Photograph ideas

I have spoken to Steve today about my photographic ideas for my final 12 portfolio pictures, I have said I want to try and get a range of photographs showing different types of photographic techniques from different shutter speed to silhouettes.

I also went through the issues of my photo shoot at Branston water park as I felt my camera lens was struggling with the distances from the subject.

Steve suggested setting the camera up closer to the subjects and trying to set it off with a remote shutter. The lead on my remote shutter is only about a foot long so I need to see if I can extend this lead in someway to enable me to use the camera from further away.

Another idea Steve has given me to try and get some good flight photographs is to use fill in flash to stop the motion of the wings.

Eric Hosking (Photographs)

After looking through a selection of Eric Hosking photographs, my first initial thoughts are how impressive the results are especially being one of the first people to photograph birds and with the camera equipment he was using (especially in the early days). What I have noticed with his photographs is the way he has managed to capture the birds in such natural positions and scenes. This is definitely something I want to show from my photographs of natural history. You can see the changes in camera technology in Eric Hosking photographs as most of his early work is done using flash bulbs and being as close as he could to the subject. This is because the development of lenses in the 30's and 40's would have been limited. I like the way he changed the style of his photographs as technology allowed him to try new things.










Another part of Eric Hosking photographs I am impressed with are his ones of birds in flight, this is something I really want to capture myself. As in previous blogs at Branston water park I have tried to capture this already (and lets just say I have a lot of work t do!!) however this is an element of natural history I would like to capture if possible as I think the results if done right speak for themselves.

One thing I have noticed from the Eric Hosking photographs above, is the background, because in all 3 of the pictures shown here there is either nothing or very plain backgrounds that means you are not distracted by it and that the focus is completely of the subject. I need to think about this when composing my photographs going forward.

To show what I mean about background, if you look at the photograph below of a Greenfinch which is one I have taken you will notice that the background is very busy compared to the photos above and this does distract the focus from the main subject.

Eric Hosking (Natural History Photographer)

Eric Hoskings (1909 - 1991) is a legendary British Natural History photographer and mainly bird Photography. He was a self taught photographer and seen as one of the main pioneers of bird photography. He also Pioneered the use of flash in bird photography and setting up of electronic or photo cell devices to take photographs.

He believed that to be a good natural history photographer you needed to not only have a good technical ability but possibly more importantly you need to understand your subject and have concern for their welfare.

Famously whilst photographing a tawny owl (owls were his favourite bird) he was attacked by the owl and lost an eye. He blamed himself for this as he felt he did not fully understand the subject. He is to be the first ever (and report ably last) professional bird photographer. This is to say he actually made his living solely from bird photography. There are many other bird photographers that make a living from their photographs but they do not specialise in just birds as Eric Hosking did. Below is a copy of his most famous photograph taken back in 1936.

He regards this as the luckiest photograph he has ever taken as he had no idea the owl had caught the rat and would stand in such a photographic way. He waited to hear the sound of the owl land on the tree then opened the shutter and set off the flash bulb. It was not till he was developing the glass plate that he discovered what he had captured.

To see more about Eric Hosking click here