On the subject of Birds

Originally I said I’d name this ‘On the subject of the Aves’ and Ollie did want me to keep it that way, but sorry Ollie, I’ve gone with birds.

The reason I got into photography in the first place is wildlife. I have always marvelled over the amazing pictures seen in nature documentaries and magazines with so much personality that is imbued in a seemingly simple, portrait. I wouldn’t say I prefer them to people, but I do enjoy their company and they aren’t obsessed with selfies. I often find it difficult to decide on a favourite animal, or even a favourite group of animals, but I am a fan of birds, being that they’re all around us and very often overlooked. They are so filled with character, many are very intelligent and and even in grey old England can be brilliantly coloured.

So here they are. They’re mostly water foul here because that is what is most common in the parks in London, certainly easiest to find.

-Nick

I love these chatty, colourful non-natives all over London

This pair of greylag geese were popular with many photographers

The colour of the tarmac made this moorhen really stand out for me

In the evening light, greylag geese were dipping their heads into the water and I managed to catch this one just as it had lifted it’s head.

This greylag swam by and gave a great into the sun pose

Looking down on this Canada Goose in Brockwell park offered me a great portrait against it’s own feathers

This was part of a pair watching over three goslings, making sure I wouldn’t get too close to get the shot

An attempt at panning which came out nicely here in Tenerife where the boats are often folloed by many gulls

This is the natural colour of this scene, unaltered but I love that it could be monochrome apart from the eyes

I love the colours of these Pochards in St James’ Park

There is no such thing as bad light

Spring has sprung. The sun is shining, the sky is clear, birds are tweeting alongside the lonlier people of the internet. But with the sudden decrease in cloud cover, the lighting of outdoor scenes is becoming quite a bit more stark in contrast and I’ve recently been finding it difficult to sort out my exposure as a result. The shade has become too shady, the sun too sunny, and it’s driving me mad.

I’m a firm believer in throwing myself into the deep end of something I’d like to be better at. This, incidentally, is how I first learnt to swim, much to the horror of my father. So, this week I’ve been working with ‘Light’ as a theme. I’ve been shooting in both London and Cornwall, trying to put myself in difficult lighting and get a creative result. The outcome has been mixed, but that’s all part of the process, no?

Feedback is always welcome, and much appreciated.