SEAN’S TOP 10 TIPS

1 SHOOT RAW

Raw files contain extra exposure information that makes it easier to correct the exposure and white balance when editing back home.

2 WAIT FOR ACTION

Try to wait for your wildlife subject to become active for more engaging pictures. For our birds of prey this meant waiting for them to squawk, preen, fight among themselves, or fly.

3 WRAP UP WARM

Make shooting outdoors in the cold more comfortable by wrapping up warm, with thermals and thin gloves that enable you to easily adjust your camera settings.

4 STOCK UP ON SPARES

Don’t risk having to end a shoot early because your memory card is full or your battery has run out of juice!

Bring plenty of spares so that you don’t miss any magical moments.

5 OTHER SUPPLIES

If you’re shooting in a hide make sure you bring a thermos with you so you can have hot drinks to keep you warm on colder days. Take snacks as well, to keep you powering through until the last of the light has gone.

6 SHOOT IN ALL WEATHERS

Don’t be put off by bad weather! While sunny days will give you brighter and more colourful shots, you can also get some fantastically atmospheric and moody shots on overcast and rainy days, which will give your wildlife portfolio some brilliant variety.

7 RESEARCH LOCAL HIDES

Search online and use social media to find wildlife hides close to where

you live, that you can visit regularly and practice – some may require you to sign up for membership.

8 PHOTOGRAPH IN YOUR GARDEN

Propping up a makeshift hide in your garden, close to a bird feeder, is a great way to practice and build up your skills and camera craft.

9 PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

Practice as much as you can so that eventually you’re able to change settings without having to think about it – this will allow you to concentrate on composition, focusing and getting the shot.

10 BACK-BUTTON FOCUSING

Set up back-button focusing so that the shutter button isn’t responsible for AF as well as the shutter firing – this gives you much more control over your focusing.