Back to my roots then to the polar opposite – Borneo to California
Posted by Dean Bradshaw | Filed under Travel Photography, Wildlife Photography
Big change is coming. I’ve once again self diagnosed extreme wanderlust and have made plans to have myself remedied – too long have I been cooped up in the studio.
First stop - Malaysian Borneo – where I will live for two weeks deep in the South East Asian Jungle. Sabah is where I’ll be going, a Malaysian State on the north-eastern part of Borneo, the world’s third largest island and known as arguably the best place in Southeast Asia to observe wildlife. We’ll be spending most of our time in the interior of the region, along the edge of the Kinabatangan River and at a research station in one of Sabah’s largest reserves. The jungles of Sabah contain some of the oldest rainforests in the world and are home to an abundance of animal and plant species. Pygmy elephants, Proboscis Monkeys, Orangutans, pitcher plants, orchids, and the world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia, can be found. Lots of photography will be taking place and I have an interesting and somewhat innovative project to trial while I’m there.
Second Stop – California - where I will be working with a photographer who I greatly admire to help coordinate photo shoots for some of the biggest brands in the world. More news on that when I touch down in early June.
Lots of new photos landing soon…
Darwinian Mechanics
Posted by Dean Bradshaw | Filed under Wildlife Photography
A girl less often found on a grey seamless than your typical rosy-cheeked model…
These Bulldog Ants (Myrmecia spp.) are both ferocious predators and exceedingly alert. Their large eyes afford excellent vision and as such they are eternally vigilant for both prey and intruders. This little girl (ants, like bees reproduce through parthenogenesis and accordingly the workers are all female.) was difficult to deal with – photographed with two lights on a ready-made cyclorama formed from a sheet of crisp laserjet paper. They are the largest ants in Australia, and some species can be in excess of 40mm in length! these ones were around 25mm, toting disproportionately enormous mandibles and a potent sting which they use to subdue prey and fend off predators.
This image is actually about 2 years old. I decided to reprocess and upload it mostly as a reminder to myself of a subject that really is important to me…
If you’d like to read more about these ants, check out a brilliant article featured in National Geographic that deals with them and their fascinating lifestyles, here.
Also, for more macro photos of an enormous array of Perth’s local invertebrate fauna – including more images of these ants, check out two of my good friends and their photostreams here and here. Most of what I know about ants I have learnt from these guys – both incredibly enthusiastic about these diminutive creatures.
Count the Seagulls
Posted by Dean Bradshaw | Filed under Wildlife Photography
What a sight to behold.
I came across these thousands of Pied Cormorants roosting on a remote sliver of beach early last year.
See how many seagulls you can find…
Within 15 minutes of us arriving and observing the birds, a pair of wedge tailed eagles swooped into the enormous flock, taking out at least 3 cormorants as easily as a farmer would slice through a field of wheat.
The shoreline was littered with carcasses from previous forays – the beach a well stocked larder for two raptors fortunate enough to find it.
Cycle of Life: A photo essay
Posted by Dean Bradshaw | Filed under Wildlife Photography
A Green Turtle lays her eggs, against the glow of two oil rigs on the horizon.
Earlier this year, I spent two weeks traversing the Pilbara region of Western Australia, as a personal project to document the region and also to relax at the same time. Another of the primary reasons for the trip was to spend some time around Exmouth and nearby Cape Range National Park, to document the hatching of turtles along the coastline, and if I was lucky, the laying of eggs by the enormous adult turtles. We spent about three nights camping in the national park, each evening going out looking for wildlife on the roads and then pulling into some of the many beaches along the Cape searching for nesting Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas).
A turtle clambers ashore to lay her eggs at sunset
Find out more and see what eats baby turtles after the jump! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: field, photo essay, photojournalism, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography
Workplace Hazards!
Posted by Dean Bradshaw | Filed under Wildlife Photography
The Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) is one of the most commonly encountered reptiles in Southeast Asia (This one is from Thailand, near the Burmese border). They frequent houses and man-made structures, coming out at night to hunt for insects and smaller geckos. They are quite enormous for a gecko, reaching lengths over a foot long!
Hear about and even see what this guy did to my finger, after the jump…. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: assignment, gecko, Lighting, lizard, macro, portrait, reptile, strobist, thailand, travel, Wildlife
