Wildlife photographers are known for the lengths they will go to, to get their shot. Award-winning photographer and broadcaster Paul Goldstein is no exception. “A true wildlife photographer accepts the hardship and welcomes it”, says Paul “but it should never be about an image at any price, the welfare of the bird or animal is paramount.”
Paul shares some of his secrets about photographing birds and how his unique approach helps turns the ordinary into the extraordinary.
“Whatever you’re photographing, the background is key. It can make all the difference between invoking an emotional response to an image and a photo being dismissed as merely ‘nice’.”
A really good example of this approach was seen in lockdown, when instead of capturing the exotic wildlife of the world, Paul turned his attention to an extraordinary study of an urban swan family in London.
“Lockdown forced us all to relook at the world with wiser eyes and look for wonders on our own doorstep. I watched a swan family living in a pond next to a busy main road. My dream shot was to capture the swans in the reflection of a red London bus. It almost came off but I wasn’t quite happy with the result [Paul is own fiercest critic!]. I then changed my approach and waited for a swan to remain still for long enough, to use a slow shutter speed. I wanted to blur the moving red bus in the background whilst keeping the swan fully in focus. Sounds easy? It definitely wasn’t! I had to wade into the pond with my tripod and wait for the right moment.
Sometimes luck plays a part and Reggie the cob swan framed himself beautifully between two bollards. And a red bus obligingly went past.”
Further afield in the Pantanal, Brazil, Paul took a similarly unusual approach when capturing a night time shot of a hyacinth macaw. “There was a beautiful full moon, but otherwise no light. Creatively there wasn’t a lot of interest, until I spotted a hyacinth macaw in a palm tree, with a very clear outline. It was then a matter of quickly lining up the two (whilst being devoured by mosquitoes). I didn’t have a tripod, but a friend kindly lent his shoulder so I could use a slow shutter speed and keep the camera steady.”
“In South Georgia, I wanted to create drama with the waves and reflections, whilst still focussing attention on the penguin. Getting the background right was key to this shot.”
“Sometimes, a grab shot is all you need. If the birds are performing magnificently as they did recently in Snettisham, just grab your camera or your phone and capture the magic of the moment.”
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