CAPTURE BIRDS IN FORMATION
3
Some fantastic shots can be had by looking out for
patterns when birds are flying. In the UK you can easily
get shots of geese flying in a V shape, or murmurations of
starlings around dusk, which will help add a kick of colour
to your shots. This is an image of bats flying in two streams
as they crossed over to make a striking X shape.ADD CONTEXT TO SURROUNDINGS
2
Don’t be afraid to zoom out a little to include some of
the surrounding environment: this can really help add
context to your shots. For this shot of a jackdaw crow, I used
the barbed wire to act as a lead-in line – and also to give the
image a more clinical and harsh feel, which works well with
the black-and-white treatment.50 DIGITAL CAMERA^ MARCH 2020 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
SHOOT WINTER WILDLIFEDan^ Mold
Dan^ MoldJ I «z IIٳ!0zÁ«0! x ̈ ³XÁX z
1
The middle autofocusing point is generally the most
responsive, so you’ll likely be using this for photographing
wildlife – but this will leave you with a central framing.
Luckily, modern digital cameras have large numbers of
megapixels so you can crop your shot to make it a more
interesting off-centre composition when editing back home.f/4.5 1/2,000sec 200 ISOPRO SHOT
Waxwing
Known for their punk-like
mohican crests, waxwings are
fantastically photogenic and
visit the UK over winter. They
feast on rowan and hawthorn
berries, and can famously be
spotted in supermarket car
parks where these trees are
sometimes planted – so keep
your eyes peeled for them
over winter!PRO ADVICE
Rent a lens
Professional telephoto lenses
such as a 300mm f/2.8
boast top-flight optics,
fast apertures and rapid
autofocusing systems,
but they are costly and
unobtainable for many
enthusiasts. If you have a
specific shoot coming up,
it can be worth renting pro
glass for the time you need
it: this can work out to be
very cost-effective.ژג
THINK
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Develop your style with five easy
ɯƏɵɀژɎȒژƫȒȒɀɎɵȒɖȸƬȸƺƏɎǣɮǣɎɵhotography has so much scope for creativity, allowing
you to find and develop your own style, so you can
really put your own stamp on the images you take
and make them your own. Here we’re going to look
at five ways you can take your shots to the next level,
making simple changes like considering a different composition,
using a different lens or slowing down the shutter speed to record
the motion of your subject as it moves through the frame. It’ll take
a good dose of experimentation until you get some shots you’re
happy with and find a style that works for you, but the great
thing about wildlife photography is that there’s
always something interesting to shoot.P
PRO ADVICE
WHAT IS CROP FACTOR?
DSLRs and mirrorless cameras come with a variety of
different sensor options. Full-frame is the closest size
to 35mm film. APS-C chips are smaller than full-frame;
due to their smaller size they have a crop factor. This is
1.5x on Nikon, Sony and Pentax APS-C cameras, while
it’s 1.6x on Canon cameras, turning a 200mm lens into
a 300mm or 320mm lens respectively.