Red Kangaroo Buck
while visiting the Clealand National Park in Adelaide, South Australia I watched this buck snoozing in the afternoon sun.
Taken using my Canon 60D, Canon ...
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while visiting the Clealand National Park in Adelaide, South Australia I watched this buck snoozing in the afternoon sun.
Taken using my Canon 60D, Canon EF 75-300mm f-4-5.6
Read less
Taken using my Canon 60D, Canon EF 75-300mm f-4-5.6
Read less
Aug, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I went on a trip down memory lane by visiting all the places I loved as a kid growing up in the Adelaide Hills and spent one afternoon in Cleland National Park. The sprawling acres there are home to many native Australian species that it makes it easier for someone like me who cannot walk very far to find a thousand things to photograph. I just have to make sure I have enough batteries and SD cards.Time
Late in the afternoon was a great time to wander around the National Park because I know the Roos start coming together in preparation for the night. The mornings and evenings are usually the best times to catch the animals in easy to photograph poses or in lighting that works well. To go out in the Australian summer days is hell, so even the animals hide to get out of the heat.Lighting
Sunset in the Adelaide Hills usually lends a lovely glow to the landscape and often requires little extra to shoot the animals in natural settings. Early mornings or evenings are the best times to photograph the Australian fauna, less harsh and certainly easier on the photographer, especially in the summer. The animals are usually much calmer and easier to capture in repose. I try to get them while their in the shade and then lighten the image somewhat in post production, if needed.Equipment
I used my old fave, a Canon EOS 60D with an EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens. I never use flashes when shooting animals...its too distracting and you would need to get in too close. I always have a couple of lenses to hand, including the 50mm and a wide angle. A tripod is also useful, but I hardly use one unless the lighting is too poor. You need to be quick when capturing animals and spending time setting up a tripod just isnt convenient. I also find using my iPhone 6 very handy sometimes if I dont have my DSLR to hand. Nice images come from it, at times. Never scoff at iPhone photography....I find its not so much the equipment you use, but what you do with it, that counts.Inspiration
I love all Australian flora and fauna and there is so much of it around if you stop and look. Hard to miss, as long as you always have your camera handy. I see all sorts of animals and cannot resist taking their photos for the chance to get that one image that shows just right expression or angle to show off its sort to best advantage. I like to look for unusual facial expressions, whenever possible.....they do have them. Just watch Koala's when they doze in the trees, hilarious. Besides, Im an Australian and we have some of the most unusual and beautiful animals in the world....whats not to like?Editing
I have only recently discovered the joys of Lightroom, so have always had to rely on taking the photo as close to "as final" that I want, so I didn't have too much to edit in this one. I did lighten the coat and particularly the face of this buck because, typically, they like to lie under the shade of a Eucalyptus tree. I like to up the saturation a little as I find the camera never really picks up the tones the way I see them...maybe my eyesight is distorted?In my camera bag
I carry very little as I'm somewhat of a disabled person, not being able to walk very far anymore. I try to keep it light with just the camera body, a 50mm, wide angle and always my 300mm zoom for animal shots. A cleaning kit, spare battery, extra SD cards and small trips are always in my bag. I bought myself a special camera bag that looks just like a ladies handbag too, so my wallet, keys and iPhone are also always to hand.Feedback
Animal photography of any kind requires an excess amount of patience to get the right angle, expression or light. These Roos in national parks, however, are usually used to people and are quite calm so are pretty easy to photograph. I swear some of them even seem to pose for you. I think it helps to have an affinity with animals of all sorts as they do sense it when you are not afraid or a threat to them. I love it!
