Ramblings
Nature Photographers that have most influenced me
Those of us that have been taking photographs for some time will have undoubtedly been influenced by those we have admired. Certainly I have! I started taking wildlife photographs 27 years ago at the age of 13 and seriously from 16 at a time when we weren’t bombarded with imagery found on the Internet. My influences came from those around me and those credited with images gracing coffee table books and magazines such as BBC Wildlife and National Geographic.
From a very early age I would tag-along with a great friend of mine, called Ted Coleman who was 40 years my senior. He was a quite brilliant naturalist and no mean wildlife photographer, to boot! I would find myself trying desperately to emulate his style and quality (very poorly, I have to say) but as I grew older and saw other photographers’ work, I began to follow my own inclinations and would attempt to record what I saw in a more artistic manner. Ted, in his rural, gravely voice would call this “arty-farty”! I couldn’t disagree. He was right! You see, this was the early 1980s and ”artistic” natural history photography wasn’t at all common, at least not in the UK. By and large, photographers would record what they saw as opposed to putting their own personal “stamp” on it. However, there were a number in that period that started to do just that and over the coming weeks, I’ll be going through those, in ascending order, that have influenced my own work the most.
Ted, sitting patiently with his dog, as I photographed orchids, 20 years ago.
I won’t be including Ted in this as I don’t feel as though I need to state how much he influenced my work, particularly in those early days. Indeed, as time went by and we returned from trips together, to Wales and Finland for example, many an evening would be spent projecting our images and seeing just how different our styles had become. One thing never changed though and that was an ethic he had instilled in me all those years ago. “That no matter how badly you want that picture or how hard you have worked to get close, the subject’s well-being must always come first.”
Resolutions
Making New Year’s resolutions is one thing I usually steer well clear of. Those that I have made in the past invariably get broken in the first week anyway! Does anyone actually make them and keep to them? If they do, they are either liars or have incredibly strong will power. But, when Practical Photography contacted me asking if I would do 50-60 words on my plans for 2011 for their New Year’s Resolution feature for the January 2011 issue, how could I refuse?! But this wasn’t personal resolutions, to give up drinking and hard partying (in my dreams, though I’m not sure I have the energy anymore) and so it actually took me a lot longer than I expected. To my surprise I gave it serious thought and if I achieve all that which I stated, I will be a very happy man. There is something to be said for putting it down on paper. It kind of makes it definite and not just a thought that may never materialise. This is what I wrote…..
“I’m determined to increase my coverage of invertebrates of the North Kent Marshes, obtain more landscape images of the South Downs and attempt to photograph wild boar.”
Roll on 2011!
Looking towards The Seven Sisters, South Downs National park.
Perfect birds
Can a photograph of a bird taken at a winter feeding station be too perfect? This is a question I have been asking myself on and off for the last few years.
With a growing interest in the outdoors and digital photography being more popular than ever, photography of wildlife, especially of birds, has reached an all time peak. And as a consequence, thousands of bird images are displayed on the web. But, my feeling is those taken at feeding stations where a bird is lured onto a specific perch are tending to look rather samey? I say at feeding stations because this and at ponds, outside the breeding season, are really the only times when a bird can be encouraged to perch on a specific branch or twig and the photographer has the flexibility of shooting at whatever time they desire. It’s only natural of course for a photographer to want to produce the best image he or she possibly can of that bird utilising all those aspects that make it both pleasing to look at and commercial. Relaxed posture, lichen covered twig, warm frontal lighting, catchlight in the eye and above all else, a nice clean background that doesn’t distract from the subject. All these elements ensure that you look only at the bird and that other aspects of the image purely enhance it. Those clinical pictures of a blue tit sitting on a berry laden hawthorn twig are beautiful to look at but do little to stir the soul and for that matter, push the photographer. For those wishing to push the boundaries a little, this leaves him or her in a bit of a quandary for if you hope to get some commercial return from your pictures, then the more clinical approach is usually required thereby leaving you take the more artisitic images for your own creative gratification.
Clean, dark background and frontal lighting. Classic technique but does it move or inspire you?
Bird in partial shadow against a bright background created by the rising sun. Everything books will tell you not to do but not only did this image take longer to secure than the one above, I believe it has significantly more impact.
Taken moments before the sun dipped below the horizon. It is unlikely that this will ever sell to a wildlife magazine as it does not clearly show the species. It does however, I feel, convey more atmosphere than a conventional portrait.
Now, I am not speaking of those that are content with taking the odd picture of a garden bird but more so the serious bird photographers out there. I sit here guilty as charged. Over the years I have shot hundreds of bird images just like that but I have tried (and very often failed!) to mix it with more artistic images. It’s easy to use the same, tried and tested techniques. Better the devil you know you could say, but ultimately, as I have found, greater pleasure can be derived from trying something else, outside your comfort zone.
Not another puffin picture!
I know, I know. The Internet seems swamped these days with more images than ever of this charismatic little fella. But who can blame a photographer for wanting to photograph them?! They are extremely numerous and very approachable. Getting something different then, becomes increasingly difficult.
I have recently been accepted by a second picture library (I have been with my other, FLPA, for 10 years now) called Wildlife GmbH, in Germany and as a result, I am in the process of submitting material to them, one of which is of this puffin in flight.
Atlantic puffin in flight.
Taken on Skomer a few years ago, I stayed for a couple of nights to photograph these and manx shearwaters. Manx shearwaters are incredible birds spending most of it’s life at sea, only returning to land at night to feed it’s young. Why at night? In nutshell, they are are very clumsy on land due to their legs being set far back towards their tale and so if they were to come ashore during the day, they would end up as dinner to gulls and the like. Anyway, back to the puffin. On my second day, fog rolled in along with strong winds. I fitted my flash-unit to attempt the flash-and-blur technique. If you pull it off it can be quite effective with the resulting image exhibiting both sharp and blurred elements giving the impression of movement. It’s relatively simple to do too. Select a slow shutter speed of say 1/30th sec. and your TTL flash-unit to -1. With the flash unit set to minus one stop the effect will be subtle though evident. Experimentation is the key here as the speed of the subject, it’s direction and distance will determine both shutter speed and flash output.
Scribbling away
Its been, and will be for the next few days, a little quiet on the photography front as at the end of last week I was commissioned to write a 6-7 page article for a major photographic magazine. Deadline? This Friday. For such a lengthy piece I like to initially get my ideas down on paper and then begin to structure it, sleep on it, re-structure, sleep on it. You get the idea!
Wigeon have started to arrive on the Kent marshes
Seals at Donna Nook
Those of you that have been following this blog for a while (and I thank you for that) may recall a series of images I took last autumn of a grey seal colony in Norfolk and my thoughts on the growing problem of photographers at Donna Nook. Well, it’s almost that time of year again when hundreds, nay thousands of photographers descend on the colony at Donna Nook to get pretty much the same images as thousands before them.
Taken at Donna Nook back in 1992. Nikon F3, 500mm f4P, Kodachrome 64.
In my entry close to 10 months ago, I told how I visited DN (for the first and last time) back in 1992 when hardly anyone, pro’s and amateurs alike, knew it even existed. Indeed, it was only because I had an interest in these creatures and through snail-mail communication to wardens and the like, that I eventually spent 3 days there. And guess what? I was the only one with a telephoto lens! I saw 3 others all day with point and push cameras who were locals and just enjoying the experience. So why am I rattling on about it again? In the latest (October) edition of Outdoor Photography, Peter Moonlight writes a very interesting piece on the impact on seal pups that the photographer’s are making. It’s a sobering thought many who consider themselves nature photographers would put a picture before the well being of the animal. I accept that the draw to be close to and photograph wild animals is strong but perhaps more willpower should now be exercised if we are to let this colony thrive. What the answer is I do not know. Close off the beach completely? Can’t see that working. Have small groups led across the beach by a warden….for a fee? For photographer’s to stop leading groups for profit to the beach colony? These seem to be growing as each year passes. One thing is for certain. This debate is sure to continue for some years to come.
Norfolk colony, taken last year.
If anyone has any thoughts on this issue, I would welcome your comments.
Autumn beckons
Hay bales, Isle of Sheppey, Kent.
For the last few days there has definitely been a whiff of autumn in the air. Nights are now noticeably drawing in and once the sun sets, temperatures fall quite rapidly. I spent yesterday aftenonn in my marsh hide and when I exited I couldn’t believe how cold it was. Straight on with the fleece! We have had a good summer here in the south. July and August has been very good indeed and as I write this it’s 22 degrees outside. But, I have to say, I am not a great lover of the hot days of summer, unless I’m laying on the beach with a cold bear in my hand! I’m really looking forward to autumn now with all it brings…photographing fungi, rutting deer, morning mists and the influx of wetland birds. Plus, getting up for sunrise ain’t half as difficult.
Dewy web
On the downside, just like spring, it’s all over too quickly so I’m determined to make the most of it, whatever the weather.
Production
The last week or so hasn’t been terribly productive for me on the wildlife front. Aside from photographing nature and landscapes, for on average 2 days per week, I freelance for a number of regional newspapers. It brings in the pennies and I actually quite enjoy it. You never know from one day to the next what you’re going to photograph and for anyone who has ever been self employed, there’s nothing better than having jobs booked in the diary so you can at least, plan a little for the future.
Cock Pheasant crowing
But, regardless of work commitments I try to get myself out before and after a day’s work which, at this time of the year, invariably means an early start. A 4.45 sunrise means I am home by 7 and can afford an hours kip before getting ready for ‘work.’ And sunset at 9.15 gives me a few hours in the evening. Over a period, it’s remarkable just how much processing, paperwork and correspondence builds up! Oh, how Iwould love an assistant to find the work, process the images, submit them to my agents and upload them onto my website!
Expectations
Do we expect too much from our images? Since going digital and holding countless workshops, I wonder if we just expect too much from our pictures? By that I mean, there seems to be a widely held belief, particularly amongst those new to digital, that every part of the resulting processed image should hold detail. Is it really that imperative to have detail in all the dark areas, need we fret should a light part of the scene be blinking on our LCD panel on the rear of the camera?
In those far flung days of yonder when Iused film (excuse me while I look back wistfully!) exposure was a relatively simple process. If a light subject such as a swan occupied the majority of the frame, you would expose for it and not care a hoot about the darker areas. It was up to the film you were using as to how much detail would be produced and likewise with a dark subject.
With such a high contrast image, obtaining detail in every part would be almost impossible. Taken with film, I exposed for the sunlit green leaves of the campion and let everything else take care of itself. A kind of middle ground.
Now it seems, many photographers, and to a small degree myself, are obsessed with masks, layers, dodge and burn tools and anything else for that matter, to bring every single bit of detail out from a scene. Sure, processing an image is an essential part of the image making process and we have to be careful how to expose for a scene, to be mindful of those areas that may end up too light (sky for example) or too dark (this is where ND grads come into their own) but I feel very strongly that we also have to remember why we are taking pictures in the first instance. Speaking for myself, it’s to spend as much time as possible in the field producing images of the natural world. This I endeavour to do to the best of my ability and not to spend hour after hour staring at the computer screen!
Good month for coots
Well, more like a good month for my coot pictures really! It was very nice indeed to get the front cover of Birdwatch but to also get the inside of Bird Watching and a sale by my agent, all from the same session, was quite unexpected.
They were taken at Arundel WWT in Sussex, January before last. I spent much of the day photographing at the main lake, most notably wigeon, but as the day drew on I turned my attentions to a frozen pond harbouring mallard and coot. With the sun slowly setting, the light was perfect and for the next hour I lay flat on the ground with the 300 f2.8 lens resting on the ice in order for me to get as low as possible. As the coots are much darker than middle tone, I set the camera to deliberately underexpose by -1 stop.
Bird Watching
About Robert Canis
Robert Canis is a professional photographer specialising in the natural world.
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