P6263524
Nov, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey, UK during a photography dayTime
This was taken towards the end of the session around 7pm during a heavy rainstorm. I was so glad to get this picture because the rain managed to spoil a fair few others - lesson for me from this day was to ensure I took some raincover for my camera in the future to ensure I'm prepared for inclement weatherLighting
Earlier in the day there had been bright sunshine mixed with intermittent cloud cover. This posed several problems with constant changing light conditions however by the time this picture was taken the sky had fully clouded over which made for a consistent light though the rain was posing a separate problem. Because the fox was constantly on the move I upped my ISO to increase my shutter speed.Equipment
My trusty Olympus e-420 with a 70-300mm lens. The light was still sufficient to not have to use any flash.Inspiration
I'd seen many pictures of foxes and their captivating eyes. My intention this day was to try and capture something similar and I'd like to think I managed it on this occasion. That I did it during a bout of inclement weather added to my satisfaction.Editing
No post-processing was carried out.In my camera bag
Aside from the camera and lens already mentioned, I also have a 40-150mm lens; a 35mm macro lens and a 17.5-45mm lens. I always carry spare compact flash memory cards and two fully charged spare batteries. Following this particular day I have also now invested in some waterproof covers for my camera :-)Feedback
To capture this particular shot, I studied the movement of the fox first of all and identified the spot where he would generally stop and pose. Once I had this information I was able to ensure the settings on my camera were appropriate for the conditions and was then comfortable I would be able to focus on the fox and capture what I wanted. Had I used any form of flash it almost certainly would have unsettled the fox and ruined the moment. Wildlife is my passion and when I first started taking pictures of animals I was probably too excited and would make sudden movements which would disturb the animals. As time has gone by I seem to have become better ensuring the animals are at ease in my presence. The main secret seems to be in making the animals realise you do not pose a threat to them and this has led to some incredible moments for me this year where the animals have become almost inquisitive to come close to me and investigate further and this in turn has enabled me to capture the character of each animal
