buckas
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- Drew
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I've also put this on my blog which I'll update there and on here 
Over the years I've found there's not a greater reward than c than capturing wildlife on your doorstep without the need to travel miles. So a few months ago I decided to start to create a feeding station for garden birds in an area of local private woodland. Something to put my time to over the winter and an idea I've always wanted to do, I think it'll be a great idea not only to feed and look after our feathered friends over the colder months of the year when they need it most, but also to get some good shots of them - win/win. The aim from the start was to make good images accessible purely by the creating a mini habitat using all natural materials in which would make them easier to take photos of and in turn; make the images look extremely natural and print worthy. These would all be shot from a portable hide which I'd sit in (when I had some spare time) which I've positioned facing north to face away of any weather conditions, but also the birds would always be in the best light from the sun. Also, as always the best wildlife images don't have distracting backgrounds so I've made sure there's a good empty space of ground behind where the station is located, this way the background foliage will be blurred into mush using those wide apertures.
Having seen how other people build up feeding stations for certain birds I set to work using an old table feeder I made years back, dug up some nearby moss and laid it on top. Looks very odd I must admit but this can be a great ground setting once cropped into a bird portrait.
Around the table I've made a tangle of of old branches not only to provide good looking photographic perches but also to hang the conventional feeders to attract the birds. After stocking up the station food I stuck up my trail cam on a nearby tree so I can keep an eye on what visitors came to it. My aim is to capture Woodpeckers & some Jays that have been spotted locally along with the usual garden birds.
I'll keep this post updated over the winter as and when I have some free time to sit in the hide for a few hours and hopefully capture some worthy images.
cheers
drew
Over the years I've found there's not a greater reward than c than capturing wildlife on your doorstep without the need to travel miles. So a few months ago I decided to start to create a feeding station for garden birds in an area of local private woodland. Something to put my time to over the winter and an idea I've always wanted to do, I think it'll be a great idea not only to feed and look after our feathered friends over the colder months of the year when they need it most, but also to get some good shots of them - win/win. The aim from the start was to make good images accessible purely by the creating a mini habitat using all natural materials in which would make them easier to take photos of and in turn; make the images look extremely natural and print worthy. These would all be shot from a portable hide which I'd sit in (when I had some spare time) which I've positioned facing north to face away of any weather conditions, but also the birds would always be in the best light from the sun. Also, as always the best wildlife images don't have distracting backgrounds so I've made sure there's a good empty space of ground behind where the station is located, this way the background foliage will be blurred into mush using those wide apertures.
Having seen how other people build up feeding stations for certain birds I set to work using an old table feeder I made years back, dug up some nearby moss and laid it on top. Looks very odd I must admit but this can be a great ground setting once cropped into a bird portrait.
Around the table I've made a tangle of of old branches not only to provide good looking photographic perches but also to hang the conventional feeders to attract the birds. After stocking up the station food I stuck up my trail cam on a nearby tree so I can keep an eye on what visitors came to it. My aim is to capture Woodpeckers & some Jays that have been spotted locally along with the usual garden birds.
I'll keep this post updated over the winter as and when I have some free time to sit in the hide for a few hours and hopefully capture some worthy images.
cheers
drew
