Eye Eye, Sir

This Was The Mane Event

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I've shot elephants at close quarters before, during a 1998 trip to Bali, Indonesia - but I've never used a camera in close proximity to horses until recently.

A couple of weeks ago, I was shooting images of a couple of horses in a Melbourne paddock near Churchill National Park, gradually working my way closer since they were not familiar with me.

The thing I was really worried about was that, if I got too close, the sound of the camera might scare them. But it’s hard work trying to shoot close-ups of horses, especially as these two were restless because of the presence of a stranger.

Most of the images I shot were side-on, but this horse suddenly gave me a full-frontal view for a couple of seconds. Grateful for the unusual viewpoint, I composed the shot as quickly as I could, looking down onto the bulge of both eyeballs.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Eye Eye, Sir

This Was The Mane Event

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I've shot elephants at close quarters before, during a 1998 trip to Bali, Indonesia - but I've never used a camera in close proximity to horses until recently.

A couple of weeks ago, I was shooting images of a couple of horses in a Melbourne paddock near Churchill National Park, gradually working my way closer since they were not familiar with me.

The thing I was really worried about was that, if I got too close, the sound of the camera might scare them. But it’s hard work trying to shoot close-ups of horses, especially as these two were restless because of the presence of a stranger.

Most of the images I shot were side-on, but this horse suddenly gave me a full-frontal view for a couple of seconds. Grateful for the unusual viewpoint, I composed the shot as quickly as I could, looking down onto the bulge of both eyeballs.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Bird Brain

Like Life Skills, It’s All A Matter Of Balance

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

About twenty years ago, on one of our visits to Hong Kong, I was fascinated by the pavement vendors and the wide range of objects for sale. One of the toys that caught my eye was a simple plastic bird that balanced at impossibly precarious angles.

Of course, my scientific background was useful when I checked out one of the birds for the first time. I was struck by how unexpectedly heavy it was and I realised that it was a simple matter of allocating mass unevenly but towards a particular point. In this case, the bird’s head was by far the heaviest part, while the tail was extremely light.


Because of its clever design, the bird was able to balance on a pencil – and as you can see in these images, it does so in a strikingly unique attitude. The point of the bird’s beak acts as a perfectly stabilised fulcrum and it actually looks as though it is diving towards its prey.

It’s one bird that cannot shake its tail feather.


Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Bird Brain

Like Life Skills, It’s All A Matter Of Balance

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

About twenty years ago, on one of our visits to Hong Kong, I was fascinated by the pavement vendors and the wide range of objects for sale. One of the toys that caught my eye was a simple plastic bird that balanced at impossibly precarious angles.

Of course, my scientific background was useful when I checked out one of the birds for the first time. I was struck by how unexpectedly heavy it was and I realised that it was a simple matter of allocating mass unevenly but towards a particular point. In this case, the bird’s head was by far the heaviest part, while the tail was extremely light.


Because of its clever design, the bird was able to balance on a pencil – and as you can see in these images, it does so in a strikingly unique attitude. The point of the bird’s beak acts as a perfectly stabilised fulcrum and it actually looks as though it is diving towards its prey.

It’s one bird that cannot shake its tail feather.


Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Look Into My Eyes

You Are Feeling Very .... S l e e p y ....

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This moose with the amazing eyes was on a footpath in Whitehorse, in Canada's Yukon. I was just walking around the city centre before leaving for the airport to catch my flight home, and I thought I'd take a few photographs while I soaked up the sun.

All right, if you must know, I shot more than a hundred images.

But when you see a wooden moose, how could you resist take a shot? I think I might have caught him napping!

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Look Into My Eyes

You Are Feeling Very .... S l e e p y ....

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This moose with the amazing eyes was on a footpath in Whitehorse, in Canada's Yukon. I was just walking around the city centre before leaving for the airport to catch my flight home, and I thought I'd take a few photographs while I soaked up the sun.

All right, if you must know, I shot more than a hundred images.

But when you see a wooden moose, how could you resist take a shot? I think I might have caught him napping!

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Pier Pressure

Wanna See Me Shake My Tail Feather?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Cloudy evening. No chance of a blazing sunset. But I can take a shot of a couple of gulls sitting on the pier.

You have no idea how long I sat there with my lens trained on these two birds. I had a very simple idea in mind. I lined up both gulls on the pier pilings, and wondered if I could possibly get a shot of them looking in the same direction, or just looking synchronised.

But these two were not going to co-operate. They could not have been less in synch if they tried. And no, they didn't even try and shake their tail feathers.

Maybe they were just tired of the paparazzi.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Pier Pressure

Wanna See Me Shake My Tail Feather?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Cloudy evening. No chance of a blazing sunset. But I can take a shot of a couple of gulls sitting on the pier.

You have no idea how long I sat there with my lens trained on these two birds. I had a very simple idea in mind. I lined up both gulls on the pier pilings, and wondered if I could possibly get a shot of them looking in the same direction, or just looking synchronised.

But these two were not going to co-operate. They could not have been less in synch if they tried. And no, they didn't even try and shake their tail feathers.

Maybe they were just tired of the paparazzi.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Is This Puff The Magic Dragon?

There's Only One Way To Find Out

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I was walking through the inner-city suburb of Richmond at lunchtime on Tuesday when I saw some great wall art down a laneway, with a variety of figures and representations.

Then, when I got to the corner, I realised I could use a fairly tight vertical frame to combine a fire-breathing dragon and a street sign to produce an interesting, offbeat result.

This was shot in very murky light in extremely cloudy conditions, even though it was about 2pm.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Is This Puff The Magic Dragon?

There's Only One Way To Find Out

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I was walking through the inner-city suburb of Richmond at lunchtime on Tuesday when I saw some great wall art down a laneway, with a variety of figures and representations.

Then, when I got to the corner, I realised I could use a fairly tight vertical frame to combine a fire-breathing dragon and a street sign to produce an interesting, offbeat result.

This was shot in very murky light in extremely cloudy conditions, even though it was about 2pm.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Oedipus Rexy

Plight At The Museum

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

You DO recognise this fella, don't you? If you saw the movie "Night At The Museum" and its sequel, then you would remember the antics of the amazing Tyrannosaurus Rex called Rexy.

If you didn't see either of the movies, Rexy was the giant T-Rex skeleton that came alive at night, slaked its thirst at the water fountain and wanted to play "fetch" with the night guard, played by Ben Stiller's character.

Both these shots were taken on a dark table with glass laid over the polished wood - not just because I wanted a contrasting surface to emphasise the skeletal construction of Rexy, but because (as you'll see in the first image) I also wanted an interesting reflection.

Does this bloke really come alive at night? Just ask me tomorrow morning!


Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Oedipus Rexy

Plight At The Museum

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

You DO recognise this fella, don't you? If you saw the movie "Night At The Museum" and its sequel, then you would remember the antics of the amazing Tyrannosaurus Rex called Rexy.

If you didn't see either of the movies, Rexy was the giant T-Rex skeleton that came alive at night, slaked its thirst at the water fountain and wanted to play "fetch" with the night guard, played by Ben Stiller's character.

Both these shots were taken on a dark table with glass laid over the polished wood - not just because I wanted a contrasting surface to emphasise the skeletal construction of Rexy, but because (as you'll see in the first image) I also wanted an interesting reflection.

Does this bloke really come alive at night? Just ask me tomorrow morning!


Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Off The Beaten Track

Dunno About Snowmobiles, Where's That Caribou?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

If you're wondering where this shot was taken, let me give you a clue. Yes, we have snowmobiles in Australia. But no, we don't have caribou. So you're thinking I took this shot when I was in the Yukon last year? Yep, you're right.

This was taken on the picturesque Coal Road outside Whitehorse and even though there was a cool breeze blowing off the mountains that were capped with the previous season's snow, there was brilliant sunshine on the autumn foliage all around me.

But here's a grammatical question. Does the sign apply to the caribou, as in the command "Caribou, stay on trail"? No, it takes a second or two for my brain to realise the command is for us humans, as in "Take it easy, mate, there are caribou here - so it's safer if you stay on the track."

Yup. I knew that.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Off The Beaten Track

Dunno About Snowmobiles, Where's That Caribou?

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

If you're wondering where this shot was taken, let me give you a clue. Yes, we have snowmobiles in Australia. But no, we don't have caribou. So you're thinking I took this shot when I was in the Yukon last year? Yep, you're right.

This was taken on the picturesque Coal Road outside Whitehorse and even though there was a cool breeze blowing off the mountains that were capped with the previous season's snow, there was brilliant sunshine on the autumn foliage all around me.

But here's a grammatical question. Does the sign apply to the caribou, as in the command "Caribou, stay on trail"? No, it takes a second or two for my brain to realise the command is for us humans, as in "Take it easy, mate, there are caribou here - so it's safer if you stay on the track."

Yup. I knew that.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

A Fishy Tale

Angling For An Introduction

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was one of a series that I took in Melbourne's most vibrant thoroughfare, Hosier Lane. The narrow laneway, off Flinders Street, is well known for its wall art and murals. It's probably only 300 metres long, but the art is stunning, bold, colourful, intricate and generally very classy.

I spent about ten minutes in the laneway on Thursday afternoon, shortly after heavy rain. A few hours earlier, I had received an email from an old friend who lives overseas, asking me if I'd ever shot images in the lane. Yes, I had, but it was high time I re-visited the place.

It began to drizzle as soon as I walked into the laneway - and this time I noticed there were about seven or eight other people there, each with cameras, walking up and down and shooting scenes along the walls and doorways.

I know you're going to ask me a simple question. You want to know the dimensions of the fish, right? I'm guessing here - but it was more than two metres high. Lucky it wasn't the one that got away.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

A Fishy Tale

Angling For An Introduction

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was one of a series that I took in Melbourne's most vibrant thoroughfare, Hosier Lane. The narrow laneway, off Flinders Street, is well known for its wall art and murals. It's probably only 300 metres long, but the art is stunning, bold, colourful, intricate and generally very classy.

I spent about ten minutes in the laneway on Thursday afternoon, shortly after heavy rain. A few hours earlier, I had received an email from an old friend who lives overseas, asking me if I'd ever shot images in the lane. Yes, I had, but it was high time I re-visited the place.

It began to drizzle as soon as I walked into the laneway - and this time I noticed there were about seven or eight other people there, each with cameras, walking up and down and shooting scenes along the walls and doorways.

I know you're going to ask me a simple question. You want to know the dimensions of the fish, right? I'm guessing here - but it was more than two metres high. Lucky it wasn't the one that got away.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Have Teddy, Will Travel

They Couldn't Bear To Leave Him Behind

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I've seen a lot of motorcycles. I've seen a lot of luggage. But I ain't never seen a teddy bear perched so securely on top of the luggage behind a motorcycle. This was such a great sight that I had to get my camera out and take the shot, even though the light was really poor.

I'd say it's a very well-travelled bear - and obviously the chill in the air didn't worry him (or her) in the least. Come to think of it, maybe he (or she) was really hibernating on the back of that big bike.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

Have Teddy, Will Travel

They Couldn't Bear To Leave Him Behind

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I've seen a lot of motorcycles. I've seen a lot of luggage. But I ain't never seen a teddy bear perched so securely on top of the luggage behind a motorcycle. This was such a great sight that I had to get my camera out and take the shot, even though the light was really poor.

I'd say it's a very well-travelled bear - and obviously the chill in the air didn't worry him (or her) in the least. Come to think of it, maybe he (or she) was really hibernating on the back of that big bike.

Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

You're Right - Black IS Beautiful

But I Didn't Argue About Who Had Right Of Way

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken during my trip to the Yukon late last year. We were just entering Haines Junction when we noticed a black bear crossing the Alaska Highway.

Throughout that trip, I had two camera around my neck. I had to react fairly quickly here, because the bear had already crossed the highway and was walking off into the trees. He was a fair way away from me, so it would probably have been safe to step out of the car.

But I knew that in the few seconds it would have taken me to jump out of the vehicle, walk clear and line up a shot, he would probably have disappeared. So I took the next best option and shot these through the windscreen.

Not great shots, but I'm glad I took them. Because the bear had disappeared a few seconds later.


Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.

You're Right - Black IS Beautiful

But I Didn't Argue About Who Had Right Of Way

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken during my trip to the Yukon late last year. We were just entering Haines Junction when we noticed a black bear crossing the Alaska Highway.

Throughout that trip, I had two camera around my neck. I had to react fairly quickly here, because the bear had already crossed the highway and was walking off into the trees. He was a fair way away from me, so it would probably have been safe to step out of the car.

But I knew that in the few seconds it would have taken me to jump out of the vehicle, walk clear and line up a shot, he would probably have disappeared. So I took the next best option and shot these through the windscreen.

Not great shots, but I'm glad I took them. Because the bear had disappeared a few seconds later.


Check out the rules at Camera Critters or go to Misty Dawn.