Michael Eastwell (@michaeleastwell) is a British-born wildlife photographer who specializes in documenting conservation stories and the natural world. His latest work surrounds the endangered Tasmanian devil, Eastwell hopes to bring awareness to this elusive species who currently need our help to  survive in the wild. While still in the early stages of his photographic career, Eastwell's images have  been awarded and published internationally. ‘Turtle out of water’ was highly commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, the world’s most prestigious nature photography competition. We were drawn to the storytelling nature of this shot and sat down with Eastwell to learn more about how he made it, what gear he used, and how he uses imagery for conservation. Learn more about his complete kit in What’s In My Bag: A Wildlife Photo & Camera Trapping Kit For Conservation Storytelling.

Product Preview – In This Article You'll Find:
–Sony Alpha 1
–Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master

Photo by Michael Eastwell. Sony Alpha 1. Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master. 1/20-sec., f/11, ISO 50

An Unforeseen Turn Of Events & A Turtle Rescue Mission

Whilst I may only be twenty seven years old, something that has become increasingly apparent to  me in recent years is that you just don’t know what lies around the corner. It was quite literally one  of those instances that resulted in me being five hundred miles from where I had planned to be,  allowing me the unlikely opportunity to capture this image.

Just three weeks prior, I was traveling around the Island state of Tasmania with my family. Minding  my own business on a drive through a national park one morning, I was confronted by an ‘out of  control’ car screaming around a blind bend and in the middle of the road. I had no time to react. Thankfully, all individuals involved in the resulting head on collision were left intact, but the same  could not be said for our vehicle’s.

With our beloved family car being declared a write off, we had identified a replacement in a town called ‘Gundagai’, on the mainland. It was on a section of highway nearby that I was able to rescue this turtle and another just like it.

The stream that ran parallel with the road was all but dry and this turtle was headed for a farmer’s  dam on the opposite side. Unfortunately, the level of traffic on this 100kph (62mph) road had forced  the turtle to freeze in the middle of the highway. I watched a car in front of me pass both sets of  wheels between them, the driver totally unfazed by the paralyzed individual they’d just traveled over.

I immediately stopped my car and rushed to see what state the turtle was in. As the road was so  busy, I took note of which direction they were heading and carried them to a lay-by opposite to  examine them further for any injuries. Once I’d taken a picture to document the event, I released  the turtle on the opposite side of the highway, towards the dam full of water.

For me, it’s everyday stories of the natural world such as this one that I’m particularly passionate  about highlighting to the public. While this picture is on display at the Natural History Museum in  London and other select galleries, I really hope that this story can resonate with audiences around  the globe. I hope that people can empathize not just with this turtle, but nature in general. This  image highlights how our ever expanding infrastructure continues to spill into the home’s of native  species. In this case, the photo demonstrates two vastly different paces of life, a slow moving turtle  vs a thundering road train traveling at 100kph. 
If you ever come across a turtle in the road, or any other creatures for that matter, if it’s safe to do  so, please stop! I guarantee a small act of kindness that could take less than a minute will fill you  with some positive energy! All native species, no matter how big or small, are vital in maintaining a  healthy ecosystem.

Reliable Gear To Capture A Fleeting Moment

Time was a pressing factor in capturing this moment, but fortunately I often have my Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Master attached to my Sony Alpha 1 when I’m traveling. It’s my absolute favorite storytelling lens! Like all G  Master lenses, this impeccable piece of glass paired with the Alpha 1’s high resolution sensor yields  unbeatable results and ultimately allowed me to demonstrate the turtle’s intricacies and beautiful  details in full.
  
From grabbing my camera in the car, to taking the picture, it all took place within about thirty  seconds. Whilst I shot the photo in the middle of the day, I was very fortunate that it was overcast. With a relatively good balance of highlights and shadows I did not need to use a diffused flash for  my subject. Effectively emphasizing the speed of the truck behind the turtle was critical in the storytelling element of the image. As mentioned time was of the essence, so I didn’t want to waste  a moment finding any ND filters. Shooting in ‘Manual’ and taking into account that I wanted a slower shutter speed, I quickly established that I could expose down to 1/20s whilst utilizing the  camera’s lowest ISO value (50). This enabled me to determine my ideal aperture of f/11, perfect in  allowing me to get close to my subject, while keeping them fully in focus and brilliantly sharp.  Exposing for longer periods such as 1/20-sec. without the use of a tripod can promote camera shake.  Thankfully however, due to the Sony Alpha 1’s IBIS (In-Body Image stabilization) capabilities, this  wasn’t an issue!

Minor Editing For Entering Competitions

Very few adjustments were made to this image, I always prefer to get settings and lighting correct  in camera where possible. When entering competitions such as ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’  a large part of the judging phase focuses on technique and authenticity of our natural world, so  showcasing images in their true form is critical. I always shoot in RAW to enable me to extract the  full level of detail and adjustments available. Using Capture One 23, the only minor refinements I  wanted to make were light tonal tweaks and a subtle selective mask within the turtle’s shell.  Increasing the shadows marginally allowed me to pull more focus to the individual and their  intricate yellow eye. Finally, I used a mild vignette, again this is to draw the viewer towards the  turtle taking refuge from the high speed traffic nearby.

See more of Michael Eastwell’s work on Instagram @michaeleastwell and in What’s In My Bag: A Wildlife Photo & Camera Trapping Kit For Conservation Storytelling.