I began my wildlife photography journey in early 2018. I possessed a simple Fujifilm bridge camera, which did not have the most intricate settings or capabilities, but for what it was worth, it took some brilliant pictures and was key in developing my passion for capturing the wildlife on my doorstep. The back garden became my “workspace,” and I would be out there every day, taking pictures of everything, I could - from the house sparrows to dandelions.

As time went on, I built upon what I already knew and kept on improving, heading further afield to local nature reserves and other green spaces to see what I could capture. As my skills developed, so did my equipment. Birthday money was saved to buy my first DSLR and lenses; this then evolved into the mirrorless Canon EOS R7 that I own today.

Choosing the right equipment for you

This brings us to the first talking point of this blog: equipment. As a disclaimer, I am by no means a professional and I treat every day with my camera as a learning experience - figuring out what settings work in which environments, whether that’s photographing fast-moving White Admirals on hot summer days with blue skies, or squinting through the fog at Wigeon gliding across the lake. As a result, I would be the least qualified to provide an accurate description of what camera equipment works best, as it depends on the person, budget, and the objectives you have set out for yourself. However, I will provide a list of the equipment I use, their purposes and why I have them.

The number one piece of equipment is, of course, my mirrorless Canon EOS R7. It is lightweight, with brilliant autofocusing capabilities that help capture sharper images of species that are always on the move, e.g. birds and butterflies. Its sensor performs well in different weather conditions, whether you are facing harsh sunlight or cloudy afternoons. The EOS R7 also has a super quick shutter speed, which is great for photographing those aforementioned speedy species - I have found this extremely beneficial when trying to film buzzards in local fields.

I use two lenses: one for macro, and another for medium to long-range shots. I have a passion for photographing moths, and my Canon RF 100mm macro has been instrumental in many of these images, helping to capture every detail. This is combined with a Godox V860III flash and a custom-made diffuser. These two pieces of equipment go hand in hand to form my macro setup. The diffuser channels the bursts of light from the flash, softening it to enhance the details and textures of subjects such as invertebrates, highlighting the intricacy of scales that make up the colours and patterns of moths and butterflies. Furthermore, I use a clamp to fix sticks or leaves for backgrounds, which helps to keep them still while taking photos and allows for smooth, detailed shots.

For longer-range photography, I use the Canon RF 100–500mm, which helps me photograph subjects from a decent distance. This is beneficial for butterflies that don’t often allow you to get close, as well as other wildlife including birds and dragonflies.

Knowing your subject

The next point, in my eyes, is one of the most crucial - knowing your subject. You can have every piece of high-end equipment, the best of the best, but if you do not know the behaviours and habits of the species you are after, there is a high chance you will go home empty-handed. The impressive photos you see on TV or social media of rare and wonderful species, whether it is a jaguar stalking caiman in the Pantanal or purple emperors in Savernake Forest, are the culmination of trial and error. They have taken many visits with nothing to show for it; hours, years, and more to understand the ecology and behaviour of a species, in order to finally capture that one moment you see on your screens.

By taking the time to learn about a species you would like to see, you stand a much better chance of getting better views while keeping both the animal’s and your best interests at heart. For instance, it took me a couple of years of visiting Savernake Forest before I encountered my first purple emperor, and it lasted a total of 10 minutes as it flew high up in the trees. A year later, after researching their habits and learning from some extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic individuals, I was able to get up close to one, resulting in one of the best pictures I have ever taken! And yet, despite obtaining this information and visiting repeatedly, I have not had a confirmed encounter with another one since 2023… bringing me to my penultimate point: remembering that it will not always work out.

Things don’t always go to plan

Sometimes, you can do everything right - you can have the equipment, the information, and the patience - but the wildlife simply will not play ball, and it is completely normal to go home empty-handed. When I first started photographing wildlife, I could not understand why my efforts were not producing results and my patience was absolutely zero. I thought I had done everything I could, yet I never saw what I was after. 

Nowadays, I try to approach each trip with optimism. Of course I aim to find my target species, but I am fully aware that it might not work out. Quite often, I have gone looking for one thing and ended up coming home with pictures of something completely different, but still very cool. Keeping positive and looking out for everything helps.

Enjoying the process and respecting the environment

Last of all, just have fun. Try new things and see what works - whether that’s putting camera traps in the garden to see who visits at night, plopping a GoPro underwater in a garden pond, or sitting in a hide for hours waiting for a kingfisher that sticks around for five minutes max. 

Experiment with different settings, backdrops, times of day - everything. But remember to keep the wildlife’s best interests as your number one priority. We all want that perfect picture, but no picture is perfect if you have bulldozed your way through bushes or protected habitat to get close to an animal, inevitably stressing it out. By respecting the subject and the environment, we not only protect what we love but also create more meaningful and rewarding photographic experiences.