You crop your photos don’t you?

No. Never. Never have and never will.

I get this question asked of me again and again and, to be honest, I get quite insulted by it. So, just to set the record straight – I never, ever crop my photos and I only use photoshop for density/contrast and colour correction.

I have always felt that the skill and art of photography lies in the what you do with your camera when you take an image, not what happens after you have taken it. If I can’t compose an image within my viewfinder at the time I take it, there’s no way I will ever use it. But, I am a purist. I use my camera on a manual setting and never use autofocus. I search for the amazing light to give me naturally contrasting backgrounds, I don’t add them in in photoshop.

I do come from a film photography background, but even in the darkroom, cropping an image seemed like cheating to me. I want my photos to be what I actually see through the viewfinder so the beauty is real for me and also real for the viewer.

Adelaide Zoo Flamingoes

I have a love/hate relationship with zoos. The sight of wild animals in captivity breaks my heart. But, sadly this is the way our world has gone due to our disrespect for all living plants and beings and our hunger for money. Many of the animals in zoos are hanging by a thread in the wild. It still doesn’t make it any easier for me to watch the small cats pacing their cage all day. Some zoos are particularly good and some are bad. The large zoos provide a great deal of environmental enrichment for the animals and the keepers really know what they are doing, but it’s no comparision with being free.

I went to Adelaide zoo a few years ago specifically to see the only two Flamingoes in Australia. One Chilean Flamingo and one Greater Flamingo live in the historic Flamingo enclcosure there which was built in 1885. They are both between 70-80 years old, which is incredibly old for flamnigoes.

They were an absolute pleasure to photograph, especially the greater flamingo who liked to stand at the front of the enclosure talking to people. Sadly, in 2008 the greater flamingo was bashed by a group of teenage boys. He survived, but may not be quite as friendly anymore. Why you would want to hurt any animal is beyond me.

I intend to go back very shortly to continue my flamingo series. These are the last flamingoes we will ever see in Australia due to avian importation laws.

If you’re interested in birds, beauty or history, you really should take a trip to Adelaide zoo before they are gone.

Please don’t use my images without permission. All images are Copyright Tamara Kenneally.

Buddy

I thought I’d let my first real post be a tribute to my dog, Buddy.

My right hand man and most photographed subject for 17 years.

He learnt from an early age that the sound of my Pentax K1000’s shutter meant he could stop posing. He was the reason I first picked up a camera. He taught me a great deal about dogs, responsibility, animal behaviour, animal intelligence, patience and so much more. I took literally thousands of photos of Buddy over 17 years, fine tuning my skills on my old film camera and spending hours in darkrooms watching them appear before my eyes.

He came into my life when I was 11 years old as a free to a good home dog in the paper. My mum and I picked up a little, black and white, 4 month old puppy who ran out on to the road as soon as the front door opened. He survived …….and so began our adventures together. He died in my arms at 17 years of age, the most painful decision I’ve ever had to make.

I miss my boy.

Even though I have thousands of photos of Bud, I always wish I had more. Try to remember to take photos of your pets, or get someone to take them for you, they are invaluable to you once they are gone.

These are just a select few photos I took over the years of my beautiful border collie, Buddy.

“I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)” – E.E.Cummings

Please don’t use my images without permission. All images are Copyright Tamara Kenneally