I am sometimes described as a bird photographer, and I suspect this is partly because many of the images I shared on social media tended to be of birds. However, it is also true that of all the photography I do, I get the greatest pleasure from sitting quietly in nature and capturing images of birds and animals.

When I lived in Queensland, Ospreys were among my favourite subjects. Since moving to Victoria, they are less common, and the challenge has shifted towards capturing the smaller and often much faster-moving birds found in this region.

I don’t have a list of particular birds or animals that I want to photograph. Instead, I simply enjoy the challenge of seeing what is out there on the day and trying to capture the best image I can. Sometimes that means patience, sometimes persistence, and sometimes simply being in the right place at the right moment.

Sometimes it is as simple as walking out into our backyard, as with Hard to Get At, Juvenile Musk Lorikeet and More Family Time. On the occasional opportunity to photograph in a semi-controlled environment, I try to make the most of that as well, as demonstrated by Eye Level and Young Sea Eagle.

For me, bird photography is as much about the experience of being immersed in nature as it is about the resulting image. The photograph is the reward for being there, watching, waiting and responding to whatever presents itself.