lugging around a laptop computer.
I took the opportunity to do a few ecotourism articles and was lucky enough to record – in the wild – some of the unique marsupial treasures of this country: quokkas, numbats and honey possums. Wait til you see these pics!
No sooner did I get back than I was off to the USA in November and then in December, had a return visit from family here in Australia. I took them canyoning in the Blue Mountains. If there is one situation virtually impossible to photograph, this is it. Canyoning involves going into exceedingly dark places and much of it underwater. So I missed the shot of my sister hanging upside down in a waterfall, part way down a 100-foot slick wall, with no way out of her predicament. It was a heart-stopping moment for all of us. But the little trouper made it eventually.
Recent Publications
I’ve kept busy writing and producing several features during 2006, mainly travel pieces. There were also contributions to calendars to Hallmark, Artique and David Messent ranges. But the highlight for me was having two pages in the most beautiful one of all: the Inner Reflections 2007 Engagement Calendar, published by the Self-Realization Fellowship. This work of art is the benchmark by which many nature photographers measure themselves. If you’re in it, then your work is among the best in the world.
Another interesting use of my photos this year took me a bit by surprise. An honours student from the University of Sydney wrote her thesis on how Australian Geographic was influential in promoting and guiding Australia’s national identity. She interviewed several photographers, and quoted us, but ended up using more of my photos to illustrate her message than from any other photographer.
Odd Shots
Just to end up on a light note – here’s a pic of Lleyton Hewitt and Becca Cartwright. David Messent took the shot when we bumped into the couple as they were boarding the local ferry at Ettalong. Just when they thought they’d have some peaceful time alone...
