CANON PRO SEAN’S TOP TEN TIPS

1 Practise makes perfect

You’re unlikely to bag that amazing shot on your first visit – wildlife photography takes persistence.

2 Persevere in ‘bad’ weather

Atmospheric conditions can be had in rain and snow that will make your shots stand out, just make sure your camera has decent weatherproofing and a cover.

3 Visit local deer & wildlife parks

There’s an abundance of deer parks; an internet search will find the closest ones, and list access and parking facilities.

4 Spare memory cards & batteries

You don’t want to end a shoot early because your memory cards are full or your battery has run out of juice.

5 Watch the wildlife

You don’t have to get your camera out straight away. It’s often beneficial to study animals from afar, a pair of binoculars can be handy for this.

6 Start early

Be in position well before sunrise so you have time to find the deer and get into a good position where the sun will light them from the side or behind.

7 Keep an eye on the weather

The night before your shoot will give you the most accurate forecast, look at conditions to check for likely mist or fog which can also look atmospheric.

8 Be careful

Observe and photograph deer from a safe distance, never get too close especially in rutting season and never get between a stag and his doe!

9 Customise autofocus case mode

Some Canons have different autofocus Case Modes which you can change and customise to adjust how the autofocus performs. Sean uses AF Case Mode 2 on his Canon EOS-1D X Mark II for wildlife.

10 Dial in negative exposure compensation

On sunny mornings dial in a little negative exposure compensation to darken your images and help retain highlight detail. Shooting Raw files will help you capture more exposure data.