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You may have seen this before, some may not, but here is the definative guide to shooting wildlife.
Hope it helps.
Today I would like to talk about wildlife photography and give you all a lesson in the said art.
Hopefully this short web seminar will help YOU improve as a photographer and you can pass these sensible ideas onto fellow snappers.
Frankly, we all benefit, as teaching seems to come naturally to me. Before we proceed with the lesson, please note that the following pictures have not been doctored in anyway, shape or form.
The first thing we need to talk about is preparation. This is critical. I mean, do you think Sadam Hussein frog marched into Kuwait without considering the lay of the land or likewise, when Hitler and his blitzkrieg crew belted into Russia do you think they forgot to research the freezing cold Siberian winters that would render the ill prepared troops as ineffective. No, not at all. (Sorry, just googled that Hitler, what a Pratt, we all know it gets cold anywhere east of Bristol) Anyway, research, research, and research. My first example picture shows me researching for long a wildlife trip in a difficult climate. Please do not under estitmate your habitat!!!
I think the next thing to consider would be supplies. Ideally, less is more so pre-packed is good, but avoid wrappers as they rustle and you dont want to sound like some asbo kid at the cinema on a Saturday night. I have attached some pictures of my ideal wildlife lunchbox items, fresh fruit, and instant custard. Look at those bananas....like they have just fallen from the tree..yummy eh? Top notch fruit.
Jobs a good 'UN with that delicious lot on your trip.
Next we need to look at our gear. Ideally you should have the following. Camo camera bag, camo hat and of course a second hand camo coat.
I got mine at the army surplus on St. Johns Road for £20.00 and even has the deceased blokes name badge and matching bullet hole. (Ahem!)
I usually wear standard issue jeans and find Pepe to be a good fit. 32 waist and 33 leg for me. I tend to steer away from jeans available at outlets such as Asda George as despite being around £8.00 per pair, they are inherently awful on. Footwear wise YOU MUST wear sturdy, comfortable boots with ankle garters attachments. For jungle expeditions I tend to use these
They are made by Lonsdale; Wimbledon models with Velcro strap for quick release. Finished in black with a mottle effect I prefer these over walking boots. Far more sensible and a snip at £16.00 from sports world and look great on if you happen to chance upon a bar in the middle of nowhere! You can usually find trainers akin to these at those large retail places that claim to be closing down every week but when you pass a week later they are still there selling kit to one and all in some matrix-esque glitch where you again go in for some cheap daps as they close next week. Repeat.
Of course, your outfit/uniform can be adapted to your environment and on this trip I chose to blend in with my prey and the surroundings. A simple trick such as this can fool even the wisest of animals and give you precious seconds when trying to get that critical shot! Note the subtle but adjusted head gear!
Another tip/trick I would like to reveal is luring your subject into the open/field of view. Why not try and lure the said beast/mammal/animal with food? Talk to the subject in its basest terms and as such I always carry 52 cans of this with me. Of course, it can double up and replace my custard sachet as I have forgotten to pack a kettle lead on many an occasion. Example -
I think the next thing we need to consider is camera gear. Dont worry too much I use this £130.00 lens.
It gets great results and once you put my tips into effect you may find that your days of shooting wildlife with a 400mm L lens will have gone as frankly you can get to your subject with stealth and cunning, the sole objective of todays lesson. As such why not forget the zoom and chuck in a macro or 10mm lens for the challenge. Once when in East Asia I managed to get right on top of a pair or mating gorillas and I can validate the fact that despite urban legend, they do in fact have large girth in the nether region, not long and thin. A special thanks to Dr. Hans Bartofski for helping me to walk again and for the several tricky operations on my damaged sphincter.
Hope it helps.
Today I would like to talk about wildlife photography and give you all a lesson in the said art.
Hopefully this short web seminar will help YOU improve as a photographer and you can pass these sensible ideas onto fellow snappers.
Frankly, we all benefit, as teaching seems to come naturally to me. Before we proceed with the lesson, please note that the following pictures have not been doctored in anyway, shape or form.
The first thing we need to talk about is preparation. This is critical. I mean, do you think Sadam Hussein frog marched into Kuwait without considering the lay of the land or likewise, when Hitler and his blitzkrieg crew belted into Russia do you think they forgot to research the freezing cold Siberian winters that would render the ill prepared troops as ineffective. No, not at all. (Sorry, just googled that Hitler, what a Pratt, we all know it gets cold anywhere east of Bristol) Anyway, research, research, and research. My first example picture shows me researching for long a wildlife trip in a difficult climate. Please do not under estitmate your habitat!!!
I think the next thing to consider would be supplies. Ideally, less is more so pre-packed is good, but avoid wrappers as they rustle and you dont want to sound like some asbo kid at the cinema on a Saturday night. I have attached some pictures of my ideal wildlife lunchbox items, fresh fruit, and instant custard. Look at those bananas....like they have just fallen from the tree..yummy eh? Top notch fruit.
Jobs a good 'UN with that delicious lot on your trip.
Next we need to look at our gear. Ideally you should have the following. Camo camera bag, camo hat and of course a second hand camo coat.
I got mine at the army surplus on St. Johns Road for £20.00 and even has the deceased blokes name badge and matching bullet hole. (Ahem!)
I usually wear standard issue jeans and find Pepe to be a good fit. 32 waist and 33 leg for me. I tend to steer away from jeans available at outlets such as Asda George as despite being around £8.00 per pair, they are inherently awful on. Footwear wise YOU MUST wear sturdy, comfortable boots with ankle garters attachments. For jungle expeditions I tend to use these
They are made by Lonsdale; Wimbledon models with Velcro strap for quick release. Finished in black with a mottle effect I prefer these over walking boots. Far more sensible and a snip at £16.00 from sports world and look great on if you happen to chance upon a bar in the middle of nowhere! You can usually find trainers akin to these at those large retail places that claim to be closing down every week but when you pass a week later they are still there selling kit to one and all in some matrix-esque glitch where you again go in for some cheap daps as they close next week. Repeat.
Of course, your outfit/uniform can be adapted to your environment and on this trip I chose to blend in with my prey and the surroundings. A simple trick such as this can fool even the wisest of animals and give you precious seconds when trying to get that critical shot! Note the subtle but adjusted head gear!
Another tip/trick I would like to reveal is luring your subject into the open/field of view. Why not try and lure the said beast/mammal/animal with food? Talk to the subject in its basest terms and as such I always carry 52 cans of this with me. Of course, it can double up and replace my custard sachet as I have forgotten to pack a kettle lead on many an occasion. Example -
I think the next thing we need to consider is camera gear. Dont worry too much I use this £130.00 lens.
It gets great results and once you put my tips into effect you may find that your days of shooting wildlife with a 400mm L lens will have gone as frankly you can get to your subject with stealth and cunning, the sole objective of todays lesson. As such why not forget the zoom and chuck in a macro or 10mm lens for the challenge. Once when in East Asia I managed to get right on top of a pair or mating gorillas and I can validate the fact that despite urban legend, they do in fact have large girth in the nether region, not long and thin. A special thanks to Dr. Hans Bartofski for helping me to walk again and for the several tricky operations on my damaged sphincter.
Cracked me up 
