Autumn offers great shots for WWT Photo competition
Wildlife Sightings column from the Chichester Observer newspaper series
By Paul Stevens
Today David Southard of Wild Arena and David Filder of Canon joined me for stroll around the reserve. The pair were onsite today to shoot a video of tips and advice on how to get great photographs for people interested in entering the 2011/2012 WWT photo competition.
This year the photo contest will encompass all four seasons. Regional and national winners will be selected each season, as well as overall winners for the year. The contest started on the 1st of September and Arundel has already had some gorgeous entries uploaded to the contest website. These images reflect the orange and yellows of changing foliage and jewel tones of wildfowl plumage that can make up autumn’s vibrant palette.
Alongside the Wild Arena photography workshops offered as regional prizes, there are some amazing prizes for winners in the national contest categories. The Wetland Wildlife category winner will receive a three-day birds of prey photography workshop in the Czech Republic, courtesy of Tatra Photography; and the Wetland Landscapes category winner will receive a 6-night nature photography workshop in Cumbria, courtesy of Lakeland Photo Holidays, plus a head-to-toe outdoor clothing kit, courtesy of Regatta.
The Wildlife & People category winner will receive a 5 day activity holiday for two people in Sooma National Park, Estonia, inclusive of return flights from London, courtesy of Much Better Adventures and OU Karaskose; and the winner of the Junior Photographer of the Year category will win a 7 day family activity holiday in mid-Wales, courtesy of Mount Severn.
The grandest prize of all is for the winner of ‘Portfolio Photographer of the Year Award’. They receive a 12-day fully inclusive trip to Antarctica, courtesy of Exodus in partnership with Quark Expeditions. This winner must enter at least three photos in a minimum of two seasons and have these photos make the judges shortlists. What an amazing once in a lifetime adventure!
We have some excellent photographers who are regular visitors to Arundel Wetland Centre. Romney Turner’s image of sedge warbler graces the cover of our new Arundel Walk About guides. Alex Baker won the national under 16 category of the contest in 2010 with his picture ‘Vole’s breakfast’ taken during a Wetland Discovery boat trip at Arundel. Alex, who was turning 17 last year, will be pleased to see that there is now a new Junior category for under 18 year olds.
Today I am taking the two Davids out onto Wetland Discovery to chat about what wildlife and photo subjects are visible at Arundel at this time of year. From the boat on Wetland discovery we watch a buzzard sweep the sky. A competitive peregrine mobs him with an angry cry.
Autumn is great time for photographs of wildlife and plants. Bird and wildfowl numbers are starting to build up onsite as migration begins. Bright red rosehips and berries contrast with the subtle shades of browns in dried grasses and leaves. Grass snakes stretch out on pathways, desperate to get the last of summers sun. Common and green sand pipers can appear at the hides, along with herons and little egrets. With your camera your can capture interesting textures of spiky teasel, or lichen and fungi growing on trees in the reed bed carr. The low afternoon sun on the reed bed can give a magical light.
One of the best tips David Fidler of Canon gives photographers who are taking pictures with a standard digital camera is to bring the camera down to a ducks eye view. David placed the camera on the ground and set it to shoot a picture every 30 seconds with the time delay. With a bit of grain to lure the ducks and with a bit of luck, you can get a great shot!
