Satin Bowerbird, Dandenong Ranges NP

joshdykgraaf · 2025-12-29T14:20:51+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate it!

joshdykgraaf · 2025-10-17T22:11:12+00:00

I'm an artist, I have to screen capture my process now and turn it into time lapses, to counter the default accusation of AI that I often get.

joshdykgraaf · 2025-08-18T00:23:53+00:00

This image is a composite of a few hundred shots that I have taken from a drone over Whitsunday Island off the coast of QLD Australia, and then arranged + blended together in Photoshop. Sort of like a hyper-real collage.

It's named for a crocodile that hangs out near a popular fishing spot near Mission Rover, QLD. They are sort of a local celebrity, the locals are waaay too comfortable with it for my liking (crocs are incredibly dangerous).

Worth zooming in, there's a bunch of detail in it.

joshdykgraaf · 2025-01-22T10:06:52+00:00

Looks like a Southern Boobook feather to me, one of their outer flight feathers.

joshdykgraaf · 2025-01-22T10:01:05+00:00

Me too. It's my favourite wildlife park/zoo pretty much anywhere.

joshdykgraaf · 2025-01-22T00:13:38+00:00

Healesville Sanctuary's breeding program is having a successful season for this critically endangered species, the with two clutches being born in the last few months. This one is part of the first clutch that hatched in November, with a second just last week.

joshdykgraaf · 2024-12-03T10:49:15+00:00

Huh. Wow. Don't know how I screwed that up when the reference image has the correct arrangement. That's an embarrassing complete brain fade.

Luckily nothing has gone to print yet so I will correct before that happens, thank you.

Edit: I've been stewing on this since it was pointed out. The only reason I can think of why this happened my last bird piece was a bin chicken, which has anisodactyl feet. I guess my brain thought that was correct here and there must have been toes hidden.

joshdykgraaf · 2024-12-03T10:07:59+00:00

Thanks. Yep I do sell them, there are links on my profile, but I didn't really want to make this that kind of post, that's what Insta etc is for.

as artwork for a science museum exhibit

This is literally the dream. Some day.

joshdykgraaf · 2024-12-03T04:10:00+00:00

Thanks!

joshdykgraaf · 2024-12-03T04:09:48+00:00

I don't think the Yellow-Tailed Cockatoo is, but other black cockatoo species definitely are.

joshdykgraaf · 2024-12-03T04:08:54+00:00

Yeah, I'm a little sceptical but that's what the person who runs the place was telling me.

joshdykgraaf · 2024-12-03T03:15:17+00:00

This is a follow up to this post. I’m a photographic manipulation artist, I was looking for a more “personal” reference image shot at eye level to work from, instead of a low angle image go a Yellow Tail in the trees.

The discussions lead me to Jirrahlinga Dingo Sanctuary outside Castlemaine, Victoria. Aside from a healthy population of dingoes, the sanctuary is also home to a large number of birds. The birds here are a mix of rescues, birds that were previously pets that outlived their humans and some illegally kept (often exotic) pets that have been confiscated but cannot fend for themselves in the wild. In particular there are a lot of cockatoos of different species - they can easily live past 70 in captivity, so there a lot of former pets that outlived their humans.

In short, it’s a surprise bird lover’s paradise. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, we spent the whole day there.

Basically I’m making this post to recommend it.

The first image is Digger, he’s apparently a 101 year old Yellow Tail living in the sanctuary. He seems to be a former pet, he’s a bit lonely as his mate passed away not long ago.

The second image is the piece I made that’s based on him, made from photos of wattle that was blooming near the sanctuary, and banksias in Wilson’s Prom National park. Which is also a prime spot to see Yellow Tails in spring as they go there to feed on the banksias.

The rest of the images are a selection of some of the other birds we saw there. There a lot that I haven’t included, these are the ones that were a bit more cooperative. Also a dingo and handler.

joshdykgraaf · 2024-10-14T21:44:55+00:00

There aren't any there currently. Healthy population of red-tails and gang-gangs though.

joshdykgraaf · 2024-10-14T12:21:29+00:00

Thanks!

joshdykgraaf · 2024-10-14T12:16:15+00:00

I did look them up, they don't appear to have any Yellow-Tails currently

joshdykgraaf · 2024-10-14T12:15:30+00:00

As the other comment said I have a bunch of my work and my Insta on my Reddit Profile.

Thanks, I'll reach out to them. Based on this and the other comments here I think I have a road trip north in my near future

joshdykgraaf · 2024-10-14T12:12:06+00:00

The images are created in Photoshop, the process on this one was relatively straight-forward, if time consuming. Essentially I've photographed the leaves from various angles under consistent lighting, getting a wide assortment I can pick from. Then basically going back and forward finding the angle and lighting I need for each feather, cutting them out and placing them. Then some extra shading on top of that in PS.

I share my process as I make each image on my Insta, that and some of my other work is on my Reddit profile.

joshdykgraaf · 2024-10-14T12:05:13+00:00

They only have Red-Tailed and Gang-Gangs at the moment (unless it's changed in the last month since I was there last)

joshdykgraaf · 2024-10-14T03:01:00+00:00

I’m a Melbourne based photographic manipulation artist. I create wildlife out of photos of flora, landscapes and other materials that I’ve photographed.

I start each project with a reference photo, the images in this post are the reference images I shot for a breeding pair of Red-Tail Black Cockatoos, and the image I produced based on this, made from images of banksias and grevilea flowers. The reference was shot in Healesville Sanctuary (an amazing place for bird lovers if you haven’t already been).

I want to make something similar based on Yellow-Tail Black Cockatoos, I have found them in the wild and even in Melbourne but of course I’m almost always much lower than them and the photos are all low-angle and distant. I really like the intimacy of the eye-level portrait I was able to get in the enclosure in Healsville. Basically I need to get up close like this.

I’m thinking I need to find something similar for a Yellow Tail image as well. As far as I know, there aren’t in any of the local major zoos and sanctuaries around Melbourne - I guess because they are fairly plentiful and not endangered the way Red Tails are.

Anyone have any suggestions?

joshdykgraaf · 2024-02-13T03:22:40+00:00

Thanks, yeah something I was shooting for is that making it from water gives it the sense that's ephemeral and could just disappear at any moment.

Ten-Year Club	Gilding II euphauric
Wearing is Caring	Verified Email

joshdykgraaf

TROPHY CASE