Photo Active

Jamie Simmons finds calm within wildlife photography while not on wedding duty

Photo techniques from across the spectrum to inspire your next projects

In 2013 I bought my first camera, a Nikon D3200 in red with a 18-55mm kit lens. I bought it because I wanted to take photos of my newborn daughter and teach myself a new skill.

I later took that camera on a trip to Chester Zoo: it was incredible! I developed a love for photographing animals. However, later that year I had to sell everything due to finances surrounding my mortgage. It wasn’t until around five years later that I bought a camera again, after being asked to shoot a family wedding, and that was the start of my career. I am now a full-time wedding photographer, who adores escaping to the outdoors in his free time.

Recently I visited Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, and captured this shot. Roe deer are fast and don’t want to be interrupted.

I decided to take the longest route towards them. I used trees to block their line of sight as I approached; eventually, after around 45 minutes, I was within a few hundred feet of them. I decided to lay down and look as though I was resting on the ground myself. After about two hours, I was successfully in position, with the sun pleasingly lighting the deer from behind.

1 Rutting season

Deer are less concerned about you, and more involved in the events of the rut. It’s an amazing scene because you get to hear their true voice as they shout their mating calls. Respect them: be slow in your movement, avoid high winds that push your scent towards them, try to walk towards them with winds blowing towards you, keep quiet and stay low.

2 Add some drama

Getting low doesn’t just help with shortening the distance between your camera lens and wildlife: it also helps with composition. Your shot has more drama, as opposed to if you are shooting above the animal from a hill. The perspective helps improve the stature of the animal, and helps bring some foreground into the image if you shoot through long grass or flowers.

3 Do your research

Visit all different animals, do web searches and watch series online. Basically, research what you’re going to shoot, so you can understand your subjects. You are heading into their home; do you know how they are going to act? The more respect you show them, the better the shots you will come out with, but ultimately they will enjoy your presence and get used to you.