Wildlife Watching

wildlink

Andrew Cooper's Guide to Wildlife Watching & Photography.

These pages are made possible by the kind sponsorship of
London Camera Exchange

DSLR PHOTOGRAPHY
Get good advice - consult the professionals when buying new kit. The staff in camera shops love talking about cameras and a satisfied customer will keep coming back. On-line shopping is fine for regular supplies or ‘run of the mill’ items but when choosing a high value piece of kit you need to feel the quality and try it out. Find your nearest LCE shop here Most professional photographers worldwide use Canon or Nikon equipment but other top brand names include Olympus, Pentax, Sony and the ‘Rolls Royce’ of the camera world – Hasselblad.

TOP TIPS Be ready for ‘the’ shot - on a Canon or Nikon DSLR camera, set the dial to P Dust on sensor - Don’t change lenses in dusty conditions Cold weather - take extra batteries with you Memory card – even the best are not infallible. Reduce risk of a card error - instead of using one 4GB card use two 2GB cards. Keep your cards safe – use a custom wallet and turn card face inwards when full. Shooting in RAW - Process RAW photos in Photoshop ISO - Learn to change ISO depending on subject and light White balance - Learn to white balance on location and in the digital darkroom. Picture editing - Modern laptops are powerful enough to handle most picture editing tasks but the two vital ingredients are a good screen and enough RAM. Most software applications now need a minimum of 512MB. Control the light - Most digital cameras have a built in flash unit. Although useful for ‘fill-in’ an external flash will improve your low light picture creativity. Add a diffuser for softer and more creative effects.
My Kit Andrew Cooper’s basic kit: Canon 5D mklll and 7D mkll Canon 16-35mm f2.8L wide angle Canon 60mm f2.8L macro Canon 70-200mm f2.8L Canon 300mm f2.8L Canon x2 extender Battery grips Lens shades - matte box, filter holder Variable neutral grad, polariser, UV filters Billingham bags Pelican cases Manfrotto and Benbow tripods Wildlife hides, scrim etc
More Tips! Get a camera that fits you! Find one that feels good in your hands. Protect your valuable hardware with a quality padded bag or hard case. Get decent lenses - include a wide angle, zoom and macro lens. Keep your kit clean. Spare batteries – always carry at least one extra that is fully charged. Grey card – easy to slip into your bag. Invaluable for tricky lighting conditions. Diffuser/Reflector - Lastolite are great, once you can fold them! Steady as you go! Get a good tripod, not too fiddly or too light weight. Lens hoods improve the image quality of a good lens. Always use a lens shade. Polarising filter. A portrait grip makes for easier handling of the camera. Portable storage - shoot more pictures and download them on location. Give your memory a boost – your camera of course – carry spare cards with you. Get flash! An external flash will improve your low light picture creativity. Use a computer. Most professionals manage, manipulate or ‘massage’ their shots. Many laptops now have a good computer screen and at least 512MB of RAM. Image manipulating software – free download or expensive – find one that suits.