This week I’m sharing two super exciting pieces of wonderful news along with a trip down memory lane to Lord Howe Island where I spent many wonderful hours perched on a cliff top watching Red-tailed Tropicbirds.
I absolutely loved my trip to Lord Howe and wish I could magic myself there again. I’ve shared this photograph before but since then I’ve developed more skill processing RAW images and I prefer this version, though it was awarded the way I had it before so perhaps I’m being overly fussy. When I was exhibiting the image I called it ‘Celestial’.
Red-tailed Tropicbirds are magnificent. They have sturdy red bills that they use to capture fish and squid, and long red tail feathers that look like streamers. They are graceful flyers but struggle more on land. They are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in New South Wales and Queensland.
I’ve had some wonderful news over the past couple of weeks that I have been shy about sharing – I love hearing about other people’s happy news so will take a deep breath and share it with you. Two things have happened. I was incredibly honoured to be one of two recipients of the much coveted SSVAPS award (State Service Victorian Association of Photographic Societies) “given for exceptional service to promote the growth and the advancement of photography in the State of Victoria“. The other recipient was another Knox Photographic Society member, my talented friend Noel Butcher. It is very humbling to receive such an award and I’m sincerely grateful to KPS and VAPS for honouring my work in this way.
The second happy news relates to the Nature Photography Exhibition that I recently opened for the Melbourne Camera Club. One of my images, the Mulga Parrot that featured on the front of last year’s lirralirra calendar (see below), won the People’s Choice Award and I’m soon to be the proud owner of Georgina Steytler’s book ‘For the Love of Birds‘. Georgina is an awesome photographer and we share a deep commitment to ethical wildlife photography (see the ethics tab above to visit her website). She also has the most amazing laugh, just thinking about it makes me smile!
And now for a calendar update. Last year’s calendar sold so many copies that I had to organise a second printing – thank you all so much for your wonderful support. All the proceeds went to support my ethical conservation photographing.
I’m just starting to work on this year’s calendar and am wondering what the focus should be. So far I’ve thought about raptors, or maybe birdbath visitors, or perhaps portraits. Or perhaps an eclectic mix… if anyone has a preference or an idea I’d love to hear it.
Happy birding, Kim
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~ Facebook group Ethical Bird Photography
