
When a significant proportion of the world population of shore plovers made a rare appearance on a mainland beach, I went to see them. I took a few photos too.

When a significant proportion of the world population of shore plovers made a rare appearance on a mainland beach, I went to see them. I took a few photos too.

On an evening visit to Miranda I was rewarded by a flock of royal spoonbills that landed near where I was watching shorebirds. I was able to make many photos of the spoonbills feeding on crabs and gleaning invertebrates from mangrove leaves in warm evening light.

Tui are a relatively common and often photographed native bird. So why did I pick this intimate portrait as a feature photo?

Photographing common birds like the chaffinch can be a great way to hone skills, as well as get images that are often overlooked by photographers intent on finding only the rare and unusual.
There are lots of photography ‘rules’ regularly parroted, as if breaking one would have the flashing lights of the photo police soon appearing in your viewfinder. Golden hour light directly over your shoulder, head angle three degrees toward you, remember the rule of thirds or it’ll be a night in the cell for you! To […]