BEHIND THE LENS SIMON’S SUCCESSFUL SHOTS

MAKE THE MOST OF 06 LIGHTER EVENINGS SPRING BUNNIES

The lighter evenings of late April are a great time to explore areas of grassland in search of juvenile rabbits. A few years ago, I discovered a site next to a small country lane. On my first few visits I spent some time watching the rabbits and clearing the area of dead leaves and litter, and this allowed me to capture the image I wanted of a pair of wild bunnies together. Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM.

Exposure: 1/160 sec at f/5, ISO400. Gitzo Series 3 tripod, scrim net

CONSIDER BACKGROUND 07 COLOUR SINGING THE BLUES

I regularly visited this glade of bluebells in search of roe deer, and I often had a wren for company. It used a stem of dead bracken to perform a territorial display, and set against the sea of blue flowers I knew it would make a decent image, so I constructed a makeshift hide and returned the following day. The wren duly appeared, landing on its perch and bursting into song. Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II and Canon EF 500mm f/4L

IS II USM. Exposure: 1/160 sec at f/5.6, ISO320. Gitzo Series 3 tripod, scrim net

SET UP A SCENE 08 NO FISHING SIGN

I wanted this image to look as authentic as possible, so I decided to build the sign myself from old bits of wood and made a paper stencil to create the text; I even brushed some tea over the white paint to give the letters a more weathered appearance! I then spent all day in a hide waiting for the perfect moment: the kingfisher with her prize, facing into the frame, with everything on the same focal plane. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM

Exposure: 1/640 sec at f/6.3, ISO400. Gitzo Series 3 tripod, wooden hide