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I am an Aquatic Zoologist and an amateur photographer based in Queensland, Australia. I have a passion for photographing all things Aussie – wildlife, landscapes, historic buildings, historic bridges etc. One of my favourite places in Australia for snapping the shutter is Tasmania, a small island State, around 300 Km South of Melbourne.

For those who don’t know, Tasmania is called Australia’s ‘Apple Isle. The island is world renowned for its fresh produce, great seafood, fabulous wines and wineries, spectacular scenery, World Heritage listed Temperate Rainforests, enormous Eucalyptus trees, fantastic fly fishing, and fresh, clean air.

For a budding photographer Tasmania is magical and awe inspiring. With its jagged, glaciated prehistoric landscapes, sweeping button grass plains, rugged panoramic coastlines, and temperate rainforests decorated with moss, Tasmania is a photographers paradise. The light in Tasmania is also phenomenal. This was even commented on by the makers of the film “The Hunter”, starring Willem Defoe, which was filmed on location in Tasmania in 2011. The small fishing village of Stanley, in North West Tasmania, which features in our Portfolio also recently featured in a Steven Spielberg production, “The Light Between Oceans”, a film based in the 1920’s post WW1.

Tasmania is also home to an abundance of native wildlife, thanks mostly to the absence of introduced animals such as foxes, which have decimated native animal populations on mainland Australia. The stark contrast between the numbers and diversity of native animals you see at night in Tasmania compared to other states in Australia is really mind boggling to experience.

In the South Eastern corner of Tasmania, a small river, The Kermandie, winds its way through the tiny timber town of Geeveston, and is the home of a very curious Australian indigenous animal called the Platypus. The platypus (also known as the Duck Billed Platypus) (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi aquatic, egg laying mammal, known (in scientific lingo) as a monotreme.

These shy, cryptic animals can prove quite elusive in the wild and at times can be difficult subjects to photograph. The individual who features in my site has literally posed for me on a number of occasions (you’ll see what I mean in the Wild Platypus Series Galleries) and has become the inspiration and Mascot for Platypus Paparazzi Photography. In fact if it wasn’t for this little fellow I probably wouldn’t be here writing this page at all…!!!

I have many photos of this amazing animal and will endeavour to upload them over time. I hope you find them as intriguing as I do and enjoy the rest of the photos I have uploaded to this site. Please also feel welcome to visit our shop where you can find a variety of photo gifts based on the Wild Platypus Series.

Cheers from the Land Down Under…..!!!

Bernie Della-Rodolfa

The Team at Platypus Paparazzi Photography
2014