28 July 2013

Mute Swan in evening light

Swans are one of my favourite subjects to photograph. To capture strong images of them you really need to use the very best light. This image was taken at around 8.30pm using the last rays of sunshine. The quality of light makes a huge difference and helps to maintain detail in the white feathers.

For this shot I used a beanbag and angle finder and photographed from the ground just a few inches above the water surface at the edge of the lake. Exposure settings are always difficult with wildfowl - I try to set an ISO that give me at least 1/500 second to arrest the almost constant movement on the water.

20 July 2013

Barley at twilight

Barley at twilight by Paul Miguel
Barley at twilight, a photo by Paul Miguel on Flickr.

It's a while since I've done this type of photography as I'm concentrating much more on wildlife these days.

Farmland provides some of the most distinctive images of the British countryside, but it's hard to do it justice. With a clear evening forecast I used the colours of twilight, and the still conditions, to create an evocative scene at the edge of a ripening barley field.

Photographed with a standard wide zoom and a 4 stop ND graduated filter. I got down low for this image and zoomed in to create a tight crop. Shot at about one and a half seconds at f11 on tripod. Photographically very simple to do - it all relies on good light and finding the strongest compositions.

16 July 2013

Starling Flock coming to roost

Starling Flock by Paul Miguel
Starling Flock, a photo by Paul Miguel on Flickr.

I was lucky enough to watch this flock gathering to roost in reed-beds at RSPB St. Aidans reserve. After a few images on the standard fast shutter speeds, I switched to a speed of about 1/60 second to create some motion blur. Good panning is the key. All the images were hand-held.

08 July 2013

Gannet coming in to land

Gannet coming in to land by Paul Miguel
Gannet coming in to land, a photo by Paul Miguel on Flickr.

Photographed at Bempton Cliffs on my Seabird Photography Course. Great light and perfect wind direction combined to give some amazing flight shots of these stunning birds.

More Gannets to follow soon.!!