Nockine Brook - Granite Dwelling Critters

Nikon D70 with Nikon 60 mm macro lens, 1/60 sec @f/18, SB-800 speedlight w/SC-17 cord, ISO 200.

What's this you ask? Is this guy trying to set a record for most number of crevice dragon shots on the one web-page? No, it's simply a reflection of the relative abundance of granite dwelling reptiles found here in the South-West. And as far as abundance goes, the Ornate Crevice Dragon (Ctenophorus ornatus) is definitely number one on that list. This is a little female only about 10 cm in length. Notice the colouration is a lot more subdued compared to the vibrant male (check out the image of that one in the Bless you Ken Rockwell article, May 2006 archives).

Nikon D70 with 60 mm macro lens, 1/60 sec @f/29, +0.3 EV, SB-800 speedlight w/SC-17 cord, ISO 200.

The Granite Froglet (Crinea pseudinsignifera), found this one under a small flake of granite. It's about the size of your thumbnail. This species has highly variable colouration and is best distinguished by its habitat (around granite in the Darling Range) and call which sounds like a high-pitched sheep "baa..baa..baa.." Don't know how to post up sound samples otherwise I'd hunt through my back catalogue of frog recordings and post it up. Maybe in the future.

Thanks to Robert J. from The Palantiri for assisting with flash-holding duties and general lizard and frog whispering on these two shots.

Canon A75 in macro mode with flash, -1.0 EV.






And here was a pleasing result with my old beat-up point and shoot (p&s) camera. It's a photo of a Barking Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milii). The only things I don't like about this image are the blown highlights in the spotting pattern on the body and tail and the stray sheoak needle in the bottom left of shot, otherwise it's alright. I used to scoff at point & shoot cameras, being somewhat of an SLR snob from way back but I finally jumped on the bandwagon three years ago and I reckon they're fantastic things. I've been very happy with my A75 but I don't know how much longer it's going to last. I'm in the process right now of researching my next p&s purchase. The front running cadidate at the minute is the Fuji Finepix F30, although I'd like to stay loyal to Canon if possible.