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Dec 5

Interview with the ABC

During a trip to southeast Queensland in October and November this year, I had the pleasure and the honour of being interviewed by Jon Coghill, a journalist with the ABC. We met up at Mapleton Falls National Park along with a good friend of mine and fellow macro enthusiast, Deb Yarrow (www.aussiebugs.com.au), and spent the…

Jul 15

NICK

Magical Moths

I think it’s fair to say I underestimated moths. Like many other people, I really didn’t pay too much attention to them in the past and assumed they were mostly dull grey or brown creatures that hung around lights at night and disappeared during the day. It wasn’t until I started my journey into the…

Jun 28

NICK

A Feast For The Eyes – Jewel Beetles

As much as I try not to play favourites with any one group of insects, I must admit I have a particular fondness for Jewel Beetles. Any time I go out on a hunt with the camera, especially if I’m going to an area where there is an abundance of flowering plants, I always hope to see some…

Jun 25

NICK

Ambush Artists – Crab Spiders

There’s no doubting the invertebrate world is a dangerous place in which to live. It seems that for every creature, there is another creature that wants to eat it and the end can come from any direction, which is why many insects and spiders look and behave the way they do. Some are built for a quick…

Jun 23

NICK

Hidden Wonders – Pilliga Nature Reserve

One of things I love the most about nature photography is the surprises. There always seems to be something new and often unexpected and at times it feels almost like a treasure hunt, except I usually have no idea where the treasure is and what it might be. In October and November, 2014, I went…

Jun 20

NICK

Gotta Love Girraween!

I had known about Girraween National Park for a few years before I finally visited the place in October, 2014. A couple of friends of mine, Vanessa and Chris Ryan, run a website dedicated to this amazing piece of Australia and I had often looked at some of their photos and marvelled at the unique…

Jun 20

NICK

The makings of a road trip.

I find few things more satisfying than getting in the car and going for a long drive, so when the opportunity presents itself I like to make the most of it. What started as a conversation about spending a day or two filming an episode of Hike Or Die with my mate, Tom, turned…

Sep 3

NICK

Welcome to lifeunseen.com

My name is Nick Monaghan. I have been fascinated by insects, spiders and other invertebrates for as long as I can remember and I have been a keen photographer for more than 25 years, so it seemed only natural that I would one day combine the two passions and begin learning the art of macro photography. On the 25th of…

Sep 3

NICK

What’s in the bag?

Above photo courtesy of Rowan Bestmann (http://bestmannimagery.com/) It doesn’t sound too difficult to grab a camera and head off into the bush to photograph insects, but even a short trip to the local park can soon turn sour if you’re not prepared. I’m not necessarily talking about doomsday stuff like twisting an ankle and falling…

Sep 2

NICK

The Mighty MP-E

One of my chief aims in macro photography has been to get closer to my subjects to highlight the extraordinary beauty and complexity of Australia’s invertebrate wildlife, but budget can play a big part in the gear one chooses. When I first started, it was just a fixed-lens camera with a macro setting and a…