In this article, I want you to focus on enjoying the photos, rather than wading through lengthy explanations. For those of you who follow most of my posts, you’ll likely find full articles with all the behind-the-scenes details for many of these shots.
Included in these shots are photos of the black butcherbird, where I experimented with the dark key technique, a house sparrow against a colorful seed-filled background, a dotterel stretching a worm, a bee-eater captured mid-flight, and a megapode making a loud call.
That said, I’d love to hear your thoughts—let me know which photo is your favourite!
As the year draws to a close, it’s a natural time for reflection. Like many others, I find myself looking back—this time through the lens of my photography journey.
How I Select My Best Images Each Year
Whenever I capture an image I consider truly high quality, I place it into a dedicated folder reserved for what I regard as my best work of the year. Over time, this has averaged out to around a dozen images annually.
A Year Shaped by Challenging Conditions
This year was both challenging and rewarding. The main obstacles came from the weather: months of persistent rain followed by periods of extreme heat. Neither condition is particularly friendly to nature photography. And yet, despite these challenges, I managed to capture a strong collection of images I’m genuinely proud of.
The Difficulty of Choosing Just One Photograph
For this article, I wanted to share just one photograph. I assumed choosing a single image would be straightforward—but I quickly realised it wasn’t. One image might stand out because of the species, another because of the story it tells, and yet another for the sheer rarity of the moment or the time and planning invested. Each has its own significance.
Let’s Get to the Image
That said, I know most of you are here to see a photograph, not to read an endless introduction—so let’s get to it.
My Top Photograph of 2025: Plumed Honeyeaters
Below is my top-ranked image of the year, capturing a remarkable interaction between three plumed honeyeaters. Two birds stand atop a branch, intently focused on a third individual dangling upside down beneath them, suspended by a single leg. What makes this moment especially intriguing is that one of the perched birds appears to be standing on the hanging bird’s leg, giving the impression that it may be trying to prevent it from falling.
Whether this is a rare glimpse into cooperative behaviour, a split-second of chaos, or simply a piece of accidental bushland comedy is open to interpretation. The clean background and unusual body positions draw the eye and invite the viewer to linger, making this image stand out as my personal favourite of the year.
Your Interpretation of the Moment
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you see a dramatic rescue, a moment of mischief, or something else entirely? What story does this photograph tell you?
I had been holding off on posting my best photos for a while. The reason? It takes considerable time and effort to capture images that are truly contest-worthy, and I’ve always felt that if I posted everything in one go, I’d soon run out of material. However, these are the photos I hold closest to my heart, and I simply couldn’t wait any longer to share them. After all, the joy of photography lies in sharing these moments with others, allowing them to experience the visual beauty I see.
The Elegant Cattle Egret: A Breeding Season Portrait
Summer is the breeding season for the cattle egret, and this photo was taken just minutes from home. It shows the egret in its full breeding plumage — though not quite complete, as it’s missing the characteristic breeding blush on its beak (a bluish tint that comes later). I look forward to capturing this moment again, perhaps with better lighting or composition. To get eye-level with the egret’s nest, I had to work off a ladder, and as the papyrus around the area grows taller each year, getting that perfect shot becomes more challenging.
📌 Update: I’ve now photographed egrets in their full breeding blush! You can see the complete series and final shots in this article.
The Silent Question of the Little Pied Cormorant
Next up is the little pied cormorant. Although it was clearly aware of my presence, it was busy drying its wings and seemed reluctant to fly. You can almost read the silent question in its eyes: *Should I take off now?* However, he was perfectly positioned with the sun illuminating each feather, creating a rare and magical moment for a quality shot. It’s a great example of how sometimes patience and perfect lighting can make all the difference.
The Noisy Miner: Beauty in the Chaos
The noisy miner, often disliked for its aggressive behavior and incessant chattering, is a bird that doesn’t always win hearts. I’m not particularly fond of them either, but this one had an opportunity to hunt for nectar on a long grass-tree flower stem, and I couldn’t resist capturing it. I adjusted the white balance to create a light-filled, soft effect, which suited the image perfectly. This photo was taken in one of my favorite local parks, a place I often return to for its peace and quiet despite the noisy miner’s presence.
Reef Egrets and the Hunt for Fish: A Noosa National Park Adventure
During a family trip to Noosa National Park, I was fortunate enough to capture some incredible moments of reef egrets hunting for fish. The first image shows the bird catching a mudskipper — an impressive feat given the size of the fish. It’s hard to believe it all fits down the bird’s throat, but in mere seconds, it disappears. The second image captures the same bird hunting smaller fish. As the egret shakes its head to stun the fish, water droplets are suspended in mid-air, adding a dynamic element to the photo. The focus in its eyes makes this shot one of my best hunting photos to date. It’s also rare to have several images from a single session make it to the top of my year-end list!
The Majestic Whistling Kite in Flight
While visiting Fraser Island, I captured this stunning shot of a whistling kite in mid-flight. The deep blue sky provided a perfect backdrop, creating maximum contrast and highlighting the bird’s graceful flight. It’s clear from its posture that the kite was keeping an eye on potential prey below, adding a sense of purpose and focus to the image.
Pied Cormorant at Tangalooma Point: A Serene Moment
This next image shows a pied cormorant perched on a handrail near the jetty at Tangalooma Point. The bird, basking in the sun, was completely relaxed and uninterested in the humans passing by. I loved the calmness of the scene, and the vibrant blue of the ocean provided the perfect contrast for the cormorant’s black-and-white plumage.
The Murray River Turtle: A Rainy Encounter
One rainy morning in the same park where I photographed the noisy miner, I came across a Murray River turtle. The turtle appeared to be playing dead, not moving an inch. This gave me the perfect opportunity to capture the moment, with the rain-soaked surroundings adding a rich, saturated color palette. I imagine the rain softened the soil, allowing the turtle to lay its eggs, and after a long day of digging, it simply lacked the energy to flee. It was an extraordinary encounter, and this turtle quickly became famous for its stillness.
Golden Headed Cisticola: Nature’s Hidden Jewel
The golden-headed cisticola is not a bird that typically stands out — in fact, its plain appearance often makes it easy to overlook. But when I spotted this one in full breeding plumage, with its golden head and a red bug in its beak, I couldn’t resist capturing the moment. Despite its unassuming nature, this bird was clearly in full show-off mode, perched among delicate flowers in the soft light. It was a reminder that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.
A Curious Scaly-Breasted Lorikeet at Brisbane Botanical Gardens
Lastly, I have a photo of a scaly-breasted lorikeet taken during the gum tree flowering season at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens. Surrounded by pink bottlebrush flowers, the lorikeet looked directly at the camera with a curious expression. The soft lighting and vibrant colors made this a standout moment in my collection.
Choosing a Favourite: A Year’s Worth of Stories
If you asked me to choose a favorite photo from this collection, I wouldn’t be able to pick just one. Each image holds a special story, a moment of connection, or a challenge that makes it meaningful. But I’d love to hear which photo resonates most with you! Feel free to leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
Click the link below to view my best images from 2019.
2019 feels like a lifetime ago, yet it remains one of my most rewarding years as a nature photographer. I was fortunate to travel for work—and with my camera always by my side, I found myself in the right place at the right time, more than once.
From the wild beaches of Tasmania to the towering rainforests of Papua New Guinea, here are some highlights from that unforgettable year—images that stir strong memories, capture rare moments, and tell stories I’ll never forget.
Tasmania Adventures – Calm, Coastal, and Close-Up
Hooded Plover – Up Close with the Endangered
In parts of mainland Australia, Hooded Plovers are endangered and notoriously hard to find. But in Tasmania—especially along its vast, untouched beaches—they were more common, yet just as captivating.
I spent hours lying in the sand, camera ready, letting one bird get used to my presence. Eventually, curiosity got the better of it, and it wandered right up to me. A calm, intimate moment—exactly the kind I always hope to capture.
Black Swan – A Peaceful Encounter in Margate
Another memorable Tasmanian moment came in the quiet bays near Margate, where I spotted a Black Swan gliding through still water. Though the species is widespread, the setting and lighting made this image special to me—serene, minimal, and reflective in more ways than one.
Northward Bound – Photographing Papua New Guinea
After my time in Tasmania, I headed north to Papua New Guinea—and entered an entirely different world of birdlife. Towering trees, elusive species, and thick rainforest made every photo a challenge… and a thrill.
Red-flanked Lorikeets – A One-Time Opportunity
These colourful birds were not uncommon in PNG, but they almost always perched at the tops of the tallest trees—and believe me, the trees in PNG are tall! That made them difficult to photograph, until one lucky day when I found two lorikeets checking out a probable nest site at eye level. It was a rare opportunity—one I was never given again.
This particular photo even inspired an artist to create a beautiful watercolour painting based on the scene. Moments like these remind me why I always carry my camera.
Knob-billed Fruit Dove – A World-Class Find
Now, this one truly was special. The Knob-billed Fruit Dove is so rarely seen that even Wikipedia uses an illustration for its species page. When I uploaded my photo to eBird, they chose it as the preview image for the species (they had to mirror it, of course, as eBird requires all birds to face right). You can see it here.
At the time of my upload, I was one of only ten people in the world who had managed to photograph this elusive bird. It’s easily one of the rarest captures of my career.
Common Kingfisher – Not So Common After All
Although it’s common in Europe, seeing a Common Kingfisher in PNG was a dream come true for an Australian photographer like me. It took several weeks of careful tracking before I was able to snap this image. The bird foraged along the beach and was incredibly wary—there was no way to approach it directly.
Eventually, I managed to sneak up slowly and capture a few precious frames. A challenging but incredibly rewarding experience.
Closer to Home – Birds Around My Local Area
Not all great photos come from remote adventures. Some of my favourite captures from 2019 were taken close to home.
Crested Pigeon – The Rain-Soaked Park
This Crested Pigeon was resting peacefully in one of my local parks. Recent rain had soaked the background in vibrant greens and saturated colours, giving the image a lush, painterly feel. The bird was relaxed and comfortable with my presence—it almost felt like I was part of the family for the day.
Striated Heron – Focused and Fierce
This final image is of a Striated Heron, totally focused on tracking fish from its perch. Its claws are tightly wrapped, muscles tense, and the messy background adds a sense of mystery and intensity to the scene. It was even chosen as Photo of the Day on eBird—a nice honour for a moment that I remember vividly.
The Hard Lesson
I was planning to include more photos in this post, but as I was going through my hard drive… it decided to pack it in. I’m still hopeful that the images aren’t lost and can be recovered, but if there’s one takeaway—it’s the importance of backing up your photos. A lesson learned the hard way.
I’d love to hear which photo or story resonated with you the most. Let me know in the comments below—and thank you for taking the time to revisit 2019 with me.
