Hope in a burned plantation

Jo-Anne McArthur's Image

Jo-Anne flew to Australia in early 2020 to document the stories of animals affected by the devastating bushfires that were sweeping through the states of New South Wales and Victoria.

Working exhaustively alongside Animals Australia (an animal protection organisation) she was given access to burn sites, rescues and veterinary missions. This eastern grey kangaroo and her joey pictured near Mallacoota, Victoria, were among the lucky ones. The kangaroo barely took her eyes off Jo-Anne as she walked calmly to the spot where she could get a great photo. She had just enough time to crouch down and press the shutter release before the kangaroo hopped away into the burned eucalyptus plantation.

Behind the lens

Jo-Anne McArthur

Jo-Anne McArthur

Canada

Not only is Jo-Anne a photographer and speaker, she's also the founder of We Animals Media. She has been documenting the plight of animals on all seven continents for close to two decades. Jo-Anne was the subject of the 2013 documentary The Ghosts in Our Machine and is the author of three books: We Animals, Captive and Hidden : Animals in the Anthropocene, which she co-authored with Keith Wilson and which was awarded Photography Book of the Year by Picture of the Year International.

Image details

  • Nikon D4S
  • Sigma 120–400mm f4.5–5.6 lens
  • 1/500 sec at f5.6
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