A Highland treasure!

After receiving a tip off that a capercaillie was showing well in the Highlands I was desperate to go and take a look. With only one day off work though it was a long drive followed by fingers crossed very tightly. After 11 hours searching the forest though it all paid off and I am delighted to have added this absolutely stunning bird to the portfolio!

Local stuff

A couple of shots from the last couple of days. A quick dash to a local fishery in Worcestershire was rewarded with this smashing Slavonian Grebe. It was very confiding and by lying in the goose poo I was able to ensure a low profile and nice background colour.

This nuthatch has been vistiting the feeders outside my office window all winter and eventually I happened to have my camera with me! I got some sunny shots too but they were too 'contrasty' so I preferred the flatter tones of this.

Welney and Slimbridge

Last weekend was one of my most productive for photography for months. The forcast was good for Saturday so I headed to Welney to try and catch up with the barn owls. They performed pretty well and for once the light was with me. We even were treated to a couple of short eared owls too so that was a welcome addition to the portfolio.

We also booked a photography hide beneath the observatory which resulted in some great low level waterfowl shots. Sunday it was another WWT site on the agenda and we headed to Slimbridge where again the light was good and the birds performed. Check out Alamy for some of the better shots.

New Year Plans

People talk about swans but I think I am more akin to a grebe...lots of action under the surface and actually nothing to see above!

I have been busy though doing lots of talks and planning for this years trips, shows etc. I have also moved house and have no internet so hence the break in blog updates.

I have now given the Secret Wildlife of the Cairngorms talk four times and it has gone down well, plans are now afoot to add to it for next winter though and there is even rumour of a Shetlands trips!!

I have also been accepted as a photographer for image library Alamy so will start to make my portfolio available on there as and when I get the time.

Two trips to Gigrin Farm in the last couple of weeks were a bit dissapointing as the weather did not live up to the forecasts. The snowy weather bought out the combatitive spirit of the herons who challenged the resident buzzards. The photos were only records of the event but encouraged me to head back a couple of weeks later. One kite seemed happy to sit in the tree above the hide and look down on us for an hour or so while we tried to get the best angle from within the complex of branches! I also added some more red kite and raven flight shots to the collection.

Plans this month include an owl chasing trip to Norfolk and begin to build the new hide for some late winter feeder photography...watch this space.

Illustrated Talks

The latest of my illustrated talks is now done and been successfully road tested. This means that I now offer three talks for social, photographic or wildlife groups. Each can be tailored to suit timings and I can provide all equipment including screen if necessary.

The talks are: The Secret Wildlife of the Cairngorms, Discovering Scotland's Western Isles and the Secrets of Wildlife Photography. My fee is £50 plus mileage at 20p/mile. If you have any questions or would like to enquire about availability please contact me at nick@martinimages.co.uk

Nearly there!

The new talk, Secret Wildlife of the Cairngorms is nearly there. Just a few more slides and a bit more research. As expected though it has left me wanting more so I may have to plan some quick(!) trips up there over the winter and next spring. Need to brush up on my landscapes although this one of Loch Malachie is quite nice.

Plenty of interest in the Introduction to Wildlife Photography Workshop too so I am looking forward to that. Contact me for details of that or talks or any image needs.

Introduction to Wildlife Photography Workshop

Following much demand and the great feedback from previous ones I am now offering another Introduction to Wildlife Photography Workshop at Middleton Hall. The day will run from 10-4.30 on the 25th October. Cost is £28 per person and includes refreshments morning and afternoon.

The workshop is based around a presentation of pictures and illustrations interrupted with demonstrations of equipment and accessories. There will also be a practical session where attendees will get a chance to practice techniques with their own camera.

Each will be illustrated with a series of case studies and the day will be littered with top tips and tricks of the trade!

Topics to be covered include:

Camera equipment and accessories
Camera settings
Composing the picture
Learning your subject
Getting close to the subject
Using hides
Processing, printing and publishing

Interested? contact me at nick@martinimages.co.uk for more details and a booking form.