connects a camera – even a humble mobile
phone one – to their telescope just in case they
spot something unusual.
One of the world’s most celebrated wildlife
photographers, Norfolk-based David Tipling,
believes that the instant results and sense of
satisfaction being achieved has become the
driving force for the soaring popularity.
“
Photography has boomed over the past
few years, primarily because digital cameras
have taken away the mystique and enabled
people to quickly correct mistakes while they
still have their subject in front of them,” says
Tipling, whose work was famously described
by David Bellamy as “windows of wonder”.
“
The instant-gratification factor, I believe,
is one of the main drivers, while the internet
allows people to share their images hours,
sometimes even minutes, after they were
taken. There is a strong human response to
want to share images – it’s like showing the
world your trophy.”
It all means one thing: never work with
animals has become a forgotten credo.
Though, it’s worth noting that there are rules
that should be followed. With good nature
photography comes great responsibility. The
essential thing is the welfare of the subject.
Be it big mammal or tiny insect, this always
hours waiting for bears, wolves or eagles to
arrive, a photographer has to be confident his
camera will get “the shot”. Now they have far
more control over their unpredictable, fast-
moving and often diffident subject matter.
Reassuringly, digital photography doesn’t
have to be expensive. While professionals
work with top-of-the-range digital single-lens
reflex (DSLR) cameras attached to telephoto
lenses costing five figures, the options for
amateurs are far more economical. Even
the cheapest digital cameras have zoom
capabilities that get adequate “record shots”,
so a photographer can, at least, offer proof
of seeing a rare animal. Spending between
€125 and €370 will buy a reliable model with
a single, versatile, fixed lens that can capture
subjects, often up to 50 times magnification.
Easy-to-use editing programmes available
on most computers as standard can also help
enhance rendition and colour quality.
Another popular technique is known
as “digiscoping”. Attaching a camera to a
spotting scope (like a telescope) can produce
remarkable, high-zoom results. Imagine
getting a full frame shot of a rabbit or bird
from 100m! Indeed, most self-respecting
twitchers won’t step outdoors these days
without a relatively cheap adaptor that
Never work with animals has
become a forgotten credo
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