Working on your own projects is a great way of learning more about your chosen subject, while becoming a better wildlife photographer I firmly believe.
I had a chance encounter with a wild Mandarin Duck in the Peak District National Park. While photographing a pair of Dippers feeding their young this handsome fellow and his lady turned up.
Wildlife photography’s power rests on the belief that it represents an event that occurred naturally in the wild, something witnessed and recorded by the photographer with their camera at that given time.
Fieldcraft and ethics are two of the most important things in wildlife photography. Those that enter the theatre of wildlife are afforded the highest level of trust by nature. How we manage that first contact as I call it is so important
Here is a short film of an adult Dipper feeding in the Peak District National Park, watch how they just dive into the river looking for food, it’s incredible.
The Winter Solstice occurs in December and in the Northern Hemisphere the date marks the 24-hour period with the fewest daylight hours of the year, which is why it is known as the shortest day and longest night.
With the seasons now becoming colder and the sun lower in the sky, it’s the time of year that will offer you a softer, more angled light. Which can present the photographer with endless opportunities for dramatic images of wildlife.