Silvereye Zosterops lateralis

Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) is a small (10-12grams) bird found in most states of Australia including Tasmania. The Silvereye have also been sighted in New Zealand and even have a Maori name, Tauhou which means “new arrival”.  These photos were taken a few years ago near Magic Point,  Maroubra NSW.

Silvereye in spring

The photo above was one of the photos exhibited in my solo photo exhibition Swapping the Stethoscope for a 400mm Lens. This photo was sold for $188 with the proceedings donated to Sydney Children Hospital Foundation. I consider this as one of the best Australian bird photos I have taken so far.

Opps... dropping it.

This post also celebrate my blogging milestone. 200 posts since moving over to WordPress. Next milestone, 100 000 views. Currently sitting at 92 600, do visit again.

Celebrating 200 posts

You can never take the same photograph twice;

Neither can you have the same feeling by viewing the same photograph twice.*

*A photograph may seem the same, but our mental state fluctuates every moment. Our appreciation and interpretation of the photos is very much influenced by our state of mind. Therefore it is unlikely that we would have the same feelings while looking at the same photo at different times. Inspired by the teaching of Impermanence.

My Australian Birds List

Photography Equipments

Canon EOS 350D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens

Garden Jumping Spider (Opisthoncus parcedentatus)

Garden Jumping Spider

Garden Jumping Spider (Opisthoncus parcedentatus) is a common spider found in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Some people believe that this species is found all over Australia. The spider is roughly 12mm in size. Garden Jumping Spider is usually found on foliage and leaf.

Garden Jumping Spider (Opisthoncus parcedentatus)

The  colourful markings on Opisthoncus parcedentatus apparently can be different in each individual of the same species. Looking through some photos of the species, this spider has similar markings compared to the others, hopefully I got the identification (ID) right. Please let me know if you think otherwise.

8 eyes...

8 Eyes, quite a few with catchlight. Catchlight is the little bright spots you see in the eyes. In portrait photography, catchligh is supposed to  add a glint or spark to a subject’s eyes bringing the subject to life. I supposed in Macro photography the idea is still applicable.

Ready to jump

Since I do not owned a purposed build macro-flash, I had to modify my Canon Speedlite 580EX II for these photos. To overcome the problem of not being able to direct the flash light very efficiently, I bummed up the output of the flash. Using ETTL +2 setting for the shots above. What do you think about the lighting technique?

Garden Jumping Spider With dinner...This photo has been rotated 180 degree.

Caught this Garden Jumping Spider feasting under a leaf. This created a little problem as I was unable to bounce my flash  accurately through the thick foliage. With some tweeting, the lighting turn out to be quite interesting.

The modification to the Speedlite is simple, idea borrowed from from Bluemonkey’s set up. Initially used to overcome the high ceiling during Unibuds Bodhi Nite 2011. A white cardboard was use to reflect light onto the subject. 2 rubber band from Transplant Australia hold it in place.

 

Useful links for Spider identification

1. Spiders of Australia

2. http://www.brisbaneinsects.com

3. http://arachne.org.au

4. http://www.findaspider.org.au

 

My other spider post

https://exblog2012.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/sidymella-longipes/

 

Photographic equipments

1. Canon 350D

2. Canon EF 100mm F2.8L IS Macro lens

3. Canon 580EX II speedlight

Olive-backed Oriole

Caught a big hairy caterpillar

Olive-backed Oriole (Oriolus sagittatus) one of the 3 species of Orioles found in Australia. This Australian bird is widely distributed across Northern and Eastern Australia. The Olive-backed Oriole’s habitats includes woodland and rain forest.

Tenderlising the catch before dinner.

This set of photos was taken a few days ago near Parramatta Lake, NSW Australia. The Oriole was found in a dense woodland, therefore photography is as challenging as usual. Firstly, to get a clear view of the oriole was difficult. As you can see from the photo, branches are always in the way. I must say that I am pretty happy that in these photos, I was able to get the eyes in focus. Other challenges includes, low lights settings.

Having caught a hairy juicy caterpillar, the Olive-backed Oriole was distracted a little, enough for me to moved in to get my shots. According to some sources, the main diet of   Olive-backed Oriole is wild fruits and berries. However, this particular bird seems to enjoy caterpillar more than anything else.

Check out the dark streak on the breast

This is how you should not photograph a bird. Shooting from below on a bird that is perching on a branch. The photograph is not flattering for the bird. However this shot was taken, and publicised here, as it helps with I identification of the bird. I often do take photos like these in the field, to help with ID at home.

My Australian Birds List

Photography Equipments

Canon EOS 350D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens