One Fleeting Moment, One Winning Shot Sharon Cislowski’s Peekaboo

Sharon Cislowski with her Photography category winning ‘Peekaboo’. Photo credit: Victoria Velton

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By Victoria Velton

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After 10 years of entering the Hinchinbrook Birdlife Art Awards, Sharon Cislowski has taken out the Photography category with Peekaboo, a photograph capturing a fleeting moment with a spangled drongo at the TYTO Precinct.

Sharon said her love of the local art scene and the region’s birdlife had kept her returning to the Awards each year.

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“I love supporting the local art scene and have entered the Birdlife Awards for the last 10 years,” she said.

“I was inspired by the beauty and character of our local birdlife. Living in the Hinchinbrook region, we’re surrounded by such incredible natural wildlife, and Peekaboo was a way for me to capture a little piece of that and share my appreciation for the birds we’re lucky enough to have around us.

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“I also loved the idea of celebrating our local environment through art.”

The winning photograph came from a walk through the TYTO Precinct, where Sharon spotted a spangled drongo with a large grasshopper in one of the pandanus trees just off the path.

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She stopped to watch before the grasshopper escaped and was chased to the ground by the drongo.

“There was a lot of rummaging around in the tufts of grass and I crept forward to see if I could have a better view,” she said.

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“The bird must have heard something because it popped its head up from behind the grass and that’s when I snapped the shot.”

Capturing these fleeting moments requires patience, quiet observation and plenty of preparation.

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Sharon usually walks with her camera in hand, scanning for movement and listening for noises before slowing down and trying to become unnoticeable.

“I try to make sure my ISO and aperture are set for the conditions and adjust the shutter speed accordingly,” she said.

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“I usually have my lens at 600mm and autofocus to one spot. Waiting for the right moment with my camera poised, I’ll only raise it to shoot when the bird is easily seen.”

Her love of bird photography comes from both the challenge and the environment.

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“I enjoy the challenge of capturing something that can easily get away and the peaceful environments that you find yourself in,” she said.

“My approach is ever-changing according to what I have learned while taking photos.”

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Winning the Photography category was not something Sharon expected when she entered.

“I entered simply hoping people would enjoy the image, so winning was completely unexpected,” she said.

“I was genuinely thrilled and very proud to see Peekaboo recognised.”

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Sharon said she hoped her photography would encourage others to take an interest in the wildlife around them.

“I have always loved wildlife and just find birds delightful to watch,” she said.

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“I hope people become curious enough about the subjects of my photography to want to protect them.”

She thanked her friends and followers of Mama Shaz’s WildLife for helping her decide which images to enter.

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“It’s such a honour to be recognised alongside artists of such high calibre and I’m grateful for the opportunity to exhibit in such shows organised by Hinchinbrook Regional Gallery,” Sharon said.

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