The Devils@Cradle Wildlife Park up at Cradle Mountain is a great place to visit and learn about Tasmania’s unique “carnivorous marsupials” – the well known Tasmanian Devil and the slightly less well known quoll species.

The Tasmanian Devil needs no introduction and spotting one is usually very high on a visitors list of things to do in Tasmania. Due to the contagious Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) and the fact that the Tasmanian Devil is nocturnal, spotting one in the wild can be very difficult – and photographing in the wild next to impossible!

A visit to Devils@Cradle not only allows easy access to see and photograph these wonderful little guys, but your entry fee and money raised at the centre is used in vital conservation research into the disease. For more details on DFTD research including how you can help or donate visit the Save the Tasmanian Devil homepage.

Photographing the Tasmanian Devil

The keys to a successful wildlife shoot lie in two things – good autofocus, and a fast shutter speed.

In a wildlife park you can get away with using a short telephoto lens such as a 70-200mm given you can get quite close to the animals as they are more used to people. In the wild you’d be wanting something longer such as a 100-400mm, or even longer.

Each camera system has its own quirks, and lots of technological bells and whistles but the fundamentals – ie settings – are universal. You’ll need a fast shutter speed, typically high hundreds and into the thousands. Auto ISO is a good idea too as widlife can move from bright light to deep shadow which will affect settings. Auto ISO means you can just concentrate on focusing and shooting.

Modern mirrorless cameras such as the Sony A7RV which I now use have started using an AI animal recognition feature. Coupled with very sophisticated tracking modes and continuous focus and shooting, getting the shot is becoming easier.

Many of these shots were captured with my Pentax K1 and Tamron 70-200mm which is decidedly low-tech, built well before AI was a thing. It is nice to shoot with less technology though and extremely rewarding getting the shot “right” the old school way so I’d recommend not totally abandoning “old” systems just yet!

Wildlife focused Tasmanian photography tours

Many of my Tasmanian photography workshops include a wildlife component.

My 5 day Cradle Mountain photography workshop include a visit to the Devils@Cradle Sanctuary as well as a range of wildlife and birds in the National Park.

Other trips around the state include sea cruises and great birding opportunities. You can even book a private 3 day trip to any destination of your choice with a focus on wildlife.

Contact me if you’d like to know more!