Wildlife Photography across the Water: Local Patch

Thursday, 4 June 2009

Local Patch - Another wander

......down to the local nature reserve on my doorstep, known as Bridgetown Meadows in Stratford upon Avon.

I shared a couple of images from there last weekend here, and also a male Broad Bodied Chaser from my garden and here.

Following that theme, I saw a number of Female Broad Bodied Chasers, about four in all, plus I got a nice underside view of another Painted Lady butterfly, and also a Green Veined White with some late evening side lighting on it.

All of these images were taken with the Canon 1Dmk11 and the Canon 180 f.35L macro. I supported the camera on a monopod with the Arca Swiss Ballhead. I find the monopod gives useful support, and maintains a more steady platform than if I were handholding. For these subjects, I find a tripod is far too time consuming and doesn't allow you to move easily towards the subject. I prefer to stand off, get an image and move slowly towards the subject. Shooting off another image and again moving. The monopod helps this technique far better than I can ever manage with a tripod. The support provided is useful given that the two Canon macro lenses of the 180 and the 100 do not have image stabilisation, so a steady hand would be required ordinarily.

This little reserve really is a gem just five minutes away and I am looking forward to a number of other photo opportunities presenting themselves there.

Female Broad Bodied Chaser

Painted Lady

Green Veined White

Martin

1 comment:

mark wood5 June 2009 at 17:16
Martin thanks for a great insight how to capture these shots especially as my new macro arrived this morning - thanks again.
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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.