Wildlife photography hacks

I'm going to share with you my hacks for wildlife photography. These are all things that will make your life as a photographer that little bit easier.
Where you can buy the products I mentioned in this video:
SmallRig Super Clamp: amzn.to/3zhkICG
Velcro: amzn.to/40M9QbF
Gorilla Tape: amzn.to/3G4k9jk
Camouflage Buff: amzn.to/3TUguKI
Take a workshops with me - book online at: walksonthewildside.co.uk/tuition
Sign up to my newsletter: walksonthewildside.co.uk/subs...
See my photography gear : walksonthewildside.co.uk/my-c...
Videos I referred to:
Different is better than better - photographing red kites: • Different is better th...
The best way to do bird feeding station photography: • The best way to do bir...
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:11 Flour
1:58 Perches
5:21 Foreground blur
6:51 Emergency camouflage
8:58 Fast settings

Пікірлер: 57

  • @Clayton_White
    @Clayton_White Жыл бұрын

    Instead of flour, I recommend collecting some milkweed or a similar native seed pod that actually works better than flour for several reasons. It's free, natural, and the pods float in the wind longer than flour, giving you a better idea of wind direction.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Cheers. I'll look into it. Though flour is just ground wheat - nothing added, so it doesn't harm anything. But I like the idea of the pods floating for longer. Thanks for sharing and for watching.

  • @cerealkiller4248
    @cerealkiller4248 Жыл бұрын

    The shot of you photographing Red Kites was almost 100% exact what I was wearing when I was after a Kingfisher down my local river. As I sat still learning against a tree a Grey Squirrel caught my eye from 8m ( 25’ ) away. I froze apart from my eyes, and watched it forage until it came right up to me, then it ran up my body and onto the tree without realising what I was. No ghille suit, just camo trousers ( woodland camo style ) an olive green fleece, olive cap and a camo neck gator.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Brilliant, they're the kind of experiences you don't forget. Thanks for watching.

  • @littleoneadventures
    @littleoneadventures Жыл бұрын

    You are so creative and fun. Lots of great tips, I understand the part about being pale. Even in summer I look like a ghost,

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Me too. Except for the few days a year that we get really bright sunshine, and then I turn red like a lobster. Thanks for watching.

  • @gman5375
    @gman537511 ай бұрын

    Fabric camo tape is handy for lenses, pretty cheap, no shine off it and offers some scuff protection too

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    11 ай бұрын

    Good tip. Thanks for watching.

  • @TheSmartWoodshop
    @TheSmartWoodshop Жыл бұрын

    A disposable lighter is a common way to see wind direction. My settings for birds have gotten very simple over the years. Manual, wide open, auto ISO. The end result is that I only adjust the shutter speed. This is made possible by the current camera bodies that have good ISO performance and software that removes noise without reducing detail such as Topaz Photo AI. I am very comfortable with 10,000 iso on the Sony A1.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Ron. Yes, lighters are a good way to do it if you carry one. On your second point, I agree that it is an easy way to do it. The problem for me is that I like to be in control and I deliberately under or over expose very often, depending on the effect I'm going for. Could always use some exposure compensation, but I might as well just manually set this ISO if I'm going to do that. But I agree, your method will work for a lot of people. Thanks for the comment and for watching.

  • @TheSmartWoodshop

    @TheSmartWoodshop

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@WalksOnTheWildSide "I dial in -2/3 stop for 70% of my shots, unless I am shooting darkly feathered birds. Additionally, the A1 has at least 2 stops of exposure adjustment, as I am sure Canon and Nikon cameras offer as well. After shooting birds for four decades, including film and manual focus, all I can say is that the technical side is easy. Now, I spend most of my energy on composition and immediately deleting 700 tack sharp photos when I get home." 😎

  • @a.beckwith4576
    @a.beckwith45768 ай бұрын

    Thanks Scott for all the tips, great video

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    8 ай бұрын

    Hi. Thanks for watching another video.

  • @AndiusTeijgeler
    @AndiusTeijgeler Жыл бұрын

    Nice video! Good hacks. For the foreground blur you can also use a perch with leaves or even a panty, with which you cover the lower part of the lens.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Great point - thanks for sharing it. And thanks for watching.

  • @gracehalliday7613
    @gracehalliday7613 Жыл бұрын

    Love these tips, thank you!

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching.

  • @raymondpenalver7095
    @raymondpenalver7095 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for all the great tips Scott, loved the video 👍

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Raymond. Much appreciated as always.

  • @brianbull6339
    @brianbull6339 Жыл бұрын

    Some great tips never knew of Small Rig Clamp will be checking that one out straight away👍

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for watching Brian.

  • @RobinGlaze
    @RobinGlaze Жыл бұрын

    Excellent use for the SmallRig clamps! Thank you.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Robin. I'm glad you found it useful, thanks for watching.

  • @ganainm5113
    @ganainm5113 Жыл бұрын

    Great video. I'm definitely going to implement some of these hacks in to my photography.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Happy to help. Thanks for watching.

  • @GiuseppeGessa
    @GiuseppeGessa Жыл бұрын

    Great video, as always Scott, full of really good tips! Thanks for sharing.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Hey Giuseppe. I hope all's well with you. Thanks for watching.

  • @GiuseppeGessa

    @GiuseppeGessa

    Жыл бұрын

    @@WalksOnTheWildSide Not bad, thanks!

  • @ggwildlife
    @ggwildlife Жыл бұрын

    excellent video as always thanks for sharing.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    I'm pleased you like it. Thanks for watching.

  • @hjs1966
    @hjs1966 Жыл бұрын

    Your videos are the best way for me to combine two things ... how to train my english skills and look some things about my hobby photographing. Many thanks to your side.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Hermann. That's great to hear and I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. Thank you for watching.

  • @hjs1966

    @hjs1966

    Жыл бұрын

    @@WalksOnTheWildSide i'm back to look more of your videos.

  • @johnlocke7097
    @johnlocke7097 Жыл бұрын

    Some of the best hacks ever

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much John - I appreciate it.

  • @paulus0109
    @paulus0109 Жыл бұрын

    Very good and useful tips. Thnx.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    I'm glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching.

  • @AnandaGarden
    @AnandaGarden Жыл бұрын

    Enjoyable. On camo for lenses, I've amused myself observing various leg warmers and thinking, "That would make a nice cover for a Canon white elephant lens." Instead, actually I just bought a 30-year-old black 80-200 2.8L.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    🤣🤣 Thanks for watching.

  • @davidcannon2464
    @davidcannon2464 Жыл бұрын

    One tip for the flour put ot in puffer bottle then when you squeeze it the flour comes out much finer. Great tips thank you

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Great idea, I like it. Thanks for watching.

  • @jacobadams4301
    @jacobadams4301 Жыл бұрын

    The "lick" finger method works but you don't lick it. You get the whole finger wet. The part that gets cold first is the side the wind is blowing on. Not as precise as baby powder but it works.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Jacob. Makes sense, thanks for letting me know. Thanks for watching.

  • @craigsteele5661
    @craigsteele5661 Жыл бұрын

    Hi nice video ,just to let you know that licking your finger make it wet ,thus you feel the wind on the colder part of your finger thus giving you the wind direction. Thanks

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Craig. I always wondered about that.

  • @PeteLoughlin
    @PeteLoughlin Жыл бұрын

    How about checking out the weather forecast?

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Pete. Absolutely - good point. Thanks for watching.

  • @davedewdney
    @davedewdney Жыл бұрын

    What a great video buddy I’ve also have a wildlife channel and hopefully grow my channel thanks for sharing

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Cheers Dave. I'll check it out some time. Thanks for watching.

  • @davedewdney

    @davedewdney

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you 🙏

  • @tarjei99
    @tarjei99 Жыл бұрын

    Cover light hands and face with dark fabric, not light fabric. Light fabric makes movements visible.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    Great point. Thanks for watching.

  • @gman5375
    @gman537511 ай бұрын

    🦵🏼🔚

  • @GrantSR
    @GrantSR Жыл бұрын

    1:26 - You don't just lick one side of your finger and stick your finger in the air at any angle. You stick your whole finger in your mouth, get your entire finger wet, hold your finger well above your head so that your body isn't causing any turbulence, and then the side of your finger that gets cold first Is this side where the wind is coming from. Of course, I would not recommend this in Antarctica. Personally, I would never carry a bag of dust anywhere near my camera gear.

  • @GrantSR
    @GrantSR Жыл бұрын

    5:46 - I just finished watching your video about the ethics of photo editing. To my mind, holding up something (that wasn't actually already in place in the environment) to provide foreground blur, is exactly the same as adding a layer in post was far as ethics goes. Therefore, A) One should declare the modification, and B) You might as well do it in post, because you are far less likely to ruin the shot. If you go holding up stuff while you are taking the shot, you might scare the animal. Or, it may just take you too long, and you could miss the right shot. Or, trying to handle two things at once may make it more difficult to focus on getting the right shot. Finally, I just don't like doing anything in the camera or in front of the lens that actually takes information away from my image. Putting something in front of the lens to blur some of the subject takes information about that subject away from my image. I could take that information away, non-destructively, later, in post.

  • @glennalexon1530
    @glennalexon1530 Жыл бұрын

    The problem with making a perch for a bird is that you can't call it a "wildlife" photo. Staged photos aren't interesting, because any dummy can take one. Actual wildlife photos require skill, patience, and luck; that's what makes them cool in the first place.

  • @WalksOnTheWildSide

    @WalksOnTheWildSide

    Жыл бұрын

    I partly agree with you and partly disagree. Firstly, these ARE wildlife. Setting a perch out and allowing a wild subject to position itself on it is wild. It's not taking a photo in a zoo or something and trying to pass it off as wild. But yes, I agree. It takes a lot of skill to do wildlife photography in many ways - check out my other videos and you'll see what I'm all about. But this particular video was about hacks - things people can do to make their photography lives easier.