Professional Photo Opportunities
Today is all about providing some really special set ups that would appeal to and impress everybody from absolute beginners to top amateur and professional photographers alike. This is your chance to take the sort of images that you would normally only see in top quality glossy books and publications. I have worked with these birds on three previous occasions, and each day has produced some absolutely stunning images. We will work with some really impressive subjects in one of the most beautiful settings you could imagine. We will use, in the main, birds that are extremely difficult to even approach, let alone photograph, in the wild. You will be amazed at the detail and colours of these rare species from just a few feet away. The backdrops are really special here.
Tips and Tuition – Beginners Welcome
The day will start off with a general Introduction to Digital Photography, which will have a heavy emphasis on how to make the most of the special opportunities you will have with the birds. You will be given all the advice you need to ensure everyone is capable of returning home with some really special photographs. The whole purpose of today is to ensure that anybody, from the most inexperienced amateur to a seasoned photographer, will return home with shots of breathtaking quality. One to one tuition will be on offer throughout the day should you require any help with your camera settings. You do not need to have massive lenses or top of the range cameras to really excel today.
Beautiful Location
It has been really difficult, and has taken much searching, to find a special location that can offer many different backdrops that will show off these birds to their best advantage. There are two adjacent areas not far from Bamburgh that will do just that. On one side of the road there is a hilltop bedecked with gorse bushes and other flora. The views are incredible. You can look across vast fields in the valley below or simply turn around and have a huge beach and the sea hundreds of feet below. Bamburgh Castle appears majestically and dominates the next hill a mile or so away as another option. Across the road is another hilltop. We have permission to cross the local farmer’s land to an area that is quite different. It is rugged, has lots of rocks, a number of trees and several short stone walls. There is such a variety to choose from that the options are endless.
Golden Eagle
We will commence our photography with the UK’s top predatory bird, the Golden Eagle. The rocky outcrops, gorse bushes and the steep hillsides will lend themselves to give you those perfect natural habitat shots. We will start with various static shots, which will be interspersed with some short flights. We will find some suitable rocks for the Eagle to land on, giving you the opportunity to capture it with legs outstretched just before it lands. A classic shot that, I am sure is very high on most people’s wanted list. Our session with the Golden Eagle will finish with it feeding on a dead rabbit or something similar. Great care will be taken throughout each session to hide the jesses from view.
Peregrine Falcon
The undisputed master of flight. This phenomenal bird is able to reach speeds of close to 200mph. It’s main prey are ducks, pigeons and smaller seabirds. It is, in fact, a resident here in Northumberland. We will find various rocky outcrops etc on which to perch this bird, and will choose locations that give backdrops of varying colours. I think that this subject is often best captured with a longer lens that will completely blur the background. It’s vivid grey and white markings and those gorgeous yellow eyes stand out much more with no distractions behind. We will finish our time with this bird with it on some form of natural prey, and one jess will be removed to give you some amazingly realistic “in the wild” feeding shots.
Snowy Owl
This is a bird that I had not previously photographed until last year. It is a real poser and provided some excellent sport both times I shot it. We will find a dark rock-face onto which we will perch our Snowy Owl. A dark background is sure to show off those beautiful yellow eyes that are so characteristic of this bird.
Eagle Owl or Barn Owl
Our fourth bird will be one of the above Owls, meaning that we will have the whole day photographing British Birds of Prey. The Eagle Owl is my favourite, and is quite a character. This guy has more longer feathers on his legs than most Eagle Owls and, with a little bit of adjustment, his jesses are usually completely covered. He also has this strange habit of running along the ground with his wings outstretched. This makes for some really unique pictures, the likes of which are unlikely to be in many photographers’ portfolios. Eagle Owls have been successfully breeding in the wild in Northumberland since 2005, so once again we will be photographing a species that appears naturally in this habitat. As with all the birds, we will conclude with him eating or at least standing over his supper in a carefully chosen location.
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Click here for photos of our Birds of Prey
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Typical Itinerary
09.30 Meet & Greet, Tea / Coffee, Risk Assessment
09.45 Introduction to Digital Photography
10.20 Move to site
10.30 1st session photography
13.30 Break for sandwiches (provided)
14.15 2nd session photography
16.00 Close