Page 46 - Australian Photography Dec 2020

PROFILE: ALEX CEARNS
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: While leading a photography tour to Tanzania, Africa, the lodge we stayed at had installed
a large pile of rocks to act as home to a colony of rock dassies. I’d been for a swim and as I walked back to my room I saw the dassies were out and about. I raced to grab my camera and 50-600mm lens.
I sat about seven metres from two juveniles, but was able to zoom in thanks to the beast of a lens. Much to my amazement, a third dassie appeared, then a fourth and a fifth, until there were seven peering out at me. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Tamron 150-600mm f/5-6.3 lens @ 500mm. 1/50s @ f9, ISO 1600;
Seven sweet seven-week-old staffy puppies (try saying that fast!) strike a pose in my studio. The pups are seated on a one-square-metre ottoman with pieces of yoga mat placed along the sides to act as walls. This keeps the puppies safe. I started with two puppies, then slowly added more until the whole litter was on the backdrop. Then it’s a matter of quickly getting their
attention and being ready – I might only get a split second to have all eyes looking at me. Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 lens @ 24mm. 1/200s @ f13, ISO 125;
A wild baby macaque monkey sits
in the arms of his mother at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre in Cambodia. Wild animals seek refuge at the centre as they know it’s a
safe haven where they can source food and won’t be hunted. I used a 70-200mm lens for this image as I did not want the baby reaching out too close to me, for fear of facing the mother’s wrath. Canon EOS-1D X, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens @ 200mm. 1/400s @ f2.8, ISO 640;
A rescued bronzewing dove sits on the hand of her carer and stretches her wings. Images like these are all about timing. I watch birds carefully and as soon as they start to move or rouse (ruffle and shake their feathers) I know they are about to give me something fun to capture. Timing is key. Canon EOS-1D X, 24-70mm f/4 lens @ 24mm. 1/125s @ f13, ISO 100.
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