Wildlife Photography across the Water: Fall/Autumn Photography

Friday, 1 October 2010

Fall/Autumn Photography

The winter of 2009 was a long one here on the East Coast USA as it was in Europe, Winter gave way to summer-we seemed to miss spring and boy what a summer, Here in NC it was a record breaker with nearly 90 days over 90 degrees and many of those were either high 90's or low 100's, I am not complaining unlike some locals-it was a stunning summer and although the long hours in a hide were uncomfortable and the hummingbird photography just didn't really happen due to heat i enjoyed the whole time and got some reasonable results which is the main thing, It doesn't seem that long since i was in the Smoky Mountains shooting Fall/Autumn colours but once again the weather has changed and the Fall is here, The leaves on the trees have a tinge of colour on the edges and its time to get ready to make the most of the short time when the colours are at their best, So what do we need to do to make the best of the Fall/Autumn landscapes, Well the first is to research the area in which you want to shoot as time is of the essence, So take in as many big landscapes as well as waterfalls and old buildings as you can, Here in NC where we have the Great Smoky Mountains with hundreds of waterfalls, Mills and just beautiful landscapes we are spoilt for choice so do some home work, There are lots of books on what's around, Where and when to shoot, i have booked motels in Tennessee and NC to take in Landscapes and wildlife and for the first time landscapes are top of the pile with wildlife taking a back step and with the wildlife i want to have them small in the frame showing them in habitat, So what kit will give some good results? I think a wide angle like a 24-70 on a full frame sensor and a mid zoom like a 70-200 will cope with most instances and the 200-400 range will cover most wildlife needs, The Smoky's will be busy and last year i got some Fly Fisherman in the rivers with the fall colours so drive around and keep your eyes open for photo opportunities, For the landscapes i will have some grad ND filters from 1-3 stops and most importantly a poloriser filter, Not only will the polariser boost the colours and take any glare off of the leaves and water it will act like a 2 stop ND filter slowing the shutter speed down which can be great when shooting moving water like waterfalls, I find the best conditions to shoot is when its overcast and rain can be a benefit as it really makes the colours sing-Don't be a baby and worry about your camera gear as you can easily keep it dryish with some care and thought and your images will just jump out of the screen-plus there wont be so many people around which really is a bonus, Low light will be the order of the day so a good tripod and head along with a cable or remote release are the a must to get nice sharp images, take your time and be methodical and it will all come good, Look around for some nice coloured leaves and don't be worried about moving a few around to give nice foreground interest

Dave

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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.