Winter is one of the best times to photograph wildlife. With cold conditions and the correct techniques, you can create truly magical images with bags of atmosphere.
Winter is one of the best times to photograph wildlife. Reduced temperatures mean that birds and animals are more prepared to venture out of their ‘fear circle’ in search of food, making them easier to photograph. With cold conditions and the correct techniques, you can create truly magical images with bags of atmosphere.
Garden birds are one of the best subjects to focus on, and a regular supply of food will keep them coming. Birds tucking in to feeders can make decent photos, but for more powerful images, the best option is to try and persuade them to land on a specially provided perch. Placed close to a peanut or seed feeder, this will give the subject somewhere to land whilst on route to the food, and on busy occasions you may even end up with various birds almost lining up as they wait their turn. It’s also worth putting some effort into finding attractive perches; those with brightly coloured stems, interesting buds, or sporting bright red berries are particularly appealing. Try to photograph in bright light, as you’ll need shutter speeds of at least 1/250 of a second to stop the movement of these busy little birds. Backgrounds are also important, so take some time searching for the best place to shoot. A distant uniform backdrop will create the best effect when rendered out of focus by a longer lens.
Consider shooting some low level images too. Birds such as robins and blackbirds naturally feed on the ground, so photos will look best if taken from the same angle. A beanbag is the best form of camera support. This method can often mean lying on your stomach… and getting pretty mucky in the process..!
Local parks and public gardens are other worthwhile places to visit, with the added bonus that the wildlife can be very confiding. Squirrels in particular have become incredibly bold, and can easily be coaxed into a more photogenic spot with a handful of peanuts.
One of the most exciting things about winter is the potential for truly cold weather. Hard frosts, ice and snow, all transform the landscape and add a different dimension to wildlife photographs. Heavy snowfall is perhaps the holy grail for winter photography, but it isn’t necessarily easy to photograph. With plummeting temperatures it pays to be prepared. In order to spend time photographing wildlife, you need to be properly wrapped up with many layers, waterproofs, hat and gloves. Camera batteries can suffer too – one trick is to keep your spare battery in an inside pocket close to your body, in order to transfer heat. Successful pictures can be taken during snowfall, adding incredible atmosphere and creating beautiful images. Again, preparation is the key - make sure your camera and lens is protected by a waterproof cover and never let your camera get wet. Falling snow can be tricky to photograph effectively, so it’s worth experimenting with shutter speeds: speeds of around 1/250 will freeze the snowflakes, whilst those around 1/30 will record streaks of snow around your subject.
