"Wildlife" photography

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So, what exactly qualifies as wildlife photography these days?

Personally, I want to go out and find my own subjects. I enjoy watching the behaviour of our native animals, figuring out their feeding patterns and courting rituals. Working out when they're most active and when I'd be wasting my time. Nothing beats the satisfaction of getting "that shot" when you've researched and studied the subject, put that knowledge into practice and waited for hours on end. It means a fairly low success rate, especially in winter when I'm limited to weekends, but that makes it all the more rewarding. I don't really mind coming away from a day without a shot if I've learned something new.

But it seems that I'm in a minority. Everywhere I look there's shots of Puffins from Skomer, Gannets from Bempton, Seals from Donna Nook... this isn't wildlife photography. It's tourism. Most pro wildlife photographers appear to be 75% tour guide, 25% photographer. Fieldcraft has been usurped by having a **** load of cash, buying a 600mm lens and a guided tour in the Masai Mara. People win competitions with images that are almost identical to dozens of others you'll find on the internet. Some are coy or downright dishonest about the circumstances in which the shot was taken. To me, it's just not cricket.

So what's your idea of "wildlife photography"?
 
Just because people go to places where the animals aren't scared of you it's not wildlife photography? Your post almost sounds bitter that people can get photos without spending 12 straight hours alone in a hide.

Wildlife photography is the photography of animals that are free in the wild. Simple as that. Just because an animal is not anxious of a human being or maybe even curious as to approach a human being, doesn't lesson the impact of a photo.
Professional photographers have always sought locations where animals are easier to approach if possible.

Your hard worked for images don't make them superior to one from a "honey pot site" just because of what you had to do to obtain them i'm afraid. I'm glad you get enjoyment from doing that though :)
 
I enjoy getting out taking pics of wildlife when i can which is not very often as i have a wife and 4 your girls under 7. Now if go to my local river and site therefore hours and get lots or nothing or i go to my local nature reserves and get lots or nothing i class it as the same wildlife is wildlife and no matter what you can't predict what's gonna happen.
 
I understand what you mean, I also understand that some cannot be so committed. Where the line is drawn,i`m not sure?

So, in effect, another worthless post.............:D

I go to Mull once a year, I also have access to wild osprey, I drive and spend for these locations. But the vast majority of my time and expenditure is on my hides near where I live, I would say 90%. I don`t write off what other people do, but fully understand your concerns........:)
 
To be perfectly honest, it was a late night rant having returned from an unsuccessful after-work trip to shoot raptors, ****ed up by a load of joggers; compounded by reading a post on here about wanting to shoot wildlife for fun :dummy:

Yeah, I'd rather find the wildlife myself and not do the tourist places, but I have the family and mundane 9-5 job to fit photography around, so I guess I'll probably end up doing the same at some point. I'd love to take a few months or year out and spend all day in a hide on projects, but the reality is I have an average job that just about pays the bills, the business sense of a bloke selling waterbeds for hedgehogs and the networking skills of a mute skunk with BO. Once October arrives it'll be the odd weekend again at best. And I torture myself following people on social media with the time, resources and support I haven't got.

However, over it now and cracking on with the OU course to try and get myself out of an office and working with wildlife in a few years - even if it doesn't involve a camera :thumbs:

Feel free to engage in character assassination... :D
 
Who wouldn't like to be able to go out and regularly get some good 'real' wildlife shots, some have the time and resources and others don't. Would I rather spend 8 hours missing red kites or spend a few hours at the red kite feeding station getting worthwhile use of my limited time?
Sorry but the opportunities at the feeding station would be most appealing.
 
I do understand where you are coming from as I have the same views myself.I once met a pro Wildlife togger whose work I had admired for years.It wasnt long before I found out that his methods were to get other naturalists/photographers/guides to find the species for him,do all the research and even set up the hides.All he had to do was turn up and snap away.I lost a hell of a lot of respect for him after that.
To be a true Wildlife Photographer you need to be firstly a Naturalist.Unless you are genuinely interested and want to learn about Wildlife you wont get very far.The camera should come second in my opinion.
There does seem to be this culture now of Workshops and Safaris etc where you are guranteed to get shots of certain species (although some are captive) which seems like `cheating` but at least it leaves the true wildlife alone.This kind of thing has never interested me but each to his own.You are right though,some folks try to pass off some of their shots as taken in the field of truly wild animals.That IMO is cheating and morally wrong.
I had some Wildlife shots displayed in a gallery earlier on this year where the entries had to be of truly wild creatures.The rules clearly stated that no captive animals or birds were allowed yet the amount of obvious captive creatures that were accepted you wouldnt believe!
It is a sad fact though that because of this `Workshop` culture folk can automatically assume that the stuff you take of true wildlife is of captive stuff and personally I find that insulting.I once entered a shot of 2 Fox Cubs that I had worked very hard to get into a Camera Club external comp.The judge said of it "Obviously taken at the British Wildlife Centre and you can see by the Cubs eyes that they are alert but not scared as they are used to humans".When my mate said that they were taken in the wild he replied with "Then why arent they running away?" I said "Because I was lying under a camo net at the time and had been for several hours.They had no idea I was there but were interested in the muffled sound of the shutter".To this he then decided that the cubs eyes showed that they were terrified and was wondering what was going to happen to them so only gave it a 17/20 LOL.

Like I said,these workshops and shooting of captive stuff may work for some folk but no thanks. I know that my true wildlife pics that I have worked damned hard to get are worth a lot more to me than if I had put the bird on a perfect perch,in great lighting with a fab background and shot it for as long as I wanted from different angles etc.
Besides if it means that the captive `Wildlife` toggers leave the wild stuff alone then I am very happy with that! ;)
 
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I applaud your intention of finding your own wildlife. And understand your frustration of finding disturbance by others affecting your hobby.

Its a crowded island and so difficult to to find somewhere to be alone. As a birder i despair these days of a rarity being found on my patch, as not only the twitcher`s but now the bird paparazzi turn up and generally hound the bird to get a shot.

As to the named reserves, you cant blame people for taking photos of the great subject matter available. The very purpose of these reserves is to engage and educate people, and hopefully they will go on to understand nature.

I agree fieldcraft is rapidly disappearing, all we can do is try to educate those we encounter, but not by preaching, my favourite patch is a well known North East landmark, and it gets very crowded with day trippers dog walkers cyclists et al, and over the years ive found engaging people has produced results. Believe me, i had my moments of rage, so nowt wrong with having a rant Chris.

As to the validity of wildlife images, well its going to be subjective, a good image of wildlife is a holy grail that if it came easy would not be fulfilling. Good luck and power to your elbow, i would always find your images more appealing than a bird portrait.

regards brian r
 
Cuddy said:
Its a crowded island and so difficult to to find somewhere to be alone. As a birder i despair these days of a rarity being found on my patch, as not only the twitcher`s but now the bird paparazzi turn up and generally hound the bird to get a shot.
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I am with you on that one.We had a Mamoras Warbler turn up on my local patch last year so you can imagine the crowds!
The area is one of the best I know for breeding Winchat and Tree Pipit and there were guys trampling through the Bracken to get a closer look/pic even though the bird did a regular circuit of the area.They had no regard for the groundnesters even though they classed themselves as birders.It was almost a week before I went up because I couldnt stick the crowds.
 
Mike Warburton said:
I am with you on that one.We had a Mamoras Warbler turn up on my local patch last year so you can imagine the crowds!
The area is one of the best I know for breeding Winchat and Tree Pipit and there were guys trampling through the Bracken to get a closer look/pic even though the bird did a regular circuit of the area.They had no regard for the groundnesters even though they classed themselves as birders.It was almost a week before I went up because I couldnt stick the crowds.
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Mike i apply SWIFT rules these days.

Society for Withholding Information From Twitchers, After a Blyths Reed Warbler was found on my local patch, the area was flattened by those trying to tick/ photograph it, it happened again the following year, in fact no one saw it as it departed because of disturbance, prompting me to stop putting out finds except to trusted colleagues.

Last year a Red -flanked bluetail was probably the most disturbed bird ive encounted even though it was very confiding. These days with pagers, internet and mobile phones very little remains unseen. My personal beef is playing calls and using tapes / ipods always disturbs the bird. What happened to patience, instant gratification seems to rule .
 
:lol:

Which is exactly why I don`t tell people where the wild falcon sites are, nor where the hen harriers are away from the forest of bowland. The reasons you state above are the prime reasons that keepers,farmers and forestry people keep their knowledge to themselves and a select few, and believe me, they see and know plenty............;)
 
There's many ways you can go with thoughts on wildlife photography one site you mention is Donna Nook back in the late 80's early 90's it was unheard of. I used to venture out on the beach and see nobody for a hour sometimes only 1 or 2 people all day now it's over run the biggest problem i see is peoples lack of respect for the wildlife. These days i never venture down to the beach in the breeding season.
Im lucky i have a lot of contacts up and down the UK and i get permision to go where many others can't and i get the odd tip off where different subjects are even with this knowledge you can spend days in the hide waiting.
Most people don't have this luxury they have minimal time to spend so they pay and visit the Farnes, Bass Rock, Bempton cliffs, Skomer island the British wildlife centre to name but a few.
I have quite a few sites i visit in my local area no one knows of i know 3 places i can get fox pictures 2 good places for badgers 1 for hare 4 sites for Buzzard 2 good Kingfisher spots to name but a few. At the moment i have had tip offs on 2 little owl sites i still have'nt found them i but i will it's all down to time.
That is the governing factor time in most cases these days people don't have the time to spend . As long as people are responsible i have no problem with them going to the farnes and such i still go myself but it has changed and not for the better. i have just recently returned from a trip to the Isle of Skye followed by Orkney followed by a couple of days in Northumberland i visited the farnes yet again why do i go simply because i enjoy the place. If i want solitude and Puffins i go to the Treshnish isles the shots look the same though . :thinking::D
Regards
Richard
 
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I go to Bempton every now and again. I do not have a 600mm lens (I wish) but I have had some excellent results. Puffins, gannets, kitiwakes, fulmars, razorbills & guiilemots as well as spectacular scenery. Whats more it's free!! But the point is if you want to get good shots location and technique are more important than the most expensive equipment. In my humble opinion, of course.
Incidently, this is my first post and first hour on this site!!
 
To shoot wildlife you have to go to where the wildlife is. Not everywhere along the coast has seals, so if I want to photograph seals then places like Donna Nook is where I would have to go.

The problem is not where you go but how you behave when you are there.
 
Well Chris imo wildlife is wildlife no matter where it is. I can see where you are coming from but that is just an individual opinion which we are all entitled to have. What does jar me off about a few that have all the kit and cash to to be able to do this kind of stuff is that they expect all the comments to come flooding in when they post a picture up but NEVER spend a little time commenting or giving some constructive C&C on other people`s shots.
 
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