Roy Glen Photography

I always like the simplicity of silhouettes. This is a straightforward image of a black kite I took in Oz last July, I quite like the way the leaves and branches of the tree lead into the kite sitting out the last few minutes of light. I’ve just been processing some stuff from that trip and this image evoked memories of warm evenings and wonderful light. Roll on the summer!

Black Kite. Canon EOS 50D, 500mm lens, x1.4 extender, ISO 400, 1/2000sec, F5.6

I’ve just been processing a few pics I took last spring of a vicious fight between rival coots nesting in the same small pond.  Coots are notoriously territorial and frequently squabble with their neighbours during the breeding season. Watching them sprint across the water surface to engage an opponant is worth getting up early for. Photographing them was a tad more frustrating. No matter where I hid, they chose to fight out of my reach. That was until I came across two pairs engaged in an almighty battle. All four birds were tackling each other in a real frenzy. They were so pre-occupied I was able to approach quite close by and settle down at waterlevel to capture some of the action.

Rival coots engaged in battle. Canon EOS-50D, 500mm F4 lens, 1/1000th sec @ F6.3. ISO 250

During this recent cold snap, early morning temperatures have been around -6 getting up to -1 by noon. The small tits, robins and finches at my feeding station seem to be faring well and adapting to the feezing condidtions by employing several survival strategies. The most obvious one and great for photography is the fluffing out of feathers to create a thick downy covering trapping warm air near their tiny bodies. As you know tracking small feeding birds feeding with a long lens is a challenge, but perseverance yields some lovely results.

Blue Tit fluffing feathers. It was -4 when I took this image and I'd been sitting still for 2 hours waiting for an opportunity like this! Canon EOS-50D, 500mm F4 lens, 1/320th, F4, ISO 500

Just a quick post with a few snowy images taken over last weekend.

Redwing sitting among fallen berries under rowen tree. Canon EOS-50D, 500mm F4 lens, 1/800th @ F7.1, ISO 400

Redwing eating rowen berry. Canon EOS-50D, 500mm F4 lens, 1/1250th @ F6.3, ISO 400

Blue Tit. Canon EOS-50D, 500mm F4 lens, 1/400th @ F4, ISO 500

A big challenge in photographing songbirds is to achieve a natural looking image that has that as-you-would-see-them appearance and yet retain visual impact. It’s usual to arrange a perch near a feeder and wait for the birds to alight on the perch. I use the method alot but it needs meticulous care otherwise it can have a rather contrived look. Having twigs or branches angled unnaturally is to be avoided as is lichen growth appearing on an unatural side of the twig. I sometimes move the feeder to nearby bushes and cover that the birds are using. Photographing them in the natural surroundings takes more patience and time but yields very pleasing natural images.

Blue Tit in thorne bush. Canon EOS-50D, 500mm lens, 1/400th sec, F4, ISO 500

Robin perched near rosehips. This Robin perched too close to me for just one frame. So I took two pictures and merged them in photoshop. Canon EOS-50D, 500mm lens, 1/100th sec, F4, ISO 500

I can’t help but be drawn to my feeding station where small garden birds are so accustomed to my presence that I don’t bother with a hide. Marsh Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Coal Tits and Robins all come withing a couple of feet of me without hesitation. One scruffy little Coal Tit will take sunflower seeds from my gloved hand. When the snow arrived last weekend, I grabbed a couple of hours to get some snowy images. The birds are so much fun to watch often with surprising habits, I spent the first half hour just sitting among the birds and enjoying their antics before picking up my camera. Marsh Tits are the boldest, noisiest and most bullish of all. Arriving in a fanfare, they aim for the feeder without hesitation and grab a mouthfull of seeds before speeding off to cache them.  Often as  I replenish the feeder, they’ll perch a couple of feet away, vocally scolding me for getting in the way! Nothing ground-breaking about the pics, but you can never have too many images with the cute and endearing.

Marsh Tit feeding on sunflower seed. Canon EOS 50D, 500mm lens, 1/400the @ F4. ISO 400

Robin on snowy twig. Canon EOS 50D, 500mm lens, 1/250the @ F4. ISO 400

One of the earliest things any new wildlife photographer needs to master is the value of , moving your point of view (POV as it’s called on the forums).  Just the smallest movement up or down or to the side can dramatically change the feel and mood of the image. You’ll quickly learn how to avoid a split-tone background and create visually appealing smooth colour washes. I shot these common tern images earlier this year. The bird kept returning to this post at the waters edge. Looking at the bird from my preferred angle, eye-level, meant I had a split green/ blue background. This can be acceptable or even preferable, so long as the colours blend into each other very smoothly. This is usually achieved by getting in close to the subject, using a long lens to isolate the bird and keep the background so well out of focus that it appears as a smooth blur of colour. In this instance, I lifted the height of my tripod just a few inches to keep the blue watery pond as the background, then lowering the tripod to achieve a green grassy background. Both have appeal.

Common Tern. Canon EOS 50D, 500mm F4 lens, x 1.4, ISO 400

Common Tern. Canon EOS 50D, 500mm F4 lens, x 1.4, ISO 400

Just processing a few more images taken at the nature reserve mentioned on my last post. I like the light and pose on this image, but not the split background and wooden post. I might try and place a more natural looking perch. I like the freedom to fine-tune images with repeated visits, one of the advantages of working near home.

I liked the head angle of this cormorant but I clipped the tail feathers in the shot, so quickly took another image and merged them together in photoshop. Canon EOS-40D 500mm lens. 1/800th sec @F5.6 ISO 320

The Cleveland Wildlife Trust have recently developed a nice nature reserve alongs side the River Tees at Bowesfield. It’s set alongside modern executive offices and a new housing development. The pools and scrapes have been well thought out and are hosting a sizable flock of Grey-Lag Geese (with the odd Barnacle Goose), lots of Lapwing, Golden Plover and other passing waders. The network of paths gives easy access and viewing, its well worth a visit if you’re a local resident. There’s plenty of resident birds too and you can follow the path along by the Tees. There’s even a small swarm of starlings coming to roost each evening.

Mute Swan by new nature reserve at Bowesfield

Mute Swans Coming in to alight on one of the pools developed at the new site.

Just thought you might like a bit of info on the swan shot I’ve just posted on my home page. I took it earlier this year just after the swan had enjoyed a serious bathing session. As you’ll know they rear up and vigorously flap their wings to shake off the excess water. I anticipated this but what surprised me was the width of the wingspan. The feather tips were just out of frame, taking the edge off the image. To fix the problem, I added a slither of canvas to the edge of the picture and copied in a feather tip from another frame in the same sequence. I’m always keen to maintain the integrity of my images and will only do this when I can borrow something from another image taken in the same moment.

Mute Swan. Canon EOS 40D, 1/2500 sec, F5.6, ISO: 320