Nature calls
Not all wildlife hides away for the winter months – and the cold conditions and lack of natural food sources can bring the birds and beasts closer to your camera
1 GARDEN BIRDS
Wildlife – particularly garden birds – are far more approachable at this time of year due to the cold and a lack of natural food. Therefore, create a feeding station, by placing out wild bird seed and nuts. Not only will this help supplement their natural diet, but you can lure subjects closer to your camera. Use a pop-up hide to disguise your whereabouts or shoot from a window. If snow is on the ground, consider taking photos from low level so that you can capture subjects against a clean white backdrop. Use photogenic props, like a spade handle or sprig of berries to add interest to your shots. A focal length upwards of 300mm is best. Opt for a shutter of at least 1/500 sec. When shooting action, consider selecting Manual exposure mode combined with Auto ISO. Input both the aperture and shutter speed you require and allow the
ISO to float depending on the light. With modern
Nikon cameras offering such good high ISO performance, this setup can prove very effective for the best results with nature photography.
2 SHOOT FROM A CAR
One of the biggest challenges wildlife photographers face is getting close enough to subjects without being detected. One option is to use your car as a hide. While most animals recognize the human shape as a threat, they do not see vehicles in the same way, so using your car as a mobile hide can prove fruitful. You may already be aware of quiet roads rolling through countryside, moorland, or woodland where wildlife is active and consistently seen. Grouse, birds of prey, waders, and pheasants are among the subjects you might spot close to the road, either feeding or perched on a wall or fence – or you might know an area where deer gather, or hares reside. Early morning
is a good time to shoot from a car – wildlife is more active, the light is good, and roads tend to be quiet. Park safely, wind down your window, and use a beanbag to support your lens. A focal length upwards of 400mm is a good choice.
A car can prove a warm and comfortable makeshift hide during the winter months. Try taking photos while snow is falling – snowflakes will give your nature shots a painterly look. 3 SHOOT SNOWDROPS
You wouldn’t consider flowers a winter subject, but there is an exception. Snowdrops earn their name due to their resilience to cold weather. The plant produces antifreeze proteins that inhibit the formation of damaging ice crystals, which is why they are the first flowers to bloom each year. They are hugely photogenic, often growing in large carpets. Get down low and shoot from ground level, using your camera’s articulated screen to compose your shots more comfortably. Look for flowers popping up through a blanket of fresh snow – use a macro lens or telephoto with a short minimum focusing distance. 4 SHOOT A SILHOUETTE
A silhouette is the most extreme form of backlighting, rendering subjects as bold, inky outlines. Technically speaking, a silhouette is the result of gross underexposure, but combined with a good subject and background, results can be truly eye-catching. You will need to contrast your subject against a much brighter background, for example a colourful sunrise or sunset. A low viewpoint often works well. Try to isolate subjects with a strong, instantly recognizable outline, being careful that it does not ‘merge’ with its surroundings. Expose for the subject’s brighter background to produce stunning silhouettes.
5 CARRY EXTRA BATTERIES
Batteries lose power at low temperatures, so the colder it is the faster they will drain. While modern batteries are more resilient to these conditions, it is still worthwhile carrying extra fully charged spare batteries for your camera, particularly if you are shooting action and large bursts of images. And don’t forget spare batteries for any other accessory that relies on batteries and might inconveniently run out of juice – such as a Speedlight or your head torch – and leave you in darkness.