Photo Stories
Shayne shows how ‘ordinary’ animals can be turned into extraordinary photos
Unique beach angles and admiring everyday animals – from our lovely readers!
I’m an amateur Canon photographer who has loved birds ever since my parents would take me to feed the local mallards as a kid. I got my first Canon Powershot S3 IS bridge camera about 15 years ago on a whim to try out photography. As my photography progressed, I moved onto a Canon EOS 7D, and recently upgraded to the 7D Mk II with a 100-400mm lens. I’m eventually hoping to upgrade to a Canon R5,
which would be the
dream! I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel to see a lot of cool birds, from pelicans in California, to puffins in Iceland, but my favourite shots always end up being of friendly ducks. I love seeing people’s surprised reactions when they see a cool picture of a bird they would probably ignore. I want to subvert the idea that you have to be on an expensive wildlife watching trip, or spend 18 hours in a hide waiting for a rare bird, in order to get a good photo.
“I’ve tried to make people pause and take a closer look at an animal that often gets overlooked”
With this series of images, I’ve tried to make people pause and take a closer look at an animal that often gets overlooked. We always read about how a photo really shines by capturing great lighting or a decisive moment, but wildlife photography seems to have an unspoken rule that your images must be of a ‘cool’ animal to be worthy.
I love photographing mallards because of how accessible they are. You can lie on the ground and take an intimate eye-level portrait, zoom in on the detail of a feather out of place, or bit of mud on a bill, or use a flock’s comings and goings to freeze a dramatic landing or take-off.
I like challenging myself to get a decent photo out of uninspiring conditions.
I’ll go out on bright, sunny afternoons to a busy park, just to see if I can get a decent shot out of bad conditions. All of these things build technical and creative skill, so when you’re out during golden hour and happen to stumble across an armadillo chasing an eagle or something, you’ll be ready to capture that moment.
Also, the ducks can totally hear you when you scoff and say, “It’s just a mallard.” Let’s make them feel special!