Wildlife Photography

I was walking along a river the other day and accidentally scared a heron off. Then I spotted A photographer looking a bit miffed

ravens and crows usually let you go up close specifically waiting for you to frame them into the best composition then instantaneously fly off. Almost mystically good timing.

Edited by Perception

If your shooting wildlife get a  long lens and a hide or at least camo clothing to try and blend,  birds are right to run from humans we do awful things to them and you will get far better images if they don't know you are there, but as i say that sometimes the chance lucky shots can be the best images :-D

Edited by ANDY00

I sold a Ghillie suit to a photographer years ago as he wanted to go birding and had planned on walking down the banks of a river in his home town, always wondered what funny looks he would have got or what people thought to seem him strool down the banks before he setup the camera.    

Bullets said

I sold a Ghillie suit to a photographer years ago as he wanted to go birding and had planned on walking down the banks of a river in his home town, always wondered what funny looks he would have got or what people thought to seem him strool down the banks before he setup the camera.    

i have one in the shed but its a real one you have to add the foliage to on location, they are highly effective . wildlife photography is a style that i really love to see but don't have enough patience for it to be honest , i would recommend David birds work if its wildlife you want to capture he uses little acorn characters in his photography both as a lure and a prop. 

Edited by ANDY00

Herons ... devils own birds to photograph.

They will quite happily stand there, playing the 'you cant see me game ... but as soon as you get your camera out ... whoosh, the bird is gone.

Pigeon have the same reaction ... they'll sit there while you get close, and then vanish when you get the camera out.

It's probably the same defense reflex; to a bird, a camera will look like a gun ... and birds have learned instincts that things that look like sticks aren't just sticks. Some of them make a loud scary noise, and kill their friends.

It's why hides are so effective when photographing birds.

Must be you lot otherwise I am a Heron Whisperer! No camouflage or military tactics were used at all. Just need to find them on public spaces where they are used to seeing bald humans stalking them! 

:-D 

In my experience you don’t need to be dressed like ‘Action Man’ to get reasonable wildlife images; you do need patience and a lot of time ‘on location’ (or just get very lucky!). Having an understanding of the subject's habitat and behaviour patterns will help improve the success rate and yes, ideally you want something like a 500mm lens, especially if you are photographing birds.

I've not seen a kingfisher for maybe 10 years (despite visiting 'known' locations). Last week, I saw 1 in each of 3 different locations (the first 2 darting across the water - the last stayed in the same area for over 10 minutes). Based on that, it's purely down to luck...

I rarely have any birds in my garden and near locality.

Strangely the the thing that does attract them would seem to be my hearing aids and glasses.

Odd!

PinPoint said

In my experience you don’t need to be dressed like ‘Action Man’ to get reasonable wildlife images; you do need patience and a lot of time ‘on location’ (or just get very lucky!). Having an understanding of the subject's habitat and behaviour patterns will help improve the success rate and yes, ideally you want something like a 500mm lens, especially if you are photographing birds.

 

I am always on the lookout for Kingfishers but they never turn up unless I don't have my camera then they pop out all the time. :-( I live beside the Grand Union Canal so they torture me often. 

OriginalSin said

Must be you lot otherwise I am a Heron Whisperer! No camouflage or military tactics were used at all. Just need to find them on public spaces where they are used to seeing bald humans stalking them! 

:-D 

Love all of these

Stu H said

Herons ... devils own birds to photograph.

They will quite happily stand there, playing the 'you cant see me game ... but as soon as you get your camera out ... whoosh, the bird is gone.

Pigeon have the same reaction ... they'll sit there while you get close, and then vanish when you get the camera out.

It's probably the same defense reflex; to a bird, a camera will look like a gun ... and birds have learned instincts that things that look like sticks aren't just sticks. Some of them make a loud scary noise, and kill their friends.

It's why hides are so effective when photographing birds.

Don't think they are half as bad as green woodpeckers, hate the darned things (but love them also). Wouldn't be half as bad if they didn't mock you whilst flying away 😂

ANDY00 said

Bullets said

I sold a Ghillie suit to a photographer years ago as he wanted to go birding and had planned on walking down the banks of a river in his home town, always wondered what funny looks he would have got or what people thought to seem him strool down the banks before he setup the camera.    

i have one in the shed but its a real one you have to add the foliage to on location, they are highly effective . wildlife photography is a style that i really love to see but don't have enough patience for it to be honest , i would recommend David birds work if its wildlife you want to capture he uses little acorn characters in his photography both as a lure and a prop. 

Edited by ANDY00

aaah!!! how fabulous are they?

PaigeAntonia I know eh, it’s clever using the characters as a lure and part of the scene 🙂

Wildlife is an absolute pain in the as$, I just don't have the patience for it.

The best i've mustered over the last year.

https://madfencerphotography.zenfoliosite.com/portfolio/wildlife-1

That said, i'm looking forward to getting red squirrels in snow this year all being well!