Winter Photography Techniques

The current conditions give some incredible opportunities for photography. That said - it requires a lot of effort and planning to take perfect winter shots, so I thought I would post a few tips... not just the ordinary, but those little things that help me during the depths of winter.

1. BE PREPARED! Don't get caught out: think about clothing, keeping your gear dry, your phone charged...and are you prepared if you get stuck..?

2. Whilst driving, keep those extra socks warm by putting them in your pockets or stuffing them under your jumper..

3. Have some food with you: small but light; pieces of cake, flapjacks and chocolate are good ways of keeping your calories up...

4. Keep batteries warm - keep spare batteries in on your person (preferably inside pockets) - the warmth will help. Have at least 2 or 3 batteries as the cold can zap their strength quickly...

5. Make a waterproof covering for your camera if photographing in the snow. I have a sleeve made out of old waterproof trousers to cover my camera and lens when shooting wildlife in falling snow or blizzard...

6. Safety first. If the road looks too dodgy to drive on - don't try it. You are better off finding another alternative than getting stuck in the snow and ending up with nothing.

7. BE PREPARED!!

Long Tailed Tit image Highly Commended

My image of a long tailed tit braving a snow storm was recently highly commended in the 'International Garden Photographer of the Year' competition. Thousands of entries came from all over the world for this prestigious competition. It is particularly satisfying to see a common British species make it this far. The image is without doubt one of my favourites from last year, and it goes to show that making that extra effort can make all the difference, whether it be lighting, composition or weather conditions...

Click on the link below to see my image along with the other commended photos.

www.igpoty.com/competition03/gallery_LifeGarden_6.asp?parent=gallery

The Snow that Was..

Finally I get round to posting this blog - this should really be February's post, but with one thing and another it's now mid-March... Anyway, the main action in February was at the feeding station, with cold weather bringing in good numbers of birds... and yes, I was lucky enough to make the most of that incredible snowfall - the best I've seen in years! Although I only managed one day in the hide whilst the snow was still falling, I was able to get some cracking winter images of long tailed tits braving the blizzard - with a nice stem of red dogwood as the perch - giving a much needed splash of colour.


This is one of those images I never get bored of.. and I've learnt something new - long tailed tits actually have a yellow eyelid - something you'd never see unless you photographed them up close.

The woodpecker has been a real star too - or should I say woodpeckers, seeing as there have been both male and female down to the food. One of them has slight reddish feather on the top of the head, so I'm thinking this might be one of this year's youngsters in its first winter.This is one of the first images I got from the hide -

Time to tail of the food soon, although I may try putting out some nesting material in place of the food for some behavioural shots... With a project as satisfying as this, it's certainly difficult to tear yourself away..!!

Next few week should see more trips to the dales, and hopefully some new frog/toad images - fingers crossed...