I was born in Cornwall, a very beautiful part of the world, and have always been interested in the power and majesty, animals, and insects. My father was quite a noted ornithologist, and I suppose I developed an interest at quite an early age. Also, my Aunt lived and worked on a farm and I spent all my holidays with her, further exposing me to both the countryside and wildlife that existed around me. I have been a member of Renderosity since August 2002, and was rather surprised when asked to write about any aspect of photography, in particular to those who would subscribe to illustrious journals such as this. This article is therefore not going to be about how to take photographs but more about some of the techniques that I have learned over the past 30 years that I use in attempting to capture wildlife on film, and more recently with digital technology. Photographing nature, particularly close-up or macro work (my interest), presents several difficulties that require us to learn to handle special situations. First, the closer we get to a subject, the shallower the (DOF) depth of field becomes. Second, close-in work is very sensitive to light and movement. The zone can be as small as a half of an inch or less. In order to alleviate the shallow DOF problem we need to use a small aperture, which impacts on the available light. Worse still, we have to be careful to keep our subjects most important features in focused in a plane parallel to the film. This has further complications as movement is also greatly exaggerated at close range. Even a minute amount of wind may cause a flower with our butterfly to flutter in and out of focus and our model may disappear from view in a split second! We may also like to use slow to medium film to capture fine details. Using a smaller aperture, in natural light usually requires a slow shutter speed. We need therefore to be first and foremost patient! But a little ingenuity and planning can help us overcome some of these problems. Useful Items And Important Points 1. Personal Safety This is something that is easy to forget, but please remember that in the wild there are many dangers. I have found myself in precarious positions on a few occasions. It is easy to get carried away and become careless in dangerous situations. For example, are you wearing suitable clothing or safety equipment? In mountainous terrain, weather conditions can change very quickly and you could easily get into trouble. Also, leaning over a cliff to get a closer shot of a Puffin may result in your premature demise, unless you take a rope to fasten to a good secure place, like a tree. Flash equipment can be indispensable. Three or four small flash units rigged to a photoelectric trigger can enable us to achieve very good results. The camera can be set-up and pre-focused and hidden, released by a long cable release. Our flower and butterfly shot can work better by constructing a simple wind shield with a couple of sticks and a plastic bag, and a good reflector made from some white cloth attached by string or more sticks. I carry a broom handle to help bash nettles down. Also, a bit of white card and safety pin can be useful as a diffusing canopy. A beanbag and some brackets can be great to put our camera on to save lugging a Tripod around. I have made up a pack of items that I always take with me. Serving in the military for most of my working life many things like this have become second nature to me. But please give these factors due consideration, it could save your life! Also keep in mind that some wildlife can be dangerous too! If you want to get the best shots we also need to learn a bit about the behavior and habitat of our subjects, the chances of just being lucky to stumble across wildlife are few and far between. It is important to be patient and plan properly. Much can be learned from field guides: animal behavior patterns, their feeding habits, the time of day they are active, or favorite watering holes and trails will reduce the chances of failure. Most wildlife have far keener senses than us; they are timid and fast so we need to try and keep some distance between us and will tolerate our presence if we dont appear threatening. Using clothing that blends in with the terrain or building a shelter out of natural cover can often aid in getting closer to our subject. Once we are in close enough, we need to proceed slowly to avoid frightening our subject(s) off. Be aware that reflections and noise from the shutter or motor-drive may be enough to spook them! I usually use a dark cloth to wrap the camera to reduce noise, and a lens hood will keep down reflections to a minimum. For serious work use a long focal length lens (200-400 mm) to get clear visibility and to keep a safe distance. Getting good stability will require the use of a good tripod and even more elaborate planning. Please dont be put off by these precautions. It is not necessary to go to such elaborate lengths or travel to exotic places to discover interesting and appealing subjects. Our own gardens, local forests, and woods will provide a plethora of interesting material, and provide plenty of practice for developing good techniques and the patience to master the necessary skills. You will discover new and surprising aspects of Mother Natures mysteries as the colors, shapes and textures become revealed. Be creative ... the artistic possibilities are endless. #### Daniel OByrne A self taught Artist and Photographer who has been an active member of the Renderosity community for 18 months, posting in Photography and Mixed medium. He has undertaken various tasks writing articles on Photography for the Magazine as well as doing software reviews. A graduate of Portsmouth University, followed by Post Graduate studies at the University of Middlesex He has a specialist interest in the field of Mental Health research. He worked in the Military for 23 years and was a Trauma Specialist there and traveled widely. Danny is working in Buckingham Mental Health Trust at present and been there for 9 years where he has spent time working with Rehabilitation and Community Care for people with enduring mental illness. His hobbies include Chess, Golf and listening to music and reading. An avid lover of nature and wildlife his interests in this has always been the inspiration for his Art and Photography, and considers that lighting is the very soul of his attempts at trying to capture this within his work.