In Part 1, Danny talks about how to get started with wildlife photography.

Copy and images by Danny Green. Edited from original.

 

Location, Location, Location

Starting out in the world of wildlife photography can be a daunting task. You may start by venturing out with your camera to a local park or lake to see what you can photograph, but eventually you may wish to learn the art of fieldcraft or venture further afield to parts of the Uganda where certain wildlife is guaranteed.

Start photographing birds and wildlife in your local area

I think one of the best bits of advice I can give to the budding wildlife photographer is start by photographing closer to home. Whether that is in a local woodland, farmland or even your own garden. I started out by feeding the birds that visit my garden and some thirty years later I still do this.

The beauty about working from your garden is you start to know when the birds are at a due to visit your feeding station and you can maximize the time you spend there. Over time you will also work out when the best lighting conditions occur for the best photos.

Because it is local to you and easy to get in position you can then react quickly when the light is at its optimum best or adverse weather conditions arrive like heavy rain showers or falling snow or cold frosty conditions. These extra elements can add a great ingredient to your final images!

You can also try adding different foods, which will attract many different species giving you great depth in your portfolio.

Whether photographing in your garden or a local outdoor space, by working with a species close to home, if you make a mistake there is always going to be another opportunity around the corner.

Having a place like this will also hone your instincts and allow you to discover what your passion it – is it working with that special bit of light or capturing that rare species that pays a visit?

 

Visit a well-trodden path to maximize your photo opportunities

There are so many places dotted around the UK where you can spend a day or long weekend visiting a certain hotspot to improve on your wildlife photography.

We are blessed in the UK to have a variety of habitats and by visiting some of these places you can really increase your portfolio.

 

 

We have some very accessible Sea Bird colonies in the UK which can be accessed for day trips. Islands like Skomer in Wales or the Farne Islands in Northumbria are superb places to visit and you can see a variety of different species in one day. In the northwest one highlight is Leighton Moss, near Silverdale. Leighton Moss is home to many types of bird, otter and even red deer.

Gigrin Farm in Wales was set-up to attract Red Kites by placing out food during the winter months. This is now one of the best places in the world to see and photograph this beautiful raptor and the action shots of the Kites in flight is a fantastic opportunity.

As well as bird spots, there are many Deer Parks dotted around the UK and during the Autumnal months when the Red Deer Rut gets underway these places can be fantastic for photos of those iconic stags as they strut their stuff.

I am very lucky as I live very close to one of the best parks in the country which is Bradgate Park in Leicestershire. In the northwest of England you could head to Dunham Massey in Altrincham to see remarkably tame Fallow Deer. For Red Deer, head to Cheshire for Lyme Park in Stockport or Tatton Park in Knutsford.