Hi Austin, Thank you for joining us in this edition of PT Explorers. Would you please do a self-introduction for our readers.
I am a wildlife photographer living in the UK who specialises primarily in photographing wild birds and animals. More recently I have started a journey to photograph the wildlife in our seas and rivers, which is both challenging and rewarding. I took a serious interest in photography in 2007 and haven’t stopped creating images since. I have as much passion today to photograph almost anything that moves.
From an enthusiastic nature lover to an ace wildlife photographer – how did you evolve?
As a person I am naturally self-driven and strive to improve myself in every aspect of my life. If something is important to me then I will give a lot of energy and efort to reach my potential. I am a good self-critic. I look at every image I take and challenge myself to learn and improve. I am very rarely totally satisfied with an image. I can always think of ways to improve. Being self-critical and listening to feedback from others motivates me to work harder and improve.
Who, if any, were your early role models in photography?
I didn’t have any photographic role models. I came into photography because I was useless as a bird spotter! I was not able to accurately identify bird species through my binoculars, so I sought ways to solve that “problem” and ended up buying a DSLR and a 500mm lens at that time! The rest is history.
What is your favorite genre of wildlife photography and how did that love develop?
I would have to say bird photography. I have a natural love of birds anyway and in 2007 it was seen as a challenge photographically to record high quality bird in flight images. I love a challenge, so dedicated a lot of time learning about my subjects behaviour and working out ways to photograph birds in flight. Over time I developed methods of photographing birds ‘walking’ or ‘marching’ which added impact and became my signature image as I developed my craft.
Being based in the north west of England, is that an advantage or a disadvantage for a wildlife photographer?
England is a great place for bird photography. We are fortunate that birds migrate here and breed here, so we see different species over the course of a calendar year. Being close to the west coast of England gives me the opportunity to use the low setting sun late in the evenings to illuminate my subject which is a big advantage to eliminate shadows.
Is there a favorite wildlife subject that you love to photograph repeatedly?
The Little Owl has to be my favorite bird to photograph. If you google “Austin Thomas Little Owl images” you will see a lot of them! I discovered back in 2008 that Little Owls were living locally to me. It therefore became the subject that I could try and photograph every day whilst I was learning my skills. Being on the doorstep I was able to quickly make changes and repeat things to get the images I had in my mind.
Austin, kindly brief us about your work with Garden Wildlife and its significance.
It started initially as a challenge to photograph small birds in flight. Having mastered the art of photographing medium sized birds (Little Owls and Kestrels for example) I wanted to push myself further to photograph the small birds in my garden whist they were flying. Working in my garden allowed me to leave my camera in position a lot longer than when I am out in the field. I built a hide in my garden, specifically for photography, to make the project more comfortable and successful. Once I had small birds in my portfolio I then went on to photograph some of the small mammals that also appear in
my garden from time to time.
What is your favourite photographic location? Can you please brief us about the treasures there?
My most enjoyable trip each year is to Africa. I typically visit Rwanda to photograph the Mountain Gorillas and then move into Kenya to go on a photographic Safari. If I had to pick just one then it would be the Masai Mara in Kenya. I love the variety of wildlife that is available in the Masai Mara from the adorable cats, the abundance of birdlife as well as many reptiles and insects. No two trips are the same. You find something to photograph around almost every corner. It is my second home.
Please tell us about your projects and what is there in the pipeline.
I have gone underwater recently as I look to photograph the wildlife that lives in the sea. I envisage a greater proportion of my photography time in the coming years will be spent underwater. There are so many species down below, dotted all over the world, so I have a lot to learn and hopefully plenty of travel ahead of me in pursuit of underwater wildlife images
Is there a Wishlist – somewhere or something which you eagerly wish to photograph?
I would like to photograph Polar Bears. I have that on my bucket list. I also want to photograph marine life in a thriving and healthy coral reef. I have found some marine ECO resorts that have conservation at their heart, so I will add one of those to my wish list.
What is the importance of gear in wildlife photography and what are your favourites?
Equipment is necessary but light is the most important element in photography. I personally like to use a shallow depth of field in a lot of my images, so aperture is important to me. My Canon 400mm f2.8 lens is typically the first item I pick up when photographing wildlife, especially in Africa. Cameras are clearly necessary to record images and yes, the professional models give you larger files and faster performance. However, the important thing with equipment is to know how it works. Moments in wildlife occur in a split second.
If you don’t know how to adjust your camera instinctively or have it set correctly for when that split second action occurs, then you will need a lot of luck to get a special image. Learn
how to make your camera work for you, rather than buy the most expensive camera and have no clue how to use it
Do you think that there should be a code of honour for wildlife photographers? If so, what will be your top points in it.
Absolutely yes. I remind my clients that we are visiting the natural habitat of the wildlife. We are the visitors here. We have to adjust our behaviour and be respectful to the wildlife.
Number 1 is that the welfare of the subject is far more important that anyone’s picture.
Number 2 would be never to stress a subject. Read the signs and you should be able to tell whether your actions are causing the subject concerns.
What are your thoughts on Conservation Photography?
Conservation Photography is an excellent example of what photography is all about. At the same time, it raises awareness on a global scale. A photograph should create emotions, feelings, tell a story or raise a question. Conservation photography does all of that superbly.
For me conservation is critical to protect our planet which will allow future generations to see nature in the wild. I am one of the contributors to the Remembering Wildlife initiative. I cannot image a world without Cheetahs, Gorillas, Elephants, Lions, Rhinos and so many more endangered species…
Any tips and tricks that you wish to share with budding photographers?
Practice.
Patience
Persistence.
Repeat those words as a wildlife photographer and you won’t go too far wrong. You should also learn your subjects behaviour. I spend hours in the field, without my camera.
I just take binoculars when the light is poor and watch and learn how my target subject behaves. I find the more time I spend with my subject, the luckier I am when I photograph it
