Project 3 Long lens lowdown

Cute and definitely photographic, young rabbits popping their heads up are also notoriously shy and tricky to photograph. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible!

You’ll need a long lens of 300mm or more, some fieldcraft to get yourself into position, and patience. Keep yourself flat to the ground and don’t make any sudden movements. In some areas, you’ll get rabbits living on roadside verges: if it’s possible to park safely, you can use your car as a hide, shooting through an open window.

Use a single AF point, locked onto the rabbit’s eye. It’s best to shoot them while they’re almost parallel to the camera, since rabbit eyes are set well back on the side of each head. Wild rabbits – even those at a roadside – can react to unfamiliar noises, so switch to your camera’s silent shooting mode so the sound of the shutter doesn’t send them running.