Sep/Oct 2023

46
South Woodford Village Gazette
In the fourth of a series of articles featuring the images of local
photographers who document the wildlife of Wanstead Park and the
surrounding area, James Ball presents his close-up of a long-tailed tit
I’m James, a local estate agent with a
passion for photographing all types of
wildlife and, in particular, birds. I find it
amazing the variety of wildlife we can see
almost on our doorsteps.
Here’s an image I took earlier this year in
Wanstead Park. It was an overcast day, which
didn’t provide brilliant light but did mean the
light was evenly spread with little shadow.
This bird is a long-tailed tit, resembling a pink,
white and black ball of fluff, with a long tail.
Like candy floss with wings, they can be very
photogenic. Gregarious and noisy residents,
long-tailed tits are most usually noticed in
small, excitable flocks of about 20 birds.
Like most tits, they rove the woods and
hedgerows but are also seen on heaths and
commons with suitable bushes. They move
quickly and rarely stop for longer than a
second or two, so you have to try and get a
step ahead. I positioned myself in front of
the flock and took this image when the bird
landed on an isolated branch with a clean
foreground and background.
Here are some of my top tips for taking better
wildlife photographs.
Patience
You’ll be lucky to stumble across your target
subject on the first attempt, even the second
or third. Learning your subject’s habits will
help you put yourself a step ahead.
Eye-level
Try to position yourself as close to the
subject’s eye level as you can, even if it
means lying on the ground! This connects
your camera to the subject, creating a more
emotive and often dramatic image.
Fast shutter speed
This will allow you to capture wildlife whilst
it’s on the move. Birds all move at different
speeds, depending on their size and how
much of a rush they are in. So, you’ll need to
adjust your settings accordingly. Gulls over a
lake are a great entry subject for capturing
birds in flight.
Use ‘continuous shooting’ mode
and ‘continuous focusing’ to take
multiple bursts of photographs
and to continually track the
subject. These modes will have
different names on different
brands of camera.
Sunlight
In my opinion, the best
lighting is at dusk and
dawn during the ‘golden
hour’. The sunrises over
Wanstead Flats and the
sunsets in Wanstead
Park are beautiful, and
when you can time
this with passing birds,
you can achieve great
results; well worth the
early alarm!
Position yourself so the
sun is behind you and
you’re facing the bird
you’re photographing
for the best lighting
setup. Shooting
into the sun can also
sometimes create
lovely photographs,
especially when the sun
is low and the light is
less harsh, making perfect
conditions for artistic
silhouettes.
To view more of James’s wildlife photos,
visit swvg.co.uk/jamesball
To advertise, call 020 8819 0595 or visit swvg.co.uk