Notices
Testimonial
I really enjoy leading workshops and passing on my experience onto others which will, hopefully, go some way towards improving their photography. The reward is further enhanced by the occasional email I receive from a workshop attendee saying how much they enjoyed the day both from a learning and social perspective. All my workshops consist of no more than 6 people so a nice small-group-atmosphere is pretty much guranteed as well as receiving close to one-to-one tuition from myself.
The piece below was written by Chris Couch, who had a one-day wildlife photography workshop with me as a birthday gift from his wife.
Wildlife Photography Workshop Testimonial
The One Show appearence – Friday 9th September. 7pm on BBC1
Back in March I spent 2 days filming for The One Show. I have recently been notified that it will be screened this coming Friday 9th September at 7pm.
It was to show, presenter, Jamie Crawford, how to photograph hares. The first part was spent at Harlow Greyhound Race Track photographing the lure as it whizzed by. This was to give Jamie some idea as to how to track an exceptionally fast animal like the hare though, of course, it can’t account for their erratic and unpredictable movements. After filming, I drove down to give a talk to Folkestone Camera Cluband straight after, drove back up, but this time to a B&B in Royston, Cambridgeshire for a 5.30am start to attempt to photograph the real thing.
As you may see on the film, that morning we were plagued with thick fog, hardly ideal conditions for spotting hares, and so we just sat back until it cleared, several hours later. Eventually, Jamie got his shots by me selecting a hedgerow beside a track (always a good chance that something will pass by as hares much prefer to use this method than simply taking the shortest distance) and camouflaging him, as well as the cameraman, sound-recordist and myself and simply waiting. it wasn’t too long before several passed by right infront of us. To Jamie’s credit he nailed some really great shots. Just reward for all the hard work.
The multi-talented cameraman/producer/director; Tom Keeling. Patiently waiting.
Brown hare running. One of my own images from day. Nikon D300, 300mm f2.8, 1.4x tele-converter, iso 800, 1/1250th sec. f5.6, hand-held.
It’s the first time I had ever done something like this and although I am used to speaking infront of lots of people, lecturing for example, doing it infront of a camera is an altogether entirely different thing! I was, understandably, quite nervous to start with but the crew and, especially, Jamie, were so professional and chillled that they put you at ease very quickly indeed. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat! 
Bison of Bialowieza Photo-Tour – February 7th-12th 2012
Just 2 places left!
Those of you that follow my blog may, or may not recall, the piece I wrote about my trip some years ago to photograph Europe’s largest mammal, the Bison or Wisent, in the primeval forests of Bialowieza. Well, in conjunction with acclaimed Polish nature photographer Marek Kosinski, I will be leading a 6 day photography tour to this amazing place with Marek as our guide. There is simply no-one better to guide us. Marek who lives in Bialowieza itself, has been published worldwide, received many honours and in the March issue of BBC Wildlife magazine, had a double-page spread of a red deer stag running through a flock of cranes.
Bialowieza Forest is a huge area covering 1500 sq.km where, roughly, one third lies in Poland and two thirds in Belarus. The bison or wisent were reintroduced in 1929 where they had been hunted to extinction in 1919, largely by the occupying German army. Now, on the Polish side, there are 456 and including Belarus, 800. Each winter, in special areas, their feeding is supplemented and with Marek’s expert knowledge of these sites, we are sure to get some amazing pictures of these huge animals in their natural environment. Two whole days will be spent tracking and photographing bison and the following 2 will be spent both in Marek’s garden hide photographing birds such as nuthatch, nutcracker, middle spotted woodpecker, grey-headed woodpecker, hawfinch and sparrowhawk and Bialowieza’s Specially Protected Area where entry can only be gained with prior permission from the Park’s authorities.
This incredible part of the forest is the largest and finest example of primeval forest in lowland Europe, where massive, several hundred year old oaks stand 50 metres tall as a result of the nutrient rich soil. Trust me, It is a stunningly beautiful, yet eerie place, where no forest management has ever been carried out. The only means of transport within the forest is horse and cart. Where trees fall, they remain and among the tangled vegetation and fallen, decaying trees, wolves, lynx, boar and bison roam. Black storks, booted eagles and all 10 species of woodpecker exist within Bialowieza National Park, not to mention the endless list of plants and insects. If this hasn’t been enough to whet your appetite, then maybe these images will!
Cost: £995 per person
Group size will be kept to a maximum of just 4, a total of 6 including Marek and myself. Price includes return flights to London Heathrow, all transport within Poland, guiding services and full board accommodation in single-room occupancy.
To register your interest and to receive a full itinerary, including all details concerning equipment requirements etc; please get in touch with me either by email at rmcanis@msn.com or telephone: 0044 (0)7939 117570
See here for the Bison of Bialowieza – Itinerary
Practical Photography magazine article
An extensive article I wrote for Practical Photography magazine titled “Discover Winter Wetlands” can now be read from my website by clicking on the image below.
In it Igo through the variety of subjects which can be found and techniques employed when working on an area such as this from using different lenses, hides and even appropriate clothing to keep you working in what can often be, in a such an open landscape, freezing conditions. I hope you enjoy reading it and perhaps, for some you, pick up a few useful tips along the way!
Peak District Workshop – Special offer! SOLD OUT!!
Due to a couple cancelling, I have spaces available on my Peak District Landscape Photography Workshop which will be held on Saturday October 29th 2011. As it is only 3 weeks away, I am prepared to offer this at a much reduced price from £110 per person to just £90 which also includes a pub lunch.
Stanage Edge
The day will be centered around 3 famous edges, the first being Stanage Edge where we spend the first couple of hours, and then, after a pub lunch, head onto Curbar and Baslow Edge. Should the weather prove too inclement for part of the day, we will go to a nearby gorge and shoot autumnal woodland scenes and waterfalls. This will be my sixth Peak District workshop in just ever a year and among the various comments I receive, is that they found it not only an instructional day but a fun get-together of like-minded individuals with a passion for photography.
Numbers, as always, will be limited to just 6 giving me plenty of time with each on an almost one-to-one basis. This I find is crucial as there will be a mix of abilities and since people learn at different speeds, I am able to cater for each, accordingly.
For more information, please, click HERE which will take you to the relevant workshop page on my website. Alternatively, you can call me on 07939 117570 or email at rmcanis@msn.com
Photography workshops in Kent
I have just added 3 new workshops which can be viewed here on the workshops page on my website. They have only been up a short while and already places are being filled so if you’re interested, please get in touch soon. Below is an overview of those added.
Bluebell Photography Walk
Sunday May 1st – 10.00 to 13.00 hrs.
(Group size – 6. 4 places remaining)
To be held at Hucking Estate, a beautiful woodland near Maidstone. Ideal for those wishing to learn how to photograph plants, insects and woodland scenes. Suitable for beginners as well as the more experienced. £30
Kent’s Lady Orchids
Saturday May 14th – 14.00 to 18.00 hrs.
(Group size-6)
The location for this orchid photography workshop is a nature reserve near Garlinge Green, south of Canterbury. I’ll be covering such things as composition, lens selection, exposure and flash. Choice of time has been chosen to avoid the mid-day sun and benefit from the low, late afternoon sunlight. £45
Heathland Sunrise
Saturday August 20th and Sunday 21st – 04.30 to 07.30 hrs.
(Group size-3. 2 places remaining on each day)
Experience the vibrant colours of flowering heath at Kent’s largest heathland, Hothfield Heathlands, near Ashford, at sunrise. Suitable for those of all levels and as the group size is only 3, there’ll be no bustling for the best positions! This really is a time when the most atmospheric pictures are created where an early rise is well rewarded. I will go through my thought process when seeking a composition and the decisions I make when choosing the right lens along with using filters, obtaining the correct exposure and assessing the camera’s histogram. Dew laden cobwebs and dragonflies are other possible subjects £35
Kent’s Wildflowers
Wednesday May 4th – 09.00 to 18.00 hrs.
(Group size-2. 1 place remaining)
A full day of photography in mid and north Kent at various favourite locations hand-picked by myself. This is a great time to experience Kent’s ancient woodlands and Downs and the flowers it harbours. The group size has been kept to just 2 so we can all travel in my car and give you pretty much one-to-one tuition. The price also includes a pub lunch at a an award-winning pub run by a personal friend of mine. £125
As with all my workshops, the price includes unlimited correspondence before and after the day and email review of your images.
Artur Tabor 1968-2010
Ever since visiting Poland and photographing bison within the Bialowieza forest, I have had quite a fascination with the wildlife of this area. I won’t go on too much about it as I did an extensive post earlier on my trip there, but Bialowieza really is something special. And, because of this, I would occasionally, through the internet, follow Polish wildlife photographers and view their work. One such individual that caught my attention early on was a chap called Artur Tabor. I would put money on the fact that hardly any photographer, pro and amateur alike, having ever heard of him, for his work isn’t of the ‘commercial’ realm…..lions, penguins, polar bears etc. Instead, he concentrated almost exclusively on his home country, Poland. His images are breathtaking, exhibiting an intimacy that can only come from spending prolonged periods photographing within your own country, his love of which clearly shines through.
Sadly, however, Artur died while on expedition in Mongolia. According to his website, which I translated through igoogle, he slipped and fell off a cliff suffering serious injuries. His brother and colleagues were with him in his final moments.
Please take the time to visit his website here. His images will inspire and amaze you that, at such a relatively young age, he covered so much and with the skill and flair of someone at the top of their game. We can only imagine what he would have achieved if it wasn’t for his untimely and tragic death.
Stories
The first ‘story’ of an new addition to my website has just been completed. It’s about my favourite bird, the Lapwing or Peewit. Possibly, the greatest breeding population in the UK resides just a stone’s throw from where I live, which, over the last 10 years, has afforded me the opportunity of recording their life history. The story section differs from my ‘collections’ in that they tell a story (no surprise there then!) with extended captions. Click here to go straight there. More stories will follow which I will let you know about as and when they are added.
Males defending their territories at sunrise. Nikon D300, 300mm f2.8, 1/1250th sec. f5.6, iso 200.
Female incubating. Hatching occurs after approximately 28 days which gave me sufficient time to 'very' gradually introduce a dummy camera housing. This was introduced over a 2 week period starting from a point, 50m away from the nest then moved forward, at intervals. It was then replaced with a sound-proof housing containing a Nikon D300 and 12-24mm lens. The camera was fired via radio remote from my car, 100m away.
Four-legged lapwing!
As of today, you can now catch up with my wanderings on Facebook. This will not replace the Blog but simply be day to day chat, images as they happen and well, you know, Facebook stuff!
I’m under Robert Canis Photography so I look forward to catching up with some of you there.
Grab a bargain!
The calendars I have produced for 2011 have sold really well but I still have a handful left. And, because I would rather they be gracing someone’s kitchen or office as opposed to gathering dust here, I am now selling the remaining few at the discounted price of just £5.50 which includes P&P. Although the title is Wildlife of Swale it is by no means only for those residing in this part of England as the wildlife depicted are found pretty much anywhere in the UK. See here for more details and payment.
About Robert Canis
Robert Canis is a professional photographer specialising in the natural world.
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