This year was the third year in a row where we took a group of enthusiastic photographers into Lamington National Park for 5 intense days of bird photography tuition.
O’Reilly’s is a fantastic location, but there are far more critters to look for, and photograph, than all of our feathered friends. If you are a budding herpetology or entomology enthusiast, you would not be surprised at the biodiversity, even on a small scale, which the vast majority of folks overlook during their fleeting visits.
Our first visit in February 2022 was very productive for frogs, and admittedly, I have not yet experienced another visit as froggy as that week we spent there before my 50th birthday the following month. While I didn’t find too many species, I was mesmerised by the large Fleay’s barred frogs, the sandpaper (Fletcher’s) frogs, the revealed frogs mostly, as those were completely new to me.
Frogs tend to be more abundant after rain, so having had some heavy showers during our 2025 workshop, it allowed us to find mostly sandpaper frogs (Lechriodus fletcheri) – some were seen breeding, too – revealed tree frogs (Rawlinsonia revelata), and I could teach our guests the calls of the local pouched frog, (Assa darlingtoni), which usually shelter under leaf litter and I was not going to dig them out for photos. However, these were calling regularly, so the guests could get the idea.
Then there are the insects, bugs, spiders and other creepy-crawlies most people are not fans of, except the keen macro photographers.
For the three months prior to our visit last year (2025), there had been very little precipitation at the retreat and surrounding areas. This was a worry for us as we knew the fauna might be harder to find. However, on our second day, heavy showers prevailed, which made all the difference for our nocturnal ventures.
The gear I use for night photography is different from birds, obviously, as those are not my main targets. I used to photograph a lot of night birds and it is a highly specialised approach, though exposure wise, the same principles apply.
Since I am shooting at night, my main light source is the camera flash, which is hot shoe mounted. Depending on which lens I am using, my diffuser may change.
My current lighting set-up is as per below:
- WIth my OM System 60mm f/2.8 macro, and Godox TT685o flash, I currently use the Cygnustech diffuser, which I’ll upgrade to a KR series (made by Kev Russell, a retiree in Brisbane). This diffuser only works well with the 60mm macro lens.
- With my OM System 90mm f/3.5 Pro macro, and Godox TT685o flash, I use the KR-90 GX made by Kev Russell. This diffuser only works well with the 90mm macro lens.
- I occasionally use my SMDV Flip24 (60cm diameter) umbrella style diffuser, which is hand-held, and I use wireless flash triggers, as the flash is mounted inside the diffuser head itself, so it’s independent. This is my favourite of all of my diffusers, but it’s difficult to use alone, because I need to hold it by hand. But in my opinion, it beats the other brands by a mile. I also purchased a small diffuser from Amazon to use with this set-up as a second flash from the other angle (right side, since I hold th SMDV Flip24 in my left hand).
You can check out the KR diffusers via this link here, and if you contact Kev, he can custom make you a diffuser for your lens and flash combo. Also, I suggest you get the twin LED focusing lights you can see attached to the front of the diffuser (see image above).
I will insert a photo of me using the SMDV FLIP24 here, but for now, you can check it out here. It isn’t cheap, though. However, it is worth every cent.
For main light source, I use a head torch to assist with focus at times, and also a hand held torch. They are Fenix brand, and you can read more about my night photography tips in this blog post right here.
With the layout at O’Reilly’s, I tend to pick one of the walks, it really doesn’t matter which one, and start exploring at dusk. Like I mentioned earlier, after a period of rain more animals become active and if you have those kinds of conditions, anything can happen!
I highly recommend you try some spotlighting up there, in case you find something awesome, like I tend to, even during the leaner times.
If you want to join Netra and me on our annual bird photography workshop, and do some spotlighting with me as well in this amazing forest, then check out the details on this page here.
For other options to take your photography to the next level, feel free to browse our alternative offerings here.
Take care and enjoy your photography!