Graham Harris
September 2024 - Tasmanian Devil feeding
About the Image(s)
The image was taken at a Devils@Cradle Wildlife Park in Tasmania. I wanted to show the strong jaws of the devil as it disposes of a wallaby carcase – they are primarily scavengers feeding on the remains of animals thyey find.
The image was taken using Sony A550 with a 20-300mm lens at 300mm. The settings used were F6.3 at 1/320s shutter speed and an ISO 3200 – conditions were quite dark with the subject in late winter afternoon shadow. The image was cropped to position the devil to the left of frame and post=processed using Lightroom Classic (opening up shadows and reducing highlights – exposure dropped back half a stop). Digital noise reduced and subject sharpness increased using Topaz Photo AI).
Regards,
Graham Harris
5 comments posted
Excellent photo.Great POV.I can also see the catch light in the animals eyes. Nice shot. Posted: 09/07/2024 16:19:23
Graham Harris
Thanks for comment. I was quite happy to get this devil by himself when feeding - often they come together as a group to feed which can be quite chaotic. Posted: 09/08/2024 21:33:57
This is such a cool photo, and we don't often see images of this species. I wish it was clearer exactly what he's eating, but at least it isn't a chicken leg! (That's a reference to techniques often used to attract animals for photos.) I think you did a good job on the composition and exposure, and the eye is in focus which makes the whole animal appear in focus.
I would try to take down the highlight on the nose.
Be aware that some judges who are sticklers will count off for what looks like a lawn that has been mowed, if not recently. Personally, I would not object to the grass in this image.
Lillian Posted: 09/16/2024 20:56:50
I would try to take down the highlight on the nose.
Be aware that some judges who are sticklers will count off for what looks like a lawn that has been mowed, if not recently. Personally, I would not object to the grass in this image.
Lillian Posted: 09/16/2024 20:56:50
Graham Harris
The devil is eating a wallaby leg - they are primarily carrion eaters so often congregate at roadkill sites. This one is in a Tasmanian Devil Sanctuary where they are fed wallabies shot for this purpose (roadkill animals are not used because of the risk of facial tumour transmission). Posted: 09/17/2024 07:13:21
I understand that from your description, but judges see only the image and must score it based on what they can see. All I can tell from the image is that it's chewing on something that looks like meat.
I had a related experience once in Namibia, at a private Cheetah preserve where they were fed chicken and leftover bits of game. It's hard for non-photographers to understand that a big old chicken thigh in the photo kind of ruins it for our purposes. I'm saying the wallaby leg in this image is much better than that chicken situation, but it would be even better if you could see the whole wallaby, or at least tell that it's a mammal leg.
That's fascinating about the facial tumor transmission, I need to look that up.
Lillian Posted: 09/17/2024 08:40:55
I had a related experience once in Namibia, at a private Cheetah preserve where they were fed chicken and leftover bits of game. It's hard for non-photographers to understand that a big old chicken thigh in the photo kind of ruins it for our purposes. I'm saying the wallaby leg in this image is much better than that chicken situation, but it would be even better if you could see the whole wallaby, or at least tell that it's a mammal leg.
That's fascinating about the facial tumor transmission, I need to look that up.
Lillian Posted: 09/17/2024 08:40:55