Tips and tricks of the trade
The wildlife photography workshops offered by Forest Farm rangers teach various skills that are paramount to wildlife photography in order to capture the ‘perfect shot’. Once you have set up your camera and worked out how to erect your tripod properly, you can try out some of the rangers’ tips while out walking through the centre. They include:
Places on the workshop are £30 each, though numbers are limited. The class mainly focuses on the use of DLSR cameras, although different kinds of equipment can be used. More information on how to book can be found here.
All photos courtesy of Alec Stewart.
A conservation centre in Whitchurch is teaching locals the basics of wildlife photography in a brand new workshop
Rangers at Forest Farm Conservation Centre will be holding a new series of workshops teaching basic photography skills and the art of field craft.
This year the centre decided to adapt their already established basic photography classes into specific wildlife photography workshops, promoting the beauty of wildlife within Cardiff.
The first coincides with the announcement of this year’s British Wildlife Photography Awards, the overall winning image being an infrared shot of bats flying over Coate Water Country Park in Swindon.
“As rangers we’re based around the biodiversity and wildlife of Cardiff, introducing people to it and educating them,” says Alec Stewart, the ranger leading the workshop.
The day-long course will begin with a how-to on setting up a camera and using a tripod before walking around the centre.
Throughout the day people can try their hand at setting up hives and perches to lure birds, and even attempt macro photography shots of flowers and insects.
The workshop will also cover long-lens shooting, plane of sharpness, fast shutter speeds and camouflage techniques.
Alec is a passionate wildlife photographer and the current chairman of Gwynfa Camera Club. However he insists the workshops do not teach strict ‘rules’.
“I don’t like to call them rules, but guidelines. There is quite a mixture of different tips involved, and this first workshop will be much more practical and hands-on,” he explains.
With the rise of social media, anyone can be a photographer these days. However this has also attracted more people to the craft and according to Sean O’Hagan of The Guardian, photography has helped to propel the digital image culture of the 21st century.
For just £30 a place, the workshops at Forest Farm aim to continue inspiring people to pick up their cameras in order to find new ways of appreciating what surrounds them.
Tips and tricks of the trade
The wildlife photography workshops offered by Forest Farm rangers teach various skills that are paramount to wildlife photography in order to capture the ‘perfect shot’. Once you have set up your camera and worked out how to erect your tripod properly, you can try out some of the rangers’ tips while out walking through the centre. They include:
Places on the workshop are £30 each, though numbers are limited. The class mainly focuses on the use of DLSR cameras, although different kinds of equipment can be used. More information on how to book can be found here.
All photos courtesy of Alec Stewart.