• HI-

    personally I go with the Tipling approach

    S
  • What’s the tippling approach?
  • Many good and basic tips. The side on approach is one I use, and another tip, not an easy one with a big lens, is not to raise the camera and lens to take the photo. If you can hold the camera in position, not easy, its better, or even better, use a rest or better still a tripod. Gently moving the camera left to right and back is less alarming than raising the camera to point and take the photo.

    If in a hide, tripods can be awkward to manipulate, so a beanbag camera rest might be worth buying, and they're not too expensive. Mini tripods are available, Joby GorillaPods are great and very flexible, but not cheap.

    If you are using a tripod of any form, or camera beanbag rest, a shutter remote release is a good investment. It will prevent camera shake or pushing the camera down when trying to get that photo.

    You could set the camera timer, but then you're at the mercy of the preset countdown rather than having the freedom to take the photo as and when you want to, definitely not a good idea for action shots.

    While it can often be a good idea to go out with a subject in mind, nature doesn't always present itself when you want, so keeping an open mind is always a good backup.

    The Tipling approach, I wonder if that is the photographer David Tipling?

  • Maybe it’s a reference to the techniques he uses
  • Zo Clark said:
    Maybe it’s a reference to the techniques he uses

    Could be.

    We'll find out in due course.

  • I find that when I take photos of Wildlife when there not used to you yet they prefer it if your a distance away from them at first otherwise it will only make them alert or maybe even more so if they already are. If they show signs of stress or nervousness or discomfort in your presence then it’s best you step away until there used to you or until there more comfortable or simply make sure they can’t see you. I allways find if your already there they don’t temd to take much notice of you but if you suddenly show up then they take notice sometimes.

    I don’t usuallr get much great Tits I usually have only one. And one blue tit. The others that visited may not of visited before or arnt used to you and may be more timid. So I found rather than being out in the open hide away abit so your less of a distraction. I find if a bird isn’t used to your presence you shouldn’t move much. With the great Tits I had during the heatwave I had to start off with not being noticed. after a few days they started to get used to me cause I made sure I stayed in the same place every time and didn’t make any sudden movements. And I just stayed still. It wasn’t until they were used to me standing there in that spot I was able to take a photo.

    I find these things help regardless of weather your in a garden or somewhere else. Another interesting thing I find for takeing photos is if you put the camara up slowly and not fast there less likely to get uncomfortable and more not to take much notice of you. So you have enough time to take a photo and its more natural. Also another helpful thing is that there’s usually a delay between when you press a button and when the photo is taken. So if I want to take a action shot of a bird flying past in the centre of the image I watch which direction it’s going in then get my camara up at the ready at the spot it’s about to fly through and press the button one second before I see it In the spot and not as soon as I see it in that spot otherwise by the time the photos taken the bird will have just flown past the spot on the photo that’s been taken cause of the delay.

    Aswell about the subject in mind thing I sometimes find Nature tends to surprise you sometimes aswell. For example I could go somewhere hopping to get a photo of a Buzzard and instead see a Red kite. Or I could look for a specific species and end up with something even better. Even if you have a subject in mind I find it’s best to still remember something else could turn up too or something might visit you didn’t exspect and be ready for that possibility aswell

  • Here’s an example

    If I want to take a photo of a bird in the at the spot this swallow is in   I would have to get the camara where the circle is and press the button 

       

    Then the camara will make a sound or snap the photo and the picture will of made  the photo as soon as the Swallow gets to that spot it’s in now in the photo or would come up with it at the spot The swallow is in.
    Otherwise the photo will be of the Swallow past this spot it’s in on the photo

    and if you have the camara ready in one spot then press the button just before it flies in front aswell that works even better 

  • Nature is often full of surprises, hence the old saying "never work with animals or children".

    They are tips, not golden rules, to help you get the best from your camera, however, flexibility to bend or stretch these tips is often the way forward.

  • Iv never heard of that saying before but yes it definitely is. I can think of lots of occasions where a bird or any Wildlife for that matter has just turned up out of nowhere and have had to change my technique whatever technique I was useing to one that would be better for the situation I’m in now. After that however depending on what angle a bird is in, light conditions, how far away, the weather and other factors I might also have to implement other techniques too
  • I entered a Wildlife Trust Photography Competition this year and even though the ones I picked were good enough to go on a postcard or something you would see on a postcard I still didnt win the Competition but they said not to be disheartened for the ones that didn’t win cause your photos could still show up on there magazines, and newsletters and other things.

    But  I’m going to try again next year and they have some Wildlife  Photography tips which is helpful for Photography