Long exposures

You don’t always need to reach for a 10-stop ND filter to add blur. Frans was working at the end of the day, so light levels were dropping; this, combined with a low ISO and smallish aperture, means you can get enough blur to add an interesting edge. “I made this image with a long telephoto lens – probably a 500mm – and a heavy tripod, triggering the camera with a remote release to keep everything tack-sharp, to the extent that it could be tack-sharp,” says Frans. “It’s not just about making everything blurry, it’s the contrast between seeing details in the birds in one place and not seeing details right next to them.”