Ripley the wonder dog and I where walking this brisk frosty morning, when I was stopped in my tracks by the very loud and very close call of a Whip Bird, one of my favourite bird calls! Then again very loud and very close a Gang Gang another favourite bird call! And then a Cocky, Rosella, Pee Wee, Galah, Magpie, Willy Wagtail, Kookaburra…WOW!

What I was hearing was not a collection of birds but a Lyrebirds imitation of all these local birds! To my ear I could not tell the difference from the real thing, he could be any bird he wanted, what a clever little bird!

He stopped and I walked on…a little further another Lyrebird was going through his repertoire, then another, then another… each one desperately doing his best to be noticed, by being anything but himself. How sad.

I am not even sure what a Lyrebird actually sounds like and I guess no body really cares as they are known for being brilliant imitators and following those birds around them. Obviously a Lyrebird feels that the bird calls around him are far better than his own, so he does not use his own voice.

Over the last 12 months or so I have deliberately stopped looking outwards at other wedding/portrait photographers for inspiration, instead looking inwards (and at documentary photographers). Ignoring the “of the minute fashions” of ; textures, wacky lenses, “vintage” actions/props, etc, etc, etc (by the time I write this there will no doubt be a “new style”). I am happy with how it is going.

“Comparison is the enemy of creativity” (Jesh de Rox)

” If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.” (Desiderata)

My wish for the Lyrebird is that he can learn to sing with his own voice, it may well be more beautiful than he could imagine.