Edwardes - 100 Ways to Take Better Nature & Wildlife Photographs

Ranua Wildlife Park, Finland.
Canon EOS-1D MkII; EF500mm lens; 1/1250 sec at f/5.6; ISO 250; central focusing point; one-shot AF; tripod with fluid video head.

Lodmoor RSPB Reserve, Weymouth, Dorset, England.
Canon EOS-1D MkII; EF500mm lens; 1/1600 sec at f/5.6; ISO 250; central focusing point; AI Servo focus; tripod with fluid video head.

Estero Lagoon, Fort Myers Beach, Florida, USA.
Canon EOS-1D MkII; EF500mm lens; 1/1600 sec at f/8; ISO 250; single manually selected focusing point; one-shot AF; tripod with fluid video head.

A DAVID & CHARLES BOOK
Copyright David & Charles Limited 2009

David & Charles is an F+W Media Inc. company
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First published in the UK in 2009

Text and photographs copyright Guy Edwardes 2009

Guy Edwardes has asserted his right to be identified as author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, by photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7153-3148-4 hardback
ISBN-10: 0-7153-3148-5 hardback

ISBN-13: 978-0-7153-3149-1 paperback
ISBN-10: 0-7153-3149-3 paperback

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Photographing wildlife is always a challenge, especially if you aim to shoot creative, dynamic and illustrative images rather than simple record shots. Capturing images of elusive and often uncooperative animals and birds can be very frustrating and requires tremendous dedication, patience and perseverance. However, when all the hard work pays off there can surely be no other subject that provides so much satisfaction for the photographer.

I have been photographing nature and wildlife for almost 20 years but relatively recently the introduction of digital cameras has revolutionized my work, and that of all photographers. There is no doubt that the latest photographic equipment means that capturing good photographs of wildlife is easier than it has ever been, and the learning process has been speeded up considerably. However, in order to achieve original images of familiar subjects, photographers have to work increasingly hard. The dream purchase of most nature and wildlife photographers is a long, fast telephoto lens but this book explains that a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are working with is far more important than the camera or the lens you are using. However, if you are lucky enough to own such a lens, this book also explains the best ways to fully exploit its advantages.

Feedback from my previous book, 100 Ways to Take Better Landscape Photographs (D&C, 2005), made it clear that many readers like to be provided with the technical details for each image. Clearly this can be a valuable guide when learning how and when to apply specific camera settings and when to use different techniques in situations similar to those illustrated. Therefore, in this book I have provided detailed technical information for every image.

This book is aimed at photographers of all skill levels. It is not trying to be an all-encompassing guide to nature photography, as this has been done many times before.
The main text describes the basic techniques for less-experienced photographers, while
the captions describe the methods used and the thought processes behind the images.
More experienced photographers will benefit from useful tips and suggestions throughout the book and I hope that the images will provide everyone with inspiration and new ideas.

Remember, the best way to improve as a nature photographer is to spend as much time as possible out in the field observing and working with your subjects. I wish you good luck and good light for all your future nature and wildlife photography.

www.guyedwardes.com

TAWNY OWL
The Barn Owl Centre, Gloucestershire, England.
Canon EOS-1D MkII; EF500mm lens; 1/500 sec at f/5.6; ISO 400; single manually selected focusing point; one-shot AF; tripod with fluid video head.