Wild expectations I want to photograph wildlife, but don’t really know where to start! Can you give me some advice, please?
This is such a huge subject that there are books devoted to it! But rather than starting with a whole list of kit needs and techniques, my simple advice is to begin with observing the behaviour of different wildlife.
Dedicated wildlife photographers spend a lot of time out in the field trying to get close to wild animals, but to start with, I’d suggest you visit some of the many locations across the country where it’s a lot easier to see and photograph different species. There are lots of parks and nature reserves, for example, where you can really get quite close to your subject. Everything you learn from photographing captive or managed animals will hold you in good stead when you step up to something wilder. Zoos, although excellent for photographic opportuinies, are generally filled with exotic animals that you are unlikely to come across in the wild unless going abroad on a safari holiday. Instead, I think your time would be well-spent at centres run by the Wetland Trust, parks that have managed deer herds, or somewhere like the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey, where they specialise in native species. Most of these places have an entrance fee, but at least you are contributing to the upkeep of the wildlife in the process.
Whenever I visit these places, I see a lot of other photographers appreciating the wildlife and taking lots of interesting shots. It’s not always easy to get great images, but at least you know the animals and birds will be there some of the time.
I started taking images in 2011, and I call myself a late bloomer in photography! To get this shot, a friend and myself planned to photograph the sunset in Manila Bay last March, but there was an event on, and we are not allowed to go near the sea shore. We passed by this big wheel; in Filipino we call it ‘Tsubibo’.
I have a very big fear of heights, and every time I see this photo I tell myself that someday I will take the challenge and go on a ride! This image was taken with a Canon EOS 600D and 18–55mm lens at 1/100 sec, f/11, and ISO 100.
It just goes to show that you might not always get what you set out to shoot, but it seems you made the most of being out with your camera and managed to capture this great image. I love the dynamic composition. By eliminating any background distractions and shooting up at an angle, you’ve managed to make a more abstract result. It appears you arrived at the location at the right time, as the light is beginning to turn golden, creating a more pleasing result.
Be careful when it comes to editing your image, though, as it appears very noisy when zoomed in. I can see your ISO setting is 100 so this ‘noise’ has been created at the editing stage. Make sure when using adjustment tools that you don’t push the settings too high, and it’s also easy to over-sharpen your image, so just watch out for these things.