heathland
Workshops and Tours for 2012
A whole host of new and exciting wildlife and landscape photography workshops and tours can now be found on my website here.
I’ll be replicating some that were very popular last year including the Bluebell Photography Walk, Heathland Sunrise and Kent’s Wildlfowers as well as amending the Lady Orchid workshop to make it a half-day instead of a full day which, as the Walks have proved, are both easier on the commitment (just 3 hours instead of 6) and pocket! 
Tours new for this year include Northern Gold – Lapland in Autumn, Bison of Bialowieza- Poland in Winter, Prague and South Bohemia in Autumn and Dark Peak Landscapes – Peak District in Autumn. Below is a brief description of each and the link to take you straight to that page. The lapland tour already has bookings and the Bison tour is proving particularly popular with the first of two dates in 2013 already fully booked. I’ll be leading a tour there in just three weeks and cannot wait to go back there! Thermals at the ready
Lapland in autumn
I have visited Finland 6 times now and in autumn twice and I have to say, this is my favourite time of the year here. The colours are just spectacular with the yellow of birch and aspen and vibrant red of northern bilberry. And, if this wasn’t enough to whet your appetite how does photographing the northern lights sound?! 2012 is The Year of the Northern Lights and should we have clear skies, there is a 50/50 chance of witnessing them and, of course, photographing them!
To find out more about this tour, click here.
Just 2 places remaining!
European Bison in Bialowieza forest, Eastern Poland.
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 partnership with acclaimed Polish nature photographer Marek Kosinski, I shall 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, and received many honours.
To find out more about this tour, click here.
West Towers on Charles Bridge, Prague.
Over a period of 5 years, I visited Prague on no fewer than 50 occasions and several to Cesky Krumlov in South Bohemia, photographing for my agents and my own library, as well as providing articles for magazines, one of which was featured in Outdoor Photography. As a result, I know these two places extremely well and would hazard a guess there are few photographers more qualified to personally escort you around to photograph ‘The Golden City’ and the equally beautiful Cesky Krumlov.
To find out more about this tour, click here.
Peak District in Autumn
Over the last few years the Peak District has become my favourite location for landscape photography in the UK. Indeed, as a result of those images I took on my first visit, I had an article published in Outdoor Photography magazine and subsequently held 5 workshops to this region, such has been its impact.
The reason I am doing this workshop during the week and not a weekend is that some of the places we will be visiting are very popular. By holding it mid-week, we will have The Peaks to ourselves!
To find out more about this tour, click here.
I look forward to welcoming some of you along on either the workshops or tours and if you prefer to talk to me in person regarding these, do feel free to drop me a line on 07939 117570.
Sundew
I’d hoped for a decent sunrise but alas this never happened, so, after wiping the sleep from my eyes, decided to concentrate on a beautiful, though difficult to photograph, insectivorous plant, the common or round-leaved sundew.
There are 3 species in the UK, the aforementioned being the smallest and most common, the oblong or long-leaved and the great sundew. All 3 are most common in northern England and Scotland though they are also found on southern heaths, notably the New Forest.
Sundews are fascinating plants and have evolved their carnivorous behaviour in response to their habitat which is generally very acidic and poor in nutrients. An insect such as a midge or fly is attracted by its bright colours but then gets stuck on its glue-like droplets at the end of its hair-like tendrils. The sundew then, slowly curls and digests the softer parts of the insect letting the remainder fall to the side. It gets its name by the dew-like droplets that glisten in the sun.
They are very easy to find at Hothfield Common and form splashes of vibrant red amongst the equally vibrant sphagnum moss. But, to shoot the individual leaves you have to get really close. Not just close, REALLY close. The images here are uncropped and shot using a NIkon D300 with a 105mm micro lens at it’s closest focus (1:2 or half life-size) PN-11 (52.5mm) extension tube and Nikon 5T 2 element diopter close-up filter. Other than the image showing the full plant, I was only about 5 inches away. This is when a sound technique really comes to the fore. Don’t rush, take your time. The plant isn’t going to run away! Use a tripod, focus carefully, use mirror lock-up if you have it and use a remote release. The tiniest amount of vibration or inaccurate focusing will show up hugely at such a high magnification.
Hothfield Common
A 3.15 alarm call and a half hour drive took me to a favourite reserve near Ashford this morning. I’ve been visiting this site on and off for close to 20 years now though the last time I did any photography was probably 5 years ago. It’s the kind of habitat that yields the best opportunities for photography in late spring and summer when such plants as common sundew, heath-spotted orchid, bog asphodel and heather are in bloom as well as the many insects that inhabit the heath. These include leafhoppers, damselflies, dragonflies (including the scarce keeled skimmer) and sand wasps.
Stitched panorama incorporating 5 upright images and processed using PtGui.
Hothfield Common covers an area of approximately 150 acres making it Kent’s largest area of acid heathland. As you would imaging, it is generally an open space of heath with lowland valley bogs and around the perimeter, woodland of predominantly birch with some mature beech to the south.
Cotton grass. Another stitched panorama. This technique is perfect for this kind of image when the interest lies across a single plane when foreground and background interest become irrelevant.
Due to the invasion of such species as bracken and birch leading to the loss of the heathland habitat, certain measures were necessary to reduce this risk and consequently highland cattle and Koniks are now a feature.
A 'normal' shot taken with a 12-24mm and a 0.9 ND grad to tone down the sky and sunlit heath.
Hothfield Common really is a great place for everyone. There’s a large car park and trails of varying distance and even a road-side snack bar! Be warned however, with the current hot weather we are experiencing, come prepared with a hat and sun cream or if you prefer, like me, get yourself there at dawn. Trust me, it’s worth it.
About Robert Canis
Robert Canis is a professional photographer specialising in the natural world.
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