Hi Gill, glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip to Bempton Cliffs, but pity you had poor weather. I tell people it’s like the nature show that never ends, as on my last visit in June this year, I was there at 4:30, but the birds were up before me. As for kit, I use my 100-400 with 1.5 crop, but often pulling back as the gannets can be very close. As you have found, birds in flight are quite challenging both in finding the right setting and getting your hand in as a photographer. I was interested in what you said about wanting to get things perfect, even as a new comer to wildlife. I’m often in the same place, as I’ve researched the location first and seen other people’s tremendous shots. However, when I get there, it’s not so easy. That never bothers me, as I often fail things first time as I’m pushing myself, but use it as a learning opportunity. Exams, driving test and more recently my LRPS, all second time, but it doesn’t do me any harm.
Thank you very much for your comments Chris. I agree with you about Bempton - it is a great place to photograph birds because you can see them so well.
I was interested to read what you say about persevering when things don't go right the first time. I think with photography (and lots of other things in life) it is the journey rather than the end goal and failing definitely helps us learn.
Thank you very much Erik. It has been great fun trying something different but I now feel the urge to buy a new lens so it has probably been an expensive experiment! 😆
A lovely set Gill. It’s good to photograph different things and Bempton is something of a sweet shop for bird photos. Love the puffin shot and good to see guillemot getting a capture. Your enjoyment level of this will most likely trigger your motivation to get a longer lens. I’ve got a 180-600 but have yet to nail anything as I’m still too busy concentrating on the landscapes and seascapes. And at more local bird reserves, I swear they hide or fly off when I show up! Determined to get more into macro too but working means cherry picking what to do in spare time.
Thank you very much for your comments Terry and I am sorry for the slow response.
Bempton is a brilliant place for bird photography. It was the first time I had visited with a camera and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would be interested to know what you think of the 180-600mm lens - it sounds perfect in terms of focal length and flexibility. Good luck with the bird photos.
The 180-600 is good bang for buck especially for those of us that need a lottery win to get a long prime. I’ve found it to be good but I believe the lack of a collection of keepers is more down to how often I’ve used it to date, and how lucky I am with subjects and technique.
Thank you very much for your comments Maria. Until I can afford a longer lens I tend to pick places where the birds are easy to access - it is a fun alternative to landscape photography.
Wonderful images! I too have to work with I the confines of a smaller lens for my bird photos now. But I just enjoy my time with them now more than worrying about getting the perfect photo. If giving up my bigger lens allows me to get to the places where I can see the birds, I'll take it.
Thank you very much for your comments Alicia. It is lovely being out with the birds and if my lens is not long enough I will just watch instead of photograph. 🙂.
Great photos Gill - and don't worry about cropping. I think all wildlife photographers do, which is why they like plenty of MPs. When I can't be bothered to drive a long way, I often go into the city for a bit of street / architecture photography - always a nice change and encourages me to get back out in the bush!
I think it is good to explore other genres from time to time. I love the idea of street photography but I am not confident with it. I can see why it would encourage you to return to the bush though! 🙂
You've made a beautiful set of images here Gill! Although you might not have quite the lens reach you want there is a bonus in using a teleconverter in that it makes the load you carry a lot lighter than some of the longer range lenses! :-)
On the thought of trying other genres - I think it's great to stretch our creative muscles into say street or architecture for instance to see how we feel about it, yet I also feel I need to have a connection to the subjects to create work that I like. Years ago I used to do a fair amount of portraiture and street photography but really my love and deepest connection is with landscape, trees in particular, so now I'm happy to continue working in that area...although I am looking at perhaps switching my photographic style and creating a more documentary approach within the landscape.
I absolutely agree, I don't think you can make meaningful images unless you have a connection with your subject. Landscape and wildlife are my passion so I think birds were a good subject for me to experiment with.
I love trees, they can be such characters to photograph and are a lot like people in a way as they all have their individual personalities.
I like the idea of a documentary approach - good luck with it. 🙂
I tried different genres years back but I've settled into a particular kind of subject and style of shooting. If anything, I think I'm even more focused on pursuing photography in my style these days.
That said, I appreciate a wide range of photographic genres and styles. Many of my favourite photobooks are in a style that is very different from mine. So I think even if you limit yourself in your own shooting, you should try not to limit yourself in engaging with and appreciating a much wider range of photography / photographers.
I agree, I think it is important to look at others work and understand what we like and don't like. Inspiration for our own work often comes from this even if the genre is completely different. I too buy lots of photobooks from different photographers and genres and there is always something that I can learn from them.
Hi Gill, yes, WOW, these are good photographs! You must have been fairly close.
I’ve got a Canon EF 100-400 f4-5.l L lens which I think is great, but still cannot get as close to birds as i’d like to. I toyed with the idea of a converter but thought it would force me to increase my ISO too much to get a fast shutter speed.
I think it’s good to try different forms of photography as it adds to your interest.
Wow. You have nothing to apologize for here. These are wonderful images. Sure, it's nice to fill the frame, but not always necessary and sometimes sacrificing the Wow factor of a tightly filled frame can tell a broader story or fill in environmental details. Some of Rachel Bigsby's penguin shots for instance tell that bigger story with a shorter lens. I particularly like 'Guillemot in flight' which has a wonderful sense of space and motion. I recently acquired a 150-600 which gives me a 35mm equiv reach of 900mm but I have yet to make an image with it that is worthy of sharing. All in good time I imagine.
Thank you so much John, I am glad you enjoyed the images. They were definitely fun to make. and I would love to buy a longer lens as 400mm is too short for most situations. I would be interested to know what the 150-600mm is like as it gives you a much better reach.
I have the Fuji 70-300 which is like a 450 reach and I love it. Small, lightweight, real easy to use, but sometimes I wish for more reach. The 150-600 is a beast by comparison, but has twice the reach. A lens like that isn't something you can just pick up and shoot with. You need to learn it. Make friends with it. Learn what it wants, it's limitations, how to manage it. It's more of a tripod lens. I'm not a big tripod user, so it's going to take time for me to adjust. But I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my photo journey with it.
Thank you very much Ken. I think I was lucky to find some birds that came fairly close. I agree that the lens is a bit short but it was a good experiment and lots of fun.
These are lovely images and I can see where the influence of Rachel Bigsby has come through in your approach. I think it is always worth attempting different genres but will be most successful where you connect with the subject; otherwise it then becomes more of a technical photographic exercise rather than a desire to create images and portray a feeling or sense of being there. Knowing your love of being in the landscape surrounded by everything wild I'm sure we'll be seeing more of of your wildlife photography
Thank you very much for your comments Andrew, I am glad you enjoyed the images. I agree about being connected with the subject. I think I definitely have a passion for wildlife but usually that just extends to watching it rather than photographing it. I will definitely be trying some more in the future and am quite tempted to get a longer lens too. 🙂
Hi Gill, glad to hear that you enjoyed your trip to Bempton Cliffs, but pity you had poor weather. I tell people it’s like the nature show that never ends, as on my last visit in June this year, I was there at 4:30, but the birds were up before me. As for kit, I use my 100-400 with 1.5 crop, but often pulling back as the gannets can be very close. As you have found, birds in flight are quite challenging both in finding the right setting and getting your hand in as a photographer. I was interested in what you said about wanting to get things perfect, even as a new comer to wildlife. I’m often in the same place, as I’ve researched the location first and seen other people’s tremendous shots. However, when I get there, it’s not so easy. That never bothers me, as I often fail things first time as I’m pushing myself, but use it as a learning opportunity. Exams, driving test and more recently my LRPS, all second time, but it doesn’t do me any harm.
Best wishes, Chris.
Thank you very much for your comments Chris. I agree with you about Bempton - it is a great place to photograph birds because you can see them so well.
I was interested to read what you say about persevering when things don't go right the first time. I think with photography (and lots of other things in life) it is the journey rather than the end goal and failing definitely helps us learn.
I think it is excellent that you are trying this! I really love the puffin in flight!
Thank you very much Erik. It has been great fun trying something different but I now feel the urge to buy a new lens so it has probably been an expensive experiment! 😆
Haha! I know that feeling well!
A lovely set Gill. It’s good to photograph different things and Bempton is something of a sweet shop for bird photos. Love the puffin shot and good to see guillemot getting a capture. Your enjoyment level of this will most likely trigger your motivation to get a longer lens. I’ve got a 180-600 but have yet to nail anything as I’m still too busy concentrating on the landscapes and seascapes. And at more local bird reserves, I swear they hide or fly off when I show up! Determined to get more into macro too but working means cherry picking what to do in spare time.
Thank you very much for your comments Terry and I am sorry for the slow response.
Bempton is a brilliant place for bird photography. It was the first time I had visited with a camera and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I would be interested to know what you think of the 180-600mm lens - it sounds perfect in terms of focal length and flexibility. Good luck with the bird photos.
The 180-600 is good bang for buck especially for those of us that need a lottery win to get a long prime. I’ve found it to be good but I believe the lack of a collection of keepers is more down to how often I’ve used it to date, and how lucky I am with subjects and technique.
Some great shots , I like photographing birds now and then but also dont have a long enough lens yet.
Thank you very much for your comments Maria. Until I can afford a longer lens I tend to pick places where the birds are easy to access - it is a fun alternative to landscape photography.
Love these shots, well done and great start!
Thank you very much, I am glad you enjoyed the shots. 🙂
Wonderful images! I too have to work with I the confines of a smaller lens for my bird photos now. But I just enjoy my time with them now more than worrying about getting the perfect photo. If giving up my bigger lens allows me to get to the places where I can see the birds, I'll take it.
Thank you very much for your comments Alicia. It is lovely being out with the birds and if my lens is not long enough I will just watch instead of photograph. 🙂.
Great photos Gill - and don't worry about cropping. I think all wildlife photographers do, which is why they like plenty of MPs. When I can't be bothered to drive a long way, I often go into the city for a bit of street / architecture photography - always a nice change and encourages me to get back out in the bush!
Thank you very much for your comments James.
I think it is good to explore other genres from time to time. I love the idea of street photography but I am not confident with it. I can see why it would encourage you to return to the bush though! 🙂
You've made a beautiful set of images here Gill! Although you might not have quite the lens reach you want there is a bonus in using a teleconverter in that it makes the load you carry a lot lighter than some of the longer range lenses! :-)
On the thought of trying other genres - I think it's great to stretch our creative muscles into say street or architecture for instance to see how we feel about it, yet I also feel I need to have a connection to the subjects to create work that I like. Years ago I used to do a fair amount of portraiture and street photography but really my love and deepest connection is with landscape, trees in particular, so now I'm happy to continue working in that area...although I am looking at perhaps switching my photographic style and creating a more documentary approach within the landscape.
Thank you very much for your comments Lin.
I absolutely agree, I don't think you can make meaningful images unless you have a connection with your subject. Landscape and wildlife are my passion so I think birds were a good subject for me to experiment with.
I love trees, they can be such characters to photograph and are a lot like people in a way as they all have their individual personalities.
I like the idea of a documentary approach - good luck with it. 🙂
These are beautiful pictures. Great job.
I tried different genres years back but I've settled into a particular kind of subject and style of shooting. If anything, I think I'm even more focused on pursuing photography in my style these days.
That said, I appreciate a wide range of photographic genres and styles. Many of my favourite photobooks are in a style that is very different from mine. So I think even if you limit yourself in your own shooting, you should try not to limit yourself in engaging with and appreciating a much wider range of photography / photographers.
Thank you very much for your comments Olli.
I agree, I think it is important to look at others work and understand what we like and don't like. Inspiration for our own work often comes from this even if the genre is completely different. I too buy lots of photobooks from different photographers and genres and there is always something that I can learn from them.
Hi Gill, yes, WOW, these are good photographs! You must have been fairly close.
I’ve got a Canon EF 100-400 f4-5.l L lens which I think is great, but still cannot get as close to birds as i’d like to. I toyed with the idea of a converter but thought it would force me to increase my ISO too much to get a fast shutter speed.
I think it’s good to try different forms of photography as it adds to your interest.
Anyway, well done.
Thank you very much for your comments Alan.
I used the converter on a 70-200mm F2.8 lens and found it worked really well, but I imagine there are limitations with different lenses.
It is definitely good to try different genres from time to time and I always learn something from the experience.
Wow. You have nothing to apologize for here. These are wonderful images. Sure, it's nice to fill the frame, but not always necessary and sometimes sacrificing the Wow factor of a tightly filled frame can tell a broader story or fill in environmental details. Some of Rachel Bigsby's penguin shots for instance tell that bigger story with a shorter lens. I particularly like 'Guillemot in flight' which has a wonderful sense of space and motion. I recently acquired a 150-600 which gives me a 35mm equiv reach of 900mm but I have yet to make an image with it that is worthy of sharing. All in good time I imagine.
Thank you so much John, I am glad you enjoyed the images. They were definitely fun to make. and I would love to buy a longer lens as 400mm is too short for most situations. I would be interested to know what the 150-600mm is like as it gives you a much better reach.
I have the Fuji 70-300 which is like a 450 reach and I love it. Small, lightweight, real easy to use, but sometimes I wish for more reach. The 150-600 is a beast by comparison, but has twice the reach. A lens like that isn't something you can just pick up and shoot with. You need to learn it. Make friends with it. Learn what it wants, it's limitations, how to manage it. It's more of a tripod lens. I'm not a big tripod user, so it's going to take time for me to adjust. But I'm looking forward to a new chapter in my photo journey with it.
These are stunning. I love birds and have tried my hand at bird photography (it's been a while).
Thank you very much for your comments Jan, I am glad you like the images. I love birds too and really enjoyed by time photographing them. 🙂
Wow, I love these. The colours in the photos are so wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you very much Susanne. I am glad you like the images. It was good fun trying something different.
Pretty good for such a short lens. I have glass that is a little bit longer, but still waaay too short for bird photography.
You're doing well!
Thank you very much Ken. I think I was lucky to find some birds that came fairly close. I agree that the lens is a bit short but it was a good experiment and lots of fun.
Wow! I visited Bempton a couple of years ago and was dazzled by the gannets. These capture their agility and beauty so well.
Thank you very much Deborah. I am glad you like the images. Bempton is a fantastic place and watching the gannets was a lot of fun.
They are such magnificent birds! I was trying to photograph puffins on Skomer last week and would have loved to have got such a shot as this!
These are lovely images and I can see where the influence of Rachel Bigsby has come through in your approach. I think it is always worth attempting different genres but will be most successful where you connect with the subject; otherwise it then becomes more of a technical photographic exercise rather than a desire to create images and portray a feeling or sense of being there. Knowing your love of being in the landscape surrounded by everything wild I'm sure we'll be seeing more of of your wildlife photography
Thank you very much for your comments Andrew, I am glad you enjoyed the images. I agree about being connected with the subject. I think I definitely have a passion for wildlife but usually that just extends to watching it rather than photographing it. I will definitely be trying some more in the future and am quite tempted to get a longer lens too. 🙂