Rodney's iconic shot

If it has four legs and a tail, and needs to be photographed, no one does it better than Rodney Green.

But last week Queensland Country Life's head photographer stepped out of the cattle ring and into the Queensland's Rural Press Club Hall of Fame as its third ever inductee.

Rodney was recognised for his contribution to the rural sector and as one of Australia's foremost agricultural photographers.

Considered an icon in rural journalism for 34 years, Rodney has been instrumental in helping drive Queensland Country Life's image as a leading agricultural news source.

A dapper young Rodney Green at Moree, circa 1978, with his Mamiya C2 20 manual studio camera. Click to see more photos in our online gallery.

Through the eye of his lens, readers have fallen in love with Rodney's magnificent images which have graced countless newspaper covers and achieved global notoriety.

His work hangs in board rooms and businesses in Brisbane and throughout the bush and one of his iconic images taken at Roma was used around the world to promote RM Williams' drizabone jackets.

From Cunnamulla to Birdsville, to the Northern Territory and down to Longreach, through the cotton valleys of NSW and across to the Pilbara in Western Australia, Rod has seen some country.

But many might not know that Rodney grew up in Brisbane.

His photography career was launched soon after finishing school, when he completed a one-year photographic correspondence tech course.

He took up jobs in several commercial photography studios around Brisbane, including one that coincidentally carried his name - Green Photography in Fortitude Valley.

Here he snapped everything from fashion to frozen food but he was particularly skilful at shooting page three girls.

Then, he jumped ranks to move to the rural sector, joining QCL in 1978.

Although he might not have known it at the time, the skills Rodney acquired on those shoots would lay the foundations for the success that was to follow at QCL.

"He's arguably the best in the business and he has been for more than three decades," QCL's general manager John Warlters said of the legendary photographer.

"Rodney is sought after by Queensland's leading stud masters to shoot their stud cattle and rams for sale catalogues, print and online advertising campaigns and other marketing collateral.

"They know that a good picture can add thousands of dollars to an animal in the sale ring and a bad shot can turn a champion into an also ran.

"He is a passionate supporter of all things rural - he lives and breathes it."

Anyone who's met Rodney will know he's a great teacher and a patient man.

He is a mentor for young QCL journalists and always willingly shares his knowledge and experience.

From clawing bulls, to prickly politicians and even the most hardened >bushy; Rodney can get that winning shot.

He says having patience with your subject is the key to obtaining that shot, though Rodney makes it clear his real love is going bush.

Somewhere on the road between Cunnamulla and Charleville, 2007. Click to see more photos in our online gallery.

"Just working with so many rural people over the years has been fabulous. I just love the bush, and the people," he says.

Rodney spent many years on the road with the late Malcolm McCosker, who worked at the newspaper for 50 years, and who was a great friend of Rodney's.

He recalls one particular trip with Malcolm, where they set off for Warrawagine Station in the Pilbara, via Adria Downs Station at Birdsville to organise a cover shot for the Beef Annual feature publication.

Together with station owner David Brook, they set up a photo of 300 Poll Hereford cows and calves going over the Big Red, the largest sand dune in the Simpson Desert.

"The way the cattle were going over the sand dune at 6am in the morning - the sky was as blue as anything and the moon was right there in the sky, it was bizarre. It was just magnificent."

Another QCL journalists, national beef writer Brad Cooper, shares his experiences of road tripping around with Rod.

"One of the best aspects of working with Rod Green are the road trips," Brad said.

"You're always assured of a boy's own adventure. Definitely the biggest of these was my trip with Rod to the Northern Territory in 2007 where we spent about seven days on the road.

"A lot of miles, a lot of flooded creek crossings, pulling barra out of the Daly River, losing our brakes somewhere near Mataranka and doing heaps of talking.

"You sure do cover a lot of ground when you're stuck in a car with someone for nine hours and no radio and no CDs.

"That's one of the joys of working with Rod - he's a good listener.

"The impression our many readers and clients have of Rod is exactly how he appears around the office - quiet, unassuming and unflappable under stress.

"He's a true professional who prefers to let others have the limelight through his lens. It's great to see him getting his share of some well-deserved accolades."

Those accolades also include winning the Australian Associated Press best agricultural photograph in 1982, in 1989 he won the Rural Press agricultural photographer of the year, he has been highly commended for the Queensland Rural Press Club's annual photography award on multiple occasions and most recently, in 2011 was named Fairfax Agricultural Media Photographer of the Year in recognition of the quality and body of work presented in that 12-month period.

But Rodney is quick to acknowledge his subjects.

"The people really are the backbone of Australia.

"And QCL has been amazing. I love the brand and what it stands for - it's a way of life and it's been the bible of the bush for 77 years."

It's not only Rod's 34 remarkable years as a photographer that have permanently written him into QCL's history books, as it's also where he met his second wife, Genevieve McAulay, in 1995, who he says drove much of his creativity and inspiration.

Rodney is the Rural Press club of Queensland's third inductee behind his former colleague, renowned agricultural journalist, the late Malcolm McCosker, and ABC Rural executive producer Robin McConchie.