On The Beaton Track: March 2006

Books and Exhibitions

Nature photography can lead you in one direction but business trends often take you in another. The normal mix of business shifted quite a bit last year and for me that meant less travel and more office-based productions.

I worked with my favourite co-author, David Lindenmayer, to produce our latest book Woodlands—A Disappearing Landscape. David also wanted to produce an exhibition but one that specifically addressed the agricultural community. So, together with his team, we launched “Woodlands—It’s Your Country” in Goulburn followed by a ministerial launch in Gundagai in March. Nick Gleitzman designed an attractive lightweight, easy-to-hang system so that the exhibition could travel for the next couple of years throughout country New South Wales and Victoria with ultra efficiency.

If you can’t travel to one of the exhibition venues, then take a tour of it on The River Gallery website.

The Life in the Tall Eucalypt Forests Exhibition featured at the Australian National Botanic Gardens from March to May last year. I wasn’t able to attend in person but that’s when one calls up an ex-husband, right? Thanks to John Beaton for the photo of the huge billboard fronting the street.The exhibition has now moved to its permanent home at the Toolangi Discovery Centre near Healesville, Victoria.

The big item on the agenda for 2005 might well have been the opening of The River Gallery in Brooklyn. Nick Gleitzman, webmaster extraordinaire, fulfilled a long-standing dream of his for a ‘bricks and mortar’ gallery and I was proud that he chose to lead off primarily with my own images. It opened in March 2005 (congratulations Nick on its one year anniversary) and it is truly an elegant venue. He is slowly stocking more of his own panoramic landscapes and I for one hope he continues with more of his own amazing work.

Presentations & Workshops

I enjoyed being back at Willoughby Council in May, leading the photo-tips walks, because that government body is unique in its environmental commitment. It was fun to see the participants all charged up after the walks and buzzing off to produce their own entries for the annual competition. What surprised me, however, was finding myself featured on their new, publicly distributed DVD!

I got another kick when the Central Coast Leagues Club Camera Club asked me back to do another presentation. The audience didn’t know what they were up for with a title like “Eats, shoots and leaves”, but after the obligatory joke, they found out it was about my special flower photography techniques.

Odd Jobs

Tourism, especially nature-based tourism, is going to be a booming business in Australia. That’s my prediction, anyway. So maybe that’s why I took a consulting role for Tourism New South Wales, managing their image library. They already had an online system of presentation and delivery of their photos and it became apparent to me that converting film resources to digital ones is both a serious capital investment as well as a costly ongoing expense. So my chief message to photographers who want to go digital and still be profitable is: fewer pictures, higher quality.

Although I wasn’t supposed to be shooting for TNWS, I nevertheless did a quick fun job of Richard Branson doing a somewhat illegal publicity stunt on the wing of a 747 jumbo...

Shortly afterwards, I also helped out Tourism Australia for a few months. The image library is part of the marketing department and I was thrilled to watch them evolve and roll out the new campaign which is so much in the news lately. Not only does it reflect the cheeky, irreverent components of the Australian character, it also emphasises nature. I think this new campaign will result in a huge influx of tourists coming from overseas to see our wildlife and natural wonders. Check it out and see if you agree.

Travels, Treks and Recent Publications

A quick trip to my high school reunion in California didn’t allow time for photography there. In fact, the whole year didn’t allow much time for assignments—just a quick one for Australian Geographic. But how satisfying to photograph eastern quolls, one of our cutest and rarest carnivores! There were also a couple of nice covers produced for The Helix and World Wildlife Fund.

I’m looking forward to see what mix 2006 will bring. I can tell you one thing for sure, though. Whether it’s sticking my nose into marsupials’ bottoms or into sweet-smelling blossoms, I’ll be out doors and out bush once more! See you there!