Wildlife Photography Fieldcraft

Wildlife Photography and Fieldcraft
This exciting and original course takes account of the fact that the major part of successful wildlife photography depends on good fieldcraft.
There is no point in setting up a hide or waiting for wildlife to come by without knowing where to put your hide.
The course is run by a professional photographer who has designed the course together with fieldcraft experts.

There will be the opportunity for an early morning session (deer fieldcraft) or an evening session (badgers).
Click here to view the course locations
Date of the courses

22nd to 23rd May 2012

Number of places

Minimum of 2, maximum of 6. This will ensure individual attention. Small groups will also increase the chance of seeing nervous wildlife such as badgers.

The video below shows badgers filmed at a secret location - secret because there is likely to be a badger cull in Devon.




Cost

£150 for two full days. A list of suitable accomodation can be supplied.

Transport will be provided based on an average size camera bag and owner. If you wish to carry large amounts of equipment, you may prefer to drive yourself.

Tuition

Tuition is regarded as an important element of the course and will be given for photography as well as fieldcraft. Susan is a qualified teacher and ran a software training business for several years as well as having run many photography courses, so she is very experienced in presenting information.

Species that may be encoutered

As with all wildlife courses the presence of wildlife species is unpredictable and it would be dishonest to promise something that may not be possible to achieve. However the following are present on the sites we will visit:
  • Deer
  • Birds of prey
  • Badgers
  • Woodpeckers, nuthatches and a wide range of woodland and garden birds
  • A wide range of butterflies and dragonflies
There will also be the opportunity to visit nearby wildlife centres if the weather is bad.

Course details

It will not be possible to define dates and times exactly as the weather will dictate the running order, but the following details the activities.
  • Fieldcraft for deer with Tony Potter. This will be an early start (6am at his site).
  • Fieldcraft for birds, including birds of prey with Susan Young. This will give detailed information on where and how to find birds.
  • Fieldcraft for butterflies and dragonflies. Bramley Lodge has a large number of species of butterflies and dragonflies, attracted by the wildflower meadows and ponds. If luck is against it and it rains for 4 days, we will visit an indoor butterfly centre nearby.
  • For those who are interested, there will be the opportunity for wildflower photography. Bramley Lodge has several wildflower meadows. Susan is a member of the Professional Garden Photographers Guild.
  • Tuition on the use of trail cameras, which will be set up in various positions for viewing each day.
  • Hides - their use and how to make them. You will encounter a range of hides during the course. Instructions will be given for making a simple hide.
  • Designing perches to attract birds.
The hides on the Bramley Lodge site can be used at any time for photographing the local birds which include: woodpeckers, nuthatches, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, goldfinches, greenfinches, dunnocks, jays, magpies, herons(occasionally), long-tailed tits, swallows (if they have arrived), chiffchaffs, pied wagtails, bullfinches, chaffinches.
On most days, buzzards rise from the woods surrounding Bramley Lodge.
Deer , foxes and badgers are also present and you may be lucky.