Category: Wildlife Photographs

Wildlife Photographs from around the World

June Photo of the Month: White Angel

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Wildlife PhotographsLeave a comment

I launched the first part of a brand new service for RAW file optimisation and production of high resolution finished PSD files this week and the response so far has been almost overwhelming – thank you. For those of you who have sent me files for processing I am currently working through them in the order they were received and I hope to get them back to you within three-to-five days of you having sent them. Over the next few days I will be launching the second part to this service where you can have a fine art print of your photograph made here in my studio and shipped to you anywhere in the world. If you are considering entering APPA this year and are looking for someone to print your images please contact me for details. The prints I entered this year in the State awards scored Gold and Gold with Distinctions and I was also fortunate to take out the overall Highest Scoring Print of the Year.  I also have some other exciting announcements coming up on my blog over the next couple of weeks and am looking forward to sharing them.

In the meantime I have been retrospectively trolling through some of my photographs from the Arctic last year and came across this one of an Ivory Gull coming into land on an ice flow north of Svalbard. This was one of half a dozen or so Ivory Gulls we encountered last year whilst we were photographing Polar Bears at the edge of the pack ice. Ivory Gulls are incredibly angelic birds with pure white plumage and jet black feet.  With a little luck I hope to see them again this year in August when I lead my Arctic expedition to Svalbard and Greenland. This is one of those photographs I have absolutely no recollection of taking and I am not sure why it did not jump out at me on my initial and subsequent pass through edits. Nevertheless, ‘White Angel’ is my photograph of the month for June.

RAW File Processing and Image Optimisation of Your Photograph

Posted in Landscape Photographs, News and Updates, Photographs, Store, Wildlife Photographs1 Comment

A great photograph always starts with a great capture in the field and capturing stunning Landscape, Nature and Wildlife photographs in the field is a skill in and of itself. Once you have captured the RAW data in the field though how do you interpret it and fulfil your vision in file and finished print?

RAW FILE PROCESSING AND IMAGE OPTIMISATION

Processing your RAW file optimally is the key to getting stunning images that realise the captures full potential and your vision for the finished photograph. Workflow and how to best optimise your capture are two of the questions I am most often asked on my workshops. The reality is there is no one simple answer that can be applied to all captures to really coax them to their full potential. It takes time, practice and experience to know which tool to use when, whilst processing RAW files. A one-trick filter or preset might work for some images but it  falls well short of optimal image processing. To help with your RAW files  I am very pleased to now offer a service where you can have your RAW file optimally processed and if you so choose, have a Fine Art Print of your photograph lovingly crafted right here in my studio. The purpose of this service is to be able to provide a finished optimised and processed RAW file complete with all meta-data of exactly what was done to the image during post production. A layered PSD file is also provided along with the processed RAW file that includes any and all adjustments made in Photoshop so that you can see exactly how the image was processed and then if you wish apply this process to more of your own files. Importantly, all post processing faithfully reproduces the intent of the original file in accordance with my own ethics for RAW image processing. This includes any adjustments normally allowed by competitions including Nature’s Best Photography and BBC wildlife Photographer of the Year.

The process of having your own RAW file processed is very simple. You simply send me an email with your request and then upload the RAW file/s to a drop box or other file sharing program of your choice for processing. Processing is done in Adobe Lightroom Creative Cloud and Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud. Once the image has been processed you will be able to download the RAW file complete with an XMP sidecar file that gives you a step-by-step process on how the image was processed. In addition, you will be able to download a high resolution 16 bit layered PSD file that contains any and all adjustments that may have been made in Photoshop. The purpose of providing the layered PSD file is to allow you to see exactly what adjustments were made to the image and in what order. You can then use these same techniques on more of your own images if you wish. Once you have uploaded your RAW file and sent me an email you will receive an invoice for payment which can be paid either via Paypal or Credit Card (Visa or Mastercard).

Ultimately the purpose of this service is to provide you with the finished optimised RAW file complete with all metadata changes as well as the layered PSD file so that you can use this information to better improve your own image processing techniques.

THE ORIGINAL RAW FILE

Turn This: Original Canon EOS 1DX .CR2 RAW File Capture with Canon 200-400mm F4L IS Lens with inbuilt 1.4 Teleconverter ISO200 F11 1/400 of a second  – On a Really Right Stuff TVC24L Tripod with Jobu Gimbal Mount.

THE FINISHED HIGH RESOLUTION PSD FILE

Into This: Finished High Resolution Processed PSD File 

WHAT YOU GET

  • Faithful processing of your original RAW file in Adobe Lightroom with sidecar XMP containing all the meta data adjustments
  • A High Resolution Layered 16 bit PSD file containing any and all adjustments made in Adobe Photoshop
  • If any cropping is recommended you will be supplied with two versions – the original uncropped image and a cropped version

WHAT YOU WONT GET

  • No HDR High Dynamic Range or multi-image composites. If you have these sort of requirements for your finished images you are better off engaging someone who specialises in this sort of post production work
  • A processed image that does not adhere to the original colour and integrity of the RAW file capture
  • Any cloning or removal of objects outside of sensor dust
  • Any digital manipulation that falls outside of that normally allowed by competitions such as Natures Best Photography and BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year

COST

The cost to have your RAW file optimally processed and delivered along with a high resolution 16 bit layered PSD file is $110 AUD inclusive of GST per image.

FAQ

1. How long does it take you to process a file?
It takes anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour or more to properly process a RAW file and produce a PSD that I consider to be finished and optimised.  Much of that time is often taken up with deciding how to get the optimum result and it often takes some experimentation to really bring out the best in each file.
2. How long from when I upload my RAW file until you can process it and return it?
This depends on my current workload and travel schedule. If I am currently in my studio in Australia the typical turnaround is 3-5 days depending on my current workload. If I am travelling I will send you an email with an updated time of when I can work on your file/s.
3. What do you do with the RAW file afterwards?
All RAW files are deleted along with the PSD files once they are returned to you. I do not keep copies after they are returned. Please note that you need to back-up your own images.
4. My RAW file was returned to me unprocessed?
If your RAW file was returned to you unprocessed you will have also received an email explaining that it could not be processed for some technical reason. These include but are not limited too ‘poor exposure with blown highlights or blocked up shadows’, ‘out of focus’, ‘corrupted file’ or similar technical reason.
5. What if I am not happy with the result?
You will receive a full refund.
6. Do you process the file or do you have someone do it for you?
I personally process and handle your RAW file. No one else will touch it.
7. Can I send you multiple RAW files and ask you to choose the best one?
Please don’t upload multiple RAW files and ask me to choose the best one. This is not an image editing service. The purpose of this service is to provide an optimally processed RAW file and a high resolution layered PSD file so that you can see exactly what was done to the file to eek out the very best from it. If you wish to have your work edited it is better to engage the services of an image editor.
8. I have a lot of images the same. How do I choose the best RAW file to send you?
Check your images for exposure. The best exposure will likely be the one where the histogram is biased towards the right without clipping. Also check your RAW files for sharpness. The best RAW file will be the one that combines the best exposure with the sharpest result.
9. Can I send you Portraits or photographs that don’t fall into the Landscape, Nature or Wildlife Categories?
No. This service is only offered for the processing of RAW files that fall into the Landscape, Nature or Wildlife categories. If you have portrait or other images that require processing or retouching you are better off contacting someone who specialises in the respective genre.
10. Can you make a Fine Art Print of my finished PSD file and send it to me?
Yes. Fine Art Printing of your finished PSD file is available. Please contact me for details.

Expedition : Wild Polar Bears 2015 – SOLD OUT

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Travel Photography, Wildlife Photographs, Workshops and Expeditions6 Comments

In July 2015 I am leading a unique expedition to the pack ice north of Svalbard to photograph Polar Bears living and hunting on the sea ice. This expedition has been more than 10 months in the planning and has been designed to provide the very best possible opportunities to Photograph Polar Bears in their natural environment. With the reduction in Arctic sea ice the Polar Bears in Svalbard are dwindling in number and the number of years left to photograph them is unfortunately limited. Late July is the ideal time to photograph Polar Bears north of Svalbard due to the dwindling ice around the archipelago. I had been planning to announce this new expedition to photograph wild Polar Bears  was now open for bookings; however, due to initial expressions of interest and subsequent bookings the trip is already completely sold out.

If you are interested in travelling to the very top of the world to photograph Polar Bears living and hunting in their natural environment on the pack ice you can still email me to be put onto the waiting list or to express your interest in a future expedition.

This photograph scored a Silver with Distinction at the recent Epson Victorian Professional Photography Awards and was part of my winning Portfolio for Science, Environment and Nature photographer of the Year 2014.

New eBook Now Available for Download: Visionary Insights

Posted in eBook, Landscape Photographs, Media, News and Updates, Photographs, Wildlife PhotographsLeave a comment

Over the last few months I have been collaboratively working on a new (and completely free) ebook titled Visionary Insights which I am excited to announce is now available for Download Here. This new ebook was written in collaboration with nine other outdoor photographers with one goal in mind: To help elevate the emotional power of your images – regardless of what equipment or software you currently own and use. Together, we discuss some of our creative insights and processes which you can use and apply to your own photography to consistently create more evocative images.

These are definitely not the typical basic tips you commonly find on the web. Rather, these are intended to be little-known insights gleaned from decades of combined in-the-field experience. They are the creative thought processes of the photographer. The intention here is simple: No fluff. No theory. Just insights that will help pack your photos with punch. Each insight is accompanied by an example photograph as well as a video exploring the creative process behind that image in much greater depth.  I am excited to share this new creative resource and hope you find it of benefit in your photography. Just click on either of the two images or the download button below to download your free copy. If you want to learn even more there are optional expanded videos also available for download.

Photo of the Month May 2014: Bear Reflection

Posted in Arctic, News and Updates, Photographs, Wildlife PhotographsLeave a comment

It has been a whirlwind of ‘to do lists’ over the last week since I returned from my winter Iceland workshop and Namibia overland workshops and as usual my photograph of the month is somewhat belated. Between catching up on all my email correspondence, office paper work and winning the 2014 Epson Victorian Professional Science, Environment and Nature photographer of the year, Creative Photographer of the Year, Highest Scoring Print of the Year and scooping the pool with the grand prize of Epson Victorian Professional Photographer of the Year I have just barely had a few moments to begin to sort and edit the more than five thousand images I shot whilst I was away. The reality is it will likely be many months before I have finished the editing and post production work. I do feel I did some good work in both Iceland and Namibia and I am looking forward to sharing them here on my blog and on my website over the coming months. I have very much enjoyed seeing some of the photographs that were captured during these workshops by participants and it never ceases to amaze me how high the standard of work can be from people who are passionate about their photography. I will also have a full debrief report from both the Iceland and Namibia workshops over the coming weeks here on my blog.

In the meantime, my photograph of the month for May is of a large female Polar Bear I photographed in late July last year at the edge of the permanent pack ice north of Svalbard. I was fortunate to be in the right position when this bear wandered up to the edge of the ice and peered down into the still waters and her own reflection. In terms of distance this Polar Bear was less than thirty feet from the boat when I made this image and I used Canon’s new 200-400mm F4L IS lens with inbuilt 1.4 Teleconverter. This photograph scored a highly coveted Gold Award at the recent VPPY Awards and was one of the photographs in my Creative Folio and Science, Nature and Environment Folio.