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Inspiring and Supporting Photographers of Australian Birds

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  • Grey-tailed Tattler (Image ID 24940)

    Grey-tailed Tattler.   Photographer: Harry Charalambous

  • Little Egret, White-faced Heron (Image ID 39754)

    Little Egret, White-faced Heron.   Photographer: David Newell

  • Olive-backed Sunbird (Image ID 50733)

    Olive-backed Sunbird.   Photographer: Emmy Silvius

  • Australian Ringneck (Image ID 37528)

    Australian Ringneck.   Photographer: Emmy Silvius

  • Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Stilt, Red-necked Stint, Ruddy Turnstone, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Silver Gull (Image ID 60330)

    Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Stilt, Red-necked Stint, Ruddy Turnstone, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Silver Gull.   Photographer: Cherilyn Corker

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The next BirdLife Photography Biennial Conference will be held in Hahndorf, SA, at the Adelaide Hills Convention Centre, on 23rd & 24th March 2024.

Visit the dedicated BirdLife Photography Biennial Conference website for details.  Ticket sales are now open.

The final cut-off dates for conference attendance and conference dinner bookings are Saturday 9th of March for the dinner and Saturday 16th of March for the conference itself. No bookings can be accepted after the cut-off dates

BirdLife Photography would like to acknowledge Adelaide Optical Centre and Twin City Cameras for their generous sponsorship of our conference.

This Search facility will search all website content, uploaded documents, and images.  Some content on this site is restricted to BLP members; visitors may not be able to access all the items found.  The search options button on the All Photos page (on the Photo Gallery drop-down menu), and on individual gallery pages, provides more options for searching images only.

Latest Images

Welcome Swallow (Image ID 62201)
Welcome Swallow
Glenn Pure
Viewed: 39
Australasian Grebe (Image ID 62200)
Australasian Grebe
Glenn Pure
Viewed: 33
Welcome Swallow (Image ID 62199)
Welcome Swallow
Rob Solic
Viewed: 24
Grey Butcherbird, Noisy Miner (Image ID 62198)
Grey Butcherbird, Noisy Miner
Angela Farnsworth
Viewed: 15
Grey Butcherbird, Noisy Miner (Image ID 62197)
Grey Butcherbird, Noisy Miner
Angela Farnsworth
Viewed: 12
Far Eastern Curlew (Image ID 62196)
Far Eastern Curlew
Tony Willis
Viewed: 18
Australian Brush-turkey (Image ID 62195)
Australian Brush-turkey
Angela Farnsworth
Viewed: 13
Striated Heron (Image ID 62194)
Striated Heron
Angela Farnsworth
Viewed: 17
Crested Pigeon (Image ID 62193)
Crested Pigeon
Diana Womersley
Viewed: 29
White-winged Chough (Image ID 62192)
White-winged Chough
Diana Womersley
Viewed: 26
Black Swan (Image ID 62191)
Black Swan
Ian Wilson
Viewed: 30
Grey Plover (Image ID 62190)
Grey Plover
Glenda Gore
Viewed: 18
Masked Lapwing (Image ID 62189)
Masked Lapwing
Glenda Gore
Viewed: 12
Fairy Tern (Image ID 62188)
Fairy Tern
Glenda Gore
Viewed: 16
Western Spinebill (Image ID 62187)
Western Spinebill
Glenda Gore
Viewed: 17
Pacific Black Duck (Image ID 62145)
Pacific Black Duck
John Gitsham
Viewed: 16

The Entry Level category for the Introduced Birds competition comprised only 14 images.  As usual I looked at these images in terms of their technical standard and their composition.

In addition, introduced species have an impact on other birds and the environment, which varies considerably from species to species.  Some introduced species are highly successful, whereas others remain marginal and limited in their distribution.  Some have a particular association with humans and the urban environment.  Thus, I also looked to see what the image says about the impact and character of the introduced bird depicted.

Winner:  Ostrich, by Graham Gall  (Image ID 35917)

I expect that some readers will be surprised that I selected this image over others.  However, I found several aspects of this image interesting.  Ostriches are typically found in arid or semi-arid environments in their native territory (now confined to Africa), and only small introduced populations are found in limited locations in Australia.  The sepia-like tones of this image, and the high key presentation, seem to capture this aspect;  dry, dusty, hot, enjoying a sand bath.  The bird seems almost part of the sand.  I also think that the head portrait works well, providing a more intimate portrait than would be achieved had the photographer tried to capture the whole bird given its size.  I think the photographer successfully tried something a bit different here, and given that most Australians will only come into contact with Ostriches in a zoo, the setting seems appropriate.

Ostrich

Highly Commended:  Spotted Dove, by Jennifer Carr  (Image ID 35925)

In complete contrast to the winner, here the photographer has produced a fairly standard full-bird portrait.  However, it has been well executed overall.  The overall warm colour, with near identical colours in the background compared to the bird, and soft overall lighting, provide a pleasing intimate feel to the portrait which is in keeping with the nature of the bird and our traditional view of doves.  The bird itself is nicely focused, without being over-sharpened, and as a result shows good feather detail and the head and eye are reasonably crisp.  Unfortunately the barbed wire is a bit out of character with the overall tone of the image, but it and the post help divide up the background and draw the eye in.

Spotted Dove

Commended: Common Blackbird, by Jennifer Carr  (Image ID 36200)

This image has some obvious issues in relation to composition, but I selected it because provides an interesting portrait of this species.  The photograph captures the character of the blackbird quite well, particularly its love for water and relatively cool sheltered environments.  The contrast between the strong motion blur of the body, and the sharp head and feet, adds interest, as does the fine spray of water from the bird shaking itself.  The yellow/orange beak and eye-ring provide a centre of focus in an otherwise fairly dark image.  Unfortunately, for me, the white material at the bottom and the slightly off-centre position of the bird detract from the image compositionally;  the latter could be fixed in post processing, but the former is more difficult to deal with whilst still keeping the feet away from the edge of the frame.

Common Blackbird

Commended: Rock Pigeon, by by Graham Gall  (Image ID 35906)

Again, I appreciate that the photographer attempted to present this species in the built environment which is where it is often found, in an interesting way. The birds seem to be having a conversation, on the statue, which is itself an arresting bronze piece that dominates the picture. Pigeons on statues are a very common/stereotypical target for photographers, but the position of the birds and the nature of the statue keep it more interesting than many Instagram photos of this type.

Rock Pigeon

 

Recent Picks

Grey-backed Storm-Petrel (Image ID 62071)
Grey-backed Storm-Petrel
Chris Young
Viewed: 110
Pink Robin (Image ID 61955)
Pink Robin
Rob Solic
Viewed: 107
Australasian Gannet (Image ID 61793)
Australasian Gannet
Valerie Misa
Viewed: 103
Superb Fairy-wren (Image ID 61802)
Superb Fairy-wren
Shane Little
Viewed: 88
Galah (Image ID 61731)
Galah
Rob Solic
Viewed: 115
Australasian Darter (Image ID 61648)
Australasian Darter
Stephen Garth
Viewed: 119
Plumed Whistling-Duck (Image ID 61612)
Plumed Whistling-Duck
Shane Little
Viewed: 153
Pied Stilt (Image ID 61516)
Pied Stilt
Patrick Kavanagh
Viewed: 138
Australasian Gannet (Image ID 61497)
Australasian Gannet
Stephen Garth
Viewed: 212
Australian White Ibis (Image ID 61471)
Australian White Ibis
Angela Farnsworth
Viewed: 165

CONTACT US

The easiest way to contact us is by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Our People page, in the About Us section, contains email links to each of the committee members.