Where to start?

JohnN · #1 (**permalink**) 07-09-2011, 11:53 PM

Hi all,

I'm looking to start wildlife photography and have I believe most of the kit but am unsure where to start.

I hear much about mammals being everwhere and would be happy to get anything.

I live in a small town called Warsop in the midlands if that helps and have both a wood and fields just round the corner.

Coild anyone suggest some nice easy subjects to get the ball rolling?

Cheers

Wild-Woman · #2 (**permalink**) 08-09-2011, 05:00 AM

I do photography but wouldn't call myself a photographer and have worked at getting better gradually. If I started from scratch- I think this time of year I'd start with the leaves, fruits and garden birds to see what my camera is capable of doing and what does what. At least today because of DSLRs , you don't need to worry about mistakes and learn from them. There are many top photographers here who will help you out with the technical side of things but they will also tell you that along the way they have days where they are unhappy with their shots but soldier on and practise over and over to get it right.
Good luck with your photography and don't feel worried about asking for support and advice.
Welcome to WAB John.

Hobjob · #3 (**permalink**) 08-09-2011, 08:04 AM

As W-W says, lots of great colours around now and in the next few weeks.

Light is getting worse too, so good chance to see what your kit will do in terms of shutter speed / aperture / ISO.

Mammals are everywhere, but they can be very difficult to photograph. Great patience, knowledge and skill are needed; not the easiest to start with.

Try deer in a park and go to the rut which is just about to start.

Kayleigh · #4 (**permalink**) 08-09-2011, 11:09 AM

Hi and welcome to WAB, what kit have you got..
I have a macro lense that is good for flowers and insects like others have said this is a good time to see colours the trees will be on the change and woodland looks great at this time of year water also looks good in the early morning giving a still misty look to the shot..
Also have you thought about looking for fungi to shoot they look really good can you get to Clumber park or any woodland there is really interesting fungi around its the fungi season so you should get some decent shots.
Good luck and keep trying every decent shot I take is a bonus the others get deleted..
Look to fill the frame with the subject and look to see how it looks in the viewfinder try make the shot as attractive as possible.

JohnN · #5 (**permalink**) 08-09-2011, 11:30 AM

Cheers all,

I've actually been doing photography for a while so have a decent(ish) line up:

Camera: 60D (used to have the 7D but I played around with MA more than take photos so dropped down and magically all my lenses were sharp

)
Macro: Canon 100mm 1.8
Birds: Canon 400mm f5.6
Wildlife: Tamron 70-300mm VC
Landscape: Sigma 17-50 EX (I used to have the 10-20 but had to sell it to get the 400mm prime)

Now, I'm not great, just keen - I even got a load of waterproofs etc (just arrived today) in preparation for the British elements!

So, dear sound good - Chatsworth isn't a million miles away and I saw some there a few weeks ago (without my long lens of course!).

I guess I'm looking for other easy subjects to start my research, I'm terrible with memory so really don;t want to look up everything if I can help it!

Thanks again,

John

Kayleigh · #6 (**permalink**) 08-09-2011, 11:55 AM

It will be the rut soon Oct so this is a good opportunity to get some good shots of the stags, again early cold mornings bring the best shots with the deer's breath showing, also silhouetted in the evening sunset.
I can see the shots in my minds eye but its like painting it never comes out the same..lol