Australian Photography March 2022

Despite us running plenty of stories over the years about smartphone photography (the most recent being one in December) I’ve always struggled with using them as anything more than a backup device for photography. I’m sure this is totally unfounded in 2022, but it’s still something I’ve never quite been able to shake. However, a couple of months ago I slipped and dropped my Sony A7. This ended up needing repairs and, combined with me trying to thin out my cameras over the last few years, left me with only a smartphone to shoot with. No problem, I thought - I had the latest Vivo X70, probably one of the best smartphones you can buy today, with a whopping 50MP sensor and four separate sensors to cover everything from wide-angle to…

DR LOUISE FAIRFAX Louise Fairfax is a Tasmanian wilderness photographer. She enjoys capturing the beauty of nature, whether it is landscape, or the minutiae of fungi and wildflowers. She hopes her photos will lead others to appreciate nature’s beauty. STEVE THOMAS Steve Thomas has been racing, shooting and writing about bikes and adventure travel for most of his life, and has earned his crust from it for 25-plus years. See more of his work at stevethomasimages.com ANTHONY MCKEE Anthony McKee is a Melbourne-based writer and social documentary photographer. In 2014, he was named AIPP Documentary Photographer of the Year. See more at anthonymckee.com.au SAM EDMONDS Sam Edmonds is a photographer, writer and Antarctic expedition guide focusing on issues of ecology and conservation. See more of his work at samedmondsphoto.com…

It was “scoparia” time of year… I hoped. With the native plant Richea scoparia, you can never quite tell. It marches, as all nature does, to its own drum, and can be at its peak earlier or later as is its whim. One tries to predict by looking at other plants that are easier to access, and to make a call according to how they’re going, but ultimately, it is always a lucky dip, and some years you get it and others you are too early, or too late for the best of the party. It is a plant that enjoys high altitudes (as do I), so it is also hard to just pop in and see how it’s going. Despite this, I wanted to be in the mountains to try…

I clearly remember my first images published in the early 1980’s - how exciting. At the time, I did not get paid, but did it worry me? Nope! Instead, I was inspired to start writing alongside my images. Soon enough, I had eight-page spreads with multiple images and editors asking for more. Plus, they wanted to pay me! Australian Photography was the first photo magazine to publish an image of mine in 1984 - I still have it archived. This was followed by a Sydney magazine called BushDriver. They loved my storytelling from outback Australia, and of course, I could also add images. At the time, I went from saving up to undertake my six-monthly trips in the 1980’s to paying my way and starting a unique lifestyle. Today, there’s a new…

THE Ocean Art Underwater Photo Competition has revealed its winners for 2021. The contest, organised by the Underwater Photography Guide, is now in its tenth year, and looks for the world’s best photos that document marine life behavior, unique portraits of underwater species, and powerful images that advocate for conservation. The competition was judged by underwater photographers Tony Wu, Mark Strickland, and Marty Snyderman, and featured more than $35,000 in prizes. The overall Best in Show winning image was captured by Belgian photographer Luc Rooman, who won a dive cruise in Indonesia. Closer to home, Australian photographer PT Hirschfield took out the compact behaviour category, with her image of two mating seahorses captured on the Mornington Peninsula. You can see all the finalists at uwphotographyguide.com/ocean-art-contest-winners-2021.…

CANON has launched a video-centric version of the EOS R5, the 8K capable EOS R5 C. Described by the company as a powerful, hybrid cinema camera, the EOS R5 C combines the filmmaking features of the Cinema EOS range with the EOS R System’s photo capabilities. Like the EOS R5, the new body features a full frame CMOS sensor, DIGIC X processor and RF Mount, but the R5 C is also capable of 8K 60p RAW capture. Like the R5, the R5 C also offers 45 megapixel still photo capture at burst speeds up to 20 frames per second. The EOS R5 C is capable of internal 8K 30p RAW recording and up to 60p when using an external power source, while an onboard internal active cooling system allows for limitless recording. The camera…