New Website: Nature Photography Courses

My new website is finally up and and running at http://www.naturephotographycourses.co.uk/ The website offers a range of wildlife and landscape photography courses for all levels - from birds in the wild to captive raptors. I've added a couple of new workshops for 2012 such as red deer and water voles. There is also a half day beginners landscape course. Using clients' feedback I have designed new courses and improved on existing ones.

I also have an all inclusive wildlife photography workshop in Yorkshire from 11th - 13th April 2012. This includes all accommodation, meals and transport.

http://www.naturephotographycourses.co.uk

Autumn Roe Deer

A couple of weeks back I was out looking for roe deer again. It was during that ridiculously hot spell, and it seemed to bring a wave of wildlife activity. I don't think I have ever had so many quality views of wildlife in one day. From roe deer to foxes, red kites, hares and more.. It was wonderful.

This image shows one male roe deer chasing another male. Roe are funny animals; you never know what they are going to do next. At first they wandered casually into the field; then suddenly broke out into a frenzy of galloping. After a few seconds they were back to normality and carried on happily grazing together. I managed to stalk pretty close with a straight 300mm lens. Annoyingly the deer I was concentrating on didn't spot me at all; but the other one did..  One bark and they were both off, leaping away to safety and putting end to another morning's wildlife photography...

Autumn Bird of Prey Photography Workshop

Many thanks to Ben and his team for providing us with some excellent birds on yesterday's photography workshop. The male goshawk is a really special bird and a joy to photograph in the pine wood habitat; I particularly liked the autumn colours in the background. Everyone got really natural looking images and we had a free flying barn owl with no jesses for flight. Ben also went to huge efforts to create a very convincing habitat for the white tailed eagle - complete with a freshly caught cod!

Thanks to everyone who attended this autumn birds of prey workshop. It was a very enjoyable day - despite the rain..!

The next birds of prey day will be next year on March 30th at an old farm near Masham. View Ben Potter and Birds of Prey Displays in North Yorkshire for shows, demonstrations and pest control.

Yorkshire Dales Calendar Image Front Cover

For the second year running, one of my images is appearing on the front cover of the Yorkshire Dales Calendar published by J Salmon. The image is a scene photographed just outside Hawes in Wensleydale. I almost didn't send this particular picture in - but that's sometimes the way it goes. The images you don't expect to sell do the best..!

J Salmon have been going for 100 years and still turn out a massive range of high quality calendars. They're also a really good bunch to deal with too.

Summer Returns!

With temperatures increasing to a completely unseasonal level, I managed a couple of productive days photographing agricultural landscape images. Many of the fields had been cut, providing lovely tramlines of fresh green grass running throughout the landscape. The lines were so powerful I decided to return early the next day to capture the scene at dawn. The forecast was accurate and the sky clear. Composition was the hardest part of this photography shoot; so many different angles. As often is the case - the simplest composition seemed to be the best..

Later in the day I was treated to a wonderful wildlife sight; an adult fox casually wandering between the tram lines, investigating the green mounds in search of food. I love to capture natural images like this one - something that says more about the animal, rather than a straight portrait... Funnily enough I had just been talking to a guy who had described badgers doing this very thing during the last hours of daylight.