Richard Flack – Conference Keynote 1

How do we take great images so we can make a positive difference?

An award-winning South African bird photographer, Richard will discuss what makes a “great” image, how we can build confidence as bird photographers to achieve this end and how these images can be used to make a positive difference in our world

Shelley Pearson
Photographing birds creatively

In the earlier years of her photography journey, Shelley focussed solely on capturing bird behaviour. However, as her confidence grew she started to experiment more with light and found her preferred artistic style. Shelley’s passion is to inspire and motivate others to express their creative artistry when photographing birds.

Raoul Slater
Left hand, right hand, eyes and brain

No one has ever looked at a digital camera purely in the context of the brain behind it, and the image as a product of fine motor control, visual cortex function and neurological processing.

Raoul believes that the final frontier in achieving excellence in bird photography is understanding what your brain is doing while there is a camera in hand.

Duade Paton
Go to camera and lens for bird photography

What gear is required to enjoy bird photography and what you can achieve with that gear?

Duade will cover different budgets from beginners to experienced photographers and include gear that he has  used over the last 12 years in the field.

Luke Patterson
A guide to photographing northern Australia’s tropical birds

Luke shares his tips and hints for locating some of Northern Australia’s most special birds like the Northern Shrike-tit, grasswrens and Gouldian Finches. Luke will talk about seasonal cycles and understanding his bird subject aids his photography.  He will share his knowledge of finessed ethical field craft which allows him to get his photographs

David Stowe
The art of seeing

So many photographers are only concerned with the technical: what ISO should I use? What is the best camera brand? Which noise reduction software is best?

We get so caught up and overwhelmed by the technical gear stuff that actually creating a thoughtful or striking image where composition is king, simply doesn’t happen, either at the point of capture, or in the computer afterwards.

We’re often so busy thinking that we don’t see.

In this session David will challenge you to not just ‘capture’, but to ‘create’.
He will challenge you to see.

Q+A with speakers from today’s program

Richard Flack – Conference Keynote 2
How do we unlock our unique creativity so we can reach our potential as artists?
In this session Richard will discuss what is required to set the table for creative success and how by doing this he has  seen creativity come to life in his own work. He will focus most of the examples on his “birds in their environment” series and show his latest work in this regard.

Keith Lightbody
The art and science of photographing birds in flight
In this presentation, Keith will discuss the aspects of both basic bird in flight shots and how to create more artistic images.

Nathan Watson
Photography is an art form, and light is the essence of art in photography
Capturing images that have a more artistic quality requires an understanding of light and what you can do with it. In this presentation, Nathan will share some of his award winning photos and talk about how he approached them, describing the different lighting scenarios and what to look for in the field to achieve different lighting effects. He will also cover the importance of quality light, taking images in low light, and how conditions influence light and should in turn influence your ventures into the field to get the best results.

Athena Georgiou
Stay calm, put the camera to your eye and become calmer
A humorous but serious and practical look at what it takes to get those fabulous photos we all want. Learn about applying some good old common sense to your quest. Athena will also discuss whether it is the camera and lens, the location, the ‘likes’ on Instagram or just you and your camera that makes you happy every single time you go out into the field.

Nicolas Rakotopare

Filming Birds: the technical aspect for better storytelling and capturing behaviour
With video becoming an increasingly important aspect of bird photography, Nicolas will discuss critical technical considerations for filming birds, including how and when to use specific frame rates and resolutions, and their effect on storytelling and capturing behaviour.

Michael Snedic
Bird Photography – it’s more than just portraits
Michael’s presentation will highlight tried and tested techniques for photographing birds multiple ways, including  behavioural shots, birds in flight, abstracts, ICM (Intentional  Camera Movement), silhouettes, rim lighting and much more.