1littlewolf's Nature and Wildlife Photography

1littlewolf's Nature and Wildlife Photography

Hey all, just thought I’d throw up a few of my better nature and wildlife pics for your viewing pleasure. I’m an avid lover of wild and lonely areas of wilderness, and also have a deep empathy for animals which I think they sense and has allowed me to get some really spectacular shots. I live in Queensland Australia, but my work takes me up to the Pilbara region of Western Australia

I’ve never taken a photography course except in art class at high school and almost all the shots (except the ones with the drill rigs and a few of the Pilbara shots) were taken on were taken on my crappy hand held Pentax Optio 2005 model 5 megapixel camera. I guess I’ve just managed to be in the right place at the right time for many of them.



The Pond in my Garden

Built a pond in my front garden a few years back. I originally built it as I was over cleaning out my the multiple tanks that used to house my goldfish. They were obviously a lot happier in there but when the last one died a few years later the pond became inundated by the most beautiful local native flora and fauna.

The Pond





Lacewings



Tiny snails only a few millimeters across







It has now been overtaken by frogs, namely hundreds of Eastern Sedge Frogs, but a few other species hop by as well.











At night the pond is visited by all sorts of wildlife. This here is a young Carpet Python which stayed over for three nights to snack on the frogs. As you can see they made quite an easy meal.















We don’t usually get too many swamp monsters as my 5x2 metre pond is way to small, but this little fella is only young and a bit of a runt so I let him stay…





Mt. Coot-tha Forest

Just a few pics taken while bushwalking in the state forest near my home.







Here I came across a goanna (Australian monitor lizard) climbing up a tree in an attempt to get to the nest of this cockatoo and steal the eggs. Obviously he didn’t make it very far….







Me attempting to get a little artistic



Close up of a King Parrot’s feathers



Beautiful fern fronds







Pilbara Region of Western Australia

For better or worse I currently work in the mining industry mainly centered around the iron rich hills of the Pilbara. These pics were taken while I worked in iron ore exploration which gave me ample time to explore the rugged gorges and beautiful little rock pools of this ancient land.

‘Snappy’ Gums





Gecko I rescued out of a puddle of mud during exploration drilling



Drilling a water bore







As the Pilbara receives pretty much no rain for 9 months of the year, it is very dry and arid and is under constant threat from wild fires.

Fire at West Angelas Hill 5am



The exploration camp surrounded by wild fire at night





Smouldering scrub



A massive inferno passed by here about 5 minutes prior. I really love this pic for some reason



Bungaroo exploration camp at sunset



The ‘Shoe Tree’ of Rhodes Ridge



Hamersley Gorge – amazing geology



My favourite secret water hole – Lady’s Bath. Have yet to come across any ladies there though…









Other secret rock pools





Eagle Rock Falls





Local native fauna of the Pilbara (except for the bees- they’re introduced)









My little buddy – native marsupial mouse



Pilbara Nightjar



Large Desert Python having just killed a kangaroo struggling to pull it out of the water



Desert Sunset







Well guys, hope you enjoyed the show. Peace out – 1littlewolf (& daughter)

Wow!

Very good stuff, I especially enjoye the night life in your area

Please share more once you have a chance.

And your daughter is adorable .

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Wow!

Very good stuff, I especially enjoye the night life in your area

Please share more once you have a chance.

And your daughter is adorable

.

That's what she wants you to think....

Thanks a lot.

Excellent - you have a good eye!

Amazing picture of the kangaroo and python....Well done

Beautiful. Great work

Please share more, as you can.

wow! really cool pics! i think fibonacci would be proud with the snail shots!!!
you have a knack my friend,perhaps you should invest in professional equipment.(your work here is still really cool!)
maybe you can get some photos of the hyrogliphics in australia,that would be cool!
keep up the good work!

I'm going to repeat what "grifta" said, You have a good eye. If this is a passion for you, never let anyone stop you from enjoying it. You have a knack.

I would like to know what camera you used. Not because I care how good or bad it is, but because I'm a photographer too, and I just like knowing those things.

Also, it would be nice to see some of these in original size. Ever considered a flickr or google photo account? You might want to watermark the images though.

Thanks for sharing. S&F&

"fishing club"
Great sense of humor.

Outstanding pictures! What I think sets them apart is how the animals don't seem to be avoiding you

We had a nest of house finches over our front door for 3 years running until a black rat snake came and ate the babies. My neighbor was yelling for me to "kill the snake!". NO THANK YOU.

It really bothers me how people feel certain species are unfit to live and how we should just kill them every chance we get. All I can ever say to them in response is how about paying attention - that animal has something to teach us, especially the ones most consider "dangerous" or "pests".

thanks for sharing those with us.
You do have a lovely daughter who I trust you will teach the ways of the wild to as she grows up.

That first python was gorgeous!

I know I'll never make it over to Australia but if you're ever in the states you gotta look me up so we can go wander the woods together.

WOW!!!! These are just magnificent! I especially loved the little frogs, until I saw the pic of the snake eating one!
Keep up the great work! You certainly have a talent for this!

Whoa, those are super fricken' sweet.

I particularly like the two snail shot. Lovely work, dude.

reply to post by 1littlewolf



some very nice photos Keep up the good work. What equipment are you using?

reply to post by grifta
reply to post by qonone
reply to post by Eidolon23

Thanks for the encouraging words guys. Sorry it took me a little while to respond but what can I say - things have been a little hectic. As of late with family and work I haven't been had the time in quite a while to get out and get some more pictures. But your encouraging words give me the inspiration to find the time again.

I just recently moved across the country back to Brisbane and as a result I have stuff scattered in various places right across the continent. I do have a few more (although most of these I think are the best ones) and when I get my stuff together I'll stick a few more up.

reply to post by Klassified
reply to post by Hellhound604

Except for the drill rig pictures and a few select other ones in from the Pilbara, all the photo's were taken on my crappy hand held Pentax Optio 5 megapixel camera which I got as a graduation present in 2005. It's full of dust now so the auto-focus doesn't work very well, but I do admit to giving some of them a slight 'tweak' in Microsoft Picture Manager. One day I really want to get me a flashy DSLR camera and maybe teach myself photoshop as well.

Klassified I do have a flickr account where most of the pics are on but to tell you the truth I haven't logged into it in quite a while.

Originally posted by Night Star
WOW!!!! These are just magnificent! I especially loved the little frogs, until I saw the pic of the snake eating one!

Keep up the great work! You certainly have a talent for this!

Thanks Night Star. We recentlly moved back into the house with the pond and the renters who were staying there allowed the pond to fall into a state of disrepair, but as soon as this summers tadpoles have hatched I'm going to give it a great revamping and hopefully the frogs will be back in force for next summer.

That snake moved away when we did but another tree snake seems to have taken up residence there now.

reply to post by 1littlewolf


Wonderful photography! Well done!

I especially like your capture of the little frogs. Lots of really excellent and awesome pics!



Thank you!

reply to post by Asktheanimals

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
"fishing club"

Great sense of humor.

Outstanding pictures! What I think sets them apart is how the animals don't seem to be avoiding you

I think when you have respect, don’t wander around acting like a dumb human being, and see them as being on the same level as yourself it not only goes a long way toward not scaring them, but actually attracts them to a certain degree.

We had a nest of house finches over our front door for 3 years running until a black rat snake came and ate the babies. My neighbor was yelling for me to "kill the snake!".

NO THANK YOU.

It really bothers me how people feel certain species are unfit to live and how we should just kill them every chance we get. All I can ever say to them in response is how about paying attention - that animal has something to teach us, especially the ones most consider "dangerous" or "pests".

I’ve just become a registered snake catcher – one of those guys who rescues snakes that have managed to crawl into people houses – although I’ve been doing it off the books for quite a few years. My main motivation is because without people like us most snakes usually end up facing the sharp end of a shovel.

So many people get hysterical and act out of fear instead of taking the time to think “hang on, I’m 20 times its size, maybe it doesn’t actually intend to try and eat me. Maybe it’s just as afraid of me”. When people act out of fear instead of respect this can only end badly for at least one of the parties involved, and with so many venomous snakes in Australia more often than not it’s the human.

As to your comment, as magical as it is to have a nest of baby birds in ones garden, it is just as magical to have the whole circle of life being played out...... as tragic as it is for the finches.

thanks for sharing those with us.
You do have a lovely daughter who I trust you will teach the ways of the wild to as she grows up.

Lol she already seems quite naturally inclined toward dirt, worms and all things creepy crawly. She carried a poor old dragonfly in a jar around with her for 3 days which I eventually had to sneak in and release it during her nap one day. She is also obsessed with gumnuts and small stones and always comes home from kindy with a bag stuffed full of unusually shaped or coloured leaves

That first python was gorgeous!

I know I'll never make it over to Australia but if you're ever in the states you gotta look me up so we can go wander the woods together.

My friend I would consider it an honour. The states is somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit for many many reasons (one of them being just to see if all of you are really as crazy as the rest of the world seems to think :lol.

The type of wilderness present in the states is totally different to ours and something I’ve always wanted to explore.

Originally posted by nineix
reply to post by 1littlewolf

 

Wonderful photography! Well done!

I especially like your capture of the little frogs. Lots of really excellent and awesome pics!

Thank you!

Hey thanks so much nineix.

I love those little guys as well. The pond they live in has suffered due to neglect at the hand of the guys who've been renting our house out. But we've moved back home now and as soon as this years tadpoles have all turned into frogs I'm going clean it out and rejuvenate it back to it's former glory. We used to literally get hundreds of them, now there's only about a dozen or so, but hopefully next year they should all come back.

Your photo art is totally awesome as well and earned a S&F out of me not to long after you put it up. My favorite one though is actually your avatar....

Beautiful pictures.

S&F

Great job.

I enjoyed your photographs very much. There is no way I could ever see some of those secret places in Australia, so beautiful! Your daughter is a cutie

reply to post by 1littlewolf


Beautiful pictures. I envy you. When we owned the big ranch I used to take pictures but with a film camera and I think they are not good anymore as I never had them developed.
Still waiting on the rock! If you are ever in Colorado Look me up. We have alot of wild life here. I have two Owls that live in our tree. They are so huge, I can't imagine them being able to fly!
Just love your pictures (and your daughter) I just ramble on too much. Thanks again for the pictures and the peek into your life.

reply to post by 1littlewolf


"Registered Snake Catcher" When I lived in Africa, I too was a "registered snake catcher". Found my old certificate a while ago, still want to frame it and hang it in my study (for no other reason as to freak locals out) .

Over here, we just have one species of venomous snake, it is a little adder, and not that venomous either, damn, We only have 3 species of snakes over here .... In Africa I always used to keep the rescued snakes for a couple of days (to study and photograph them) before I released them back in the wild.

Originally posted by Iamschist
I enjoyed your photographs very much. There is no way I could ever see some of those secret places in Australia, so beautiful! Your daughter is a cutie

Thanks mate….. but why ever not. We are simply just a plane ride away…


Besides keep in mind most of the pics are of just simple creatures in my backyard and pond. Sure the animals themselves may be a little different, but I’m sure wherever you live you have creatures that are just as amazing. You simply need to take the time to find them

Originally posted by copperhead12

Beautiful pictures. I envy you. When we owned the big ranch I used to take pictures but with a film camera and I think they are not good anymore as I never had them developed.

Copperhead you’ve got to develop them!!! Who knows what amazing gems you might have I those old rolls of film

Still waiting on the rock!

Just remember you can always send it to me if things with charlyv fall through

If you are ever in Colorado Look me up. We have alot of wild life here. I have two Owls that live in our tree. They are so huge, I can't imagine them being able to fly!
Just love your pictures (and your daughter) I just ramble on too much. Thanks again for the pictures and the peek into your life.

I would consider it an honor. I’ve always wanted to go to the States and I hear Colarado is truly beautiful. Likewise if ever you find yourself down here.

Originally posted by Hellhound604
reply to post by 1littlewolf

 

"Registered Snake Catcher"

When I lived in Africa, I too was a "registered snake catcher". Found my old certificate a while ago, still want to frame it and hang it in my study (for no other reason as to freak locals out)

.

Over here, we just have one species of venomous snake, it is a little adder, and not that venomous either, damn, We only have 3 species of snakes over here

.... In Africa I always used to keep the rescued snakes for a couple of days (to study and photograph them) before I released them back in the wild.

As much as I’m ‘just doing it for the snakes’ I too can’t help but smile a bit when I get the odd freak out. One thing I find just as satisfying is simply turning up with my hooks and bag at a house where the whole family’s been standing on the kitchen counter for 3 hours screaming and simply scooping up the poor old snake and bagging him up simply and calmly. All the ladies look at me like I’ve delivered them from Satan and all the guys start shuffling around with a chagrined look on their face muttering something about how vicious the poor snake was before I arrived…..