Eastern Rosella

The Eastern Rosella was the last bird I photographed before printing these cards, just two days prior. They are my last lap heroes.

One of my favourite birds, I'd made peace with them not being in the deck, until I ventured down to my local Merri Creek, in Melbourne's inner North. I was there to admire the blooming wattles, keen to give them my fullest attention. I've come to realise attention is a powerful display of gratitude for nature, and the endless wonder it provides us. And there they were. The Eastern Rosellas.

Next minute I was lying in the grass, holding my breath as they landed amidst some yellow flowers. And then the magic, the reason I love what I do.

Those fleeting moments when I have a beautiful bird in the lens. The world around departs. Just me and the bird in a tunnel of feather and colour. I take in all the detail and beauty, admire it all. In these precious seconds I feel an intimacy with all of existence, all of nature. It is a magnified, hyper-focused sense of wonder.

I'd had a number of failed missions to find and photograph the Eastern Rosella. Ultimately, all I had to do was honour and admire the beauty that was already around me, and then, they showed up, choosing a scene of yellow flowers for their photoshoot.

We encounter so much beauty in our day to day lives. Nature is a story, unfolding in every moment. And we, humans, are a part of that story.

Who can you point your lens at, and give your fullest attention to, in admiration of their beauty? Who are the beautiful characters today? We need only look right under our noses.

As the Eastern Rosella said to me: "The more you give love and appreciation to those close to you, the more beauty you will attract, and sustain, around you."