Amateur Photographer - UK 2019-07-12)

30 6 July 2019 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I subscribe 0330 333 1113

KITLIST

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ALL PICTURES © TESNI WARD

Eurasian widgeon in

the late evening light

Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 300mm,

1/800sec at f/4, ISO 800

Common waterfowl are oft en overlooked when looking

for a photography project. Tesni Ward shares her tips

on how to make the most of these charismatic birds

ONE OF the great things about photographing waterfowl
is that they are so easily accessible in the UK. Despite
this, they are often overlooked in pursuit of more elusive
wildlife, and deemed to be ‘boring’ or ‘too easy’.
This can be hard to understand when you consider
that the UK is home to over 35 species of waterfowl
or wildfowl that can be found on many lakes, rivers and
coastal areas. There is potential for truly great images if
time and effort is put towards photographing them.
While there are big differences between some species,
the most common include mallards, mute swans, coots
and Canada geese. They are often more concentrated in
urban areas and owing to regular contact with humans,
are usually approachable when it comes to photography.
One of the downsides to working with these birds in an
urban environment are the surroundings, which can be

messy and clustered with cars, people, buildings and

rubbish from time to time. A quick readjustment or

moving to a new angle usually solves this.

Another challenge when working in an urban setting is

that the sheer number of birds can make it diffi cult to get

a clean image. I have lost count of the number of images

I’ve had to give up on because of a bird photo-bombing

in the front/rear of the image. Unfortunately this is hard

to avoid, but perseverance and patience do pay off.

While some birds will be going into eclipse plumage at

varying times in the summer, there are always subjects

to photograph and it can be a good time to turn your

attention to the females. Certain waterfowl such as

mallards are known to have more than one brood

each year, meaning you can get those adorable

duckling images throughout the summer.

WILDLIFE WATCH

Wate r fowl

Tesni Ward

Tesni is an award-winning

professional wildlife

photographer based on

the outskirts of the Peak

District. While the majority

of her work focuses on

British wildlife, she also

photographs projects

across the world and has

aspirations to promote

conservation and education

through her images. Visit

http://www.tesniward.co.uk.

Waders
If it’s safe to do so, and getting in the
water in waders will not cause undue
stress or disturbance to wildlife, waders
are a great way to get eye level with your
subject for a unique angle on the action.

Seeds

If you’re struggling to get

close enough, a small

handful of cracked corn

or wildfowl feed can help

to break the deadlock!

Try to avoid bread

whenever possible.

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