Who says rain stops play..?

Heavy rain is usually my cue to get some more work done in the office - it's useless for pictures... right..? Well, not always. Wildlife photography is as much about capturing the surrounding atmosphere as it is about recording the actual subject. This afternoon was a perfect example - as I drove along the winding upland track near Grinton looking for red grouse. Some of the downpours were just torrential, and within minutues there were large puddles and temporary streams cascading across the road. No good for wildlife you might think. I've often thought just that - but today was different. I decided to photograph in the rain, to create more atmospheric shots... and to produce something different from the norm. Not only did the rain record beautifully, but the quality of the deeply subdued light gave wonderfully rich colours and superb detail. And on top of that - it was rather fun too...!

 I needed to be prepared to shoot in such soggy conditions and used my own waterproof cover for the camera and lens. This allowed me to shoot in extremely heavy rain from the car. At first I shot on ISO 250, then after securing some shots switched to ISO 100. Shutter speeds were ranging from 1/80 to 1/30 and in all cases the rain was recording as streaks... just the way I wanted. The majority of the grouse were young birds, and all were capable of fending for themselves. Pitty no other birds stuck around, but I just don't think they were able to tough it out like them grouse..!

Note that if you come on one of my Upland Birds Photography Courses and the weather looks atrocious - all is not lost..!!

Photographing Upland Birds

I recently had an amazing few hours on the moors above Grinton, photographing four different species of bird - all within a couple of hours. Lapwings, red grouse, curlew - and my first ever Golden Plover (!) all came within yards of the car. A perfect morning of wildlife photogaphy.

This was my first photo shoot of the morning - a beautiful lapwing chick that ran around the grass, every now and then peeping out and posing beautifully for the camera.

Summer offers good opportunities for young birds, such as this grouse family that bumbled along the heather close to the roadside. I had about twenty minutes with these birds, watching the chicks clambering over the heather - overseen by the parents all the while. The lighting here was just fantastic: the sun was now stronger so I shot towards the light and used a diffused flash for fill-in. I'm a big fan of this kind of lighting - and it worked so well here.

Probably my favourite encounter was with this curlew - partly because a good image of this bird has eluded me until now. Usually curlews are flying away from the car: this one was running towards me..! I couldn't believe my luck when it stood on a mound and posed perfectly... pure magic! I had a number of chances as the birds did circuits around my car, running behind me then flying in front, scuttling around and calling constantly. The light was lovely too - soft backlighting which is fast becoming my favourite type of light for wildlife photography... it gives a wonderful quality that I think highlights the delicacy of so many birds and animals.

This day had to be one of the best wildlife photography sessions ever - I can't wait to return! Definitely worth the 4.00am start!! Evenings would be great here too I imagine, but nothing quite beats the stillness and serenity of early morning, punctuated by the evocative calls of the upland birds on this Yorkshire Dales moor.

As part of my wildlife photography workshop programme for next year, I'll certainly be including this location - and with further visits, I'll know the best spots too.

Red Grouse Photography Workshop

I have added a new Red Grouse Photography Workshop in August as this is the perfect time to photograph these birds against the stunning carpet of purple heather. We will visit well known breeding grounds in Swaledale and Nidderdale - both are excellent locations for photographing grouse by the roadside along with many other upland birds. View the Yorkshire Dales Bird Photography page for more details.

Yorkshire Red Grouse Photography

I recently spent an enjoyable day with a client on one of my Yorkshire Dales Birds Photography Courses As usual there was plenty around, with lapwing, curlew and oystercatcher shouting across the moors. The curlews are particularly difficult to photograph, and although we saw plenty - they were mostly in flight as they passed over the car.. As often is the case, the red grouse were out in force - mostly males who posed obligingly by the roadside for minutes at a time as we endulged in some perfect wildlife photography (congratulations Craig on your first grouse photo!) We were even treated to some classic calling, and a bit of interaction with the odd female. At the end of the day I was lucky enough to capture some cracking images - some of my best to date of red grouse. The low evening light created beautiful backlighting of the birds and the surrounding heather. I varied the shots: some with fill-flash and some without and managed to record some interesting poses.

I am planning more of theses nature photography workshops later this summer to capture the grouse when the heather is in bloom, along with other potential subjects and locations.

Photographing Upland Birds

I recently led another photography workshop photographing upland birds in Nidderdale. The morning was superb - not just for birds but also for perfect weather. We had a great day and managed to bag a number of shots of lapwing, red grouse and meadow pipit - some of which posed perfectly for us by the roadside.. You can view some images taken on my Flickr group: Yorkshire Wildlife and Landscape Photography

A week ago I was back again (I just can't keep away from this fantastic location!), and once more I experienced cracking weather... in fact I can't ever remember it being so still up here on the moor. The grouse are certainly the easiest birds to photograph here and make great subjects during spring.

I was particularly happy to get images with more interesting lighting as I shot towards the early morning sun. The resulting shots make such a difference to the atmosphere.. Now I know the best spots for backgrounds I think it's a case of waiting by these places for something to happen in order to get an extra special image.

Lapwings are also confiding - a particular patch of open grass often proves fruitful for these stunning birds. I was even lucky enough to photograph a chick as it ran by the roadside before finding a hole in the stone wall to step through...
Meadow pipits continue to give me the run-around, but occasionally one will stop long enough for me to get a clean shot. What's really surprising me up here is the more unusual species that have come close to the car. Wheatear is definitely possible, and add to that the ring ouzel... a really difficult bird to shoot. As always it's a case of putting in the time! Next year I plan to run the same wildlife photography course. View Uplands Birds Photography Course to see the details.