If there’s one thing that’s always been true about me, it’s that I’m passionate about wildlife photography. I’ve spent countless hours in the field, braving all types of weather and terrain to get the perfect shot. And now, I’m excited to announce that my photography is venturing into videography, and it starts with the Dipper!
It’s a steep learning curve, but I’m enjoying every minute of it. While still wildlife photography will still be the majority of my work, I want to take on more involved projects that will take longer to complete.
Inspired by the BBC Wildisles TV program, I want to create films based on habitats, starting with the rivers, the uplands, and wetlands, and so much more.
But today, I want to take you on a journey of how I got the shot of a Dipper, a bird that’s always been a favourite of mine. I had tasked myself with getting some footage of a pair of Dippers on a local river near me in Lancashire.
Setting up the shot
It had been a while since I’d been to this spot, so I arrived around 7 am to do a recce of the whole river, which is a couple of miles long. It starts as a fast-flowing brook and develops into a larger river.
After about an hour, I found a spot where a Dipper was resting and pruning, and that was my spot for the morning.
Now, my approach to wildlife photography is not to cause a disturbance to animals. With this in mind, I took a moment to plan how I could get closer and keep myself concealed.
I put on my Ghillie Camouflage suit (you don’t really need this to get close to Dippers, but I want them to not notice I was there) and slowly crept along a tree line alongside the river.
The area was covered in wild garlic and smelled great. Once I got into position, I got low down and mounted my camera on my sturdiest tripod (needed for filming and panning movements).
While getting the footage, I snapped some stills at the same time. I found it quite difficult to switch between stills and video, but it’s doable.
Equipment
I had with me my Nikon Z50, Sigma 150-600c, 1.4 teleconverter, my old 30-70 Yashica Macro Lens, 18-55 f3.5 Nikon Lens, Zoom Mic with Wind Muff, Manfrotto 190 Tripod, Manfrotto #200 fluid video head, camouflage Ghillie suit, and a bottle of cordial and snacks.
It was a fantastic spring morning with lots of colour, light, morning mist, and atmosphere. There were plenty of golden colours to be had. It was great to watch the Dippers go about their daily routines of fishing, pruning, chasing each other, and gathering nesting material.
I got the shot I hoped for, and it all came together for me. A lot about this hobby is luck, and I had a memory card full of luck by the end of the morning.
Camera settings
I’ve started setting the white balance in the camera and cannot believe I’ve not been doing this already. It just levelled all the colours to represent exactly what I was seeing.
Because of the abundance of light, I was able to use fast shutter speeds from 1/500 upwards. I also experimented with some slower shutter speeds like 1/30s to try to get the Dipper sharp and the water showing motion.
Dippers like to dip, so it was difficult to get them sharp at slower speeds. I was shooting between f6.3 and f9 because of the 1.4tc, but it helped me get focally closer without causing a disturbance. The ISO was set to auto due to the varying light.
The experience
As I sat there in my ghillie suit, watching the dippers go about their business, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the incredible creatures that surrounded me. The river was teeming with life, from the darting fish beneath the surface to the countless birds that flitted from tree to tree.
I had always loved wildlife photography, but this experience was something else entirely. Being able to capture these creatures on film, to freeze a moment in time and share it with others, was a truly magical feeling.
Over the next few hours, I snapped away with my camera, experimenting with different settings and techniques to try and capture the perfect shot. It wasn’t always easy – the dippers were fast and unpredictable, and the lighting conditions kept changing – but I persevered, determined to get the footage I needed.
In the end, it all paid off. As I watched the dippers flitting from rock to rock, dipping their beaks in the water and chasing each other around, I knew that I had captured something truly special. The footage was crisp and clear, the colours vivid and true, and the movement smooth and cinematic.
Looking back on that day, I realize that it was a turning point for me. Not only had I captured some amazing footage of the beautiful Dipper, but I had also discovered a new passion – videography.
Since then, I’ve been honing my skills, learning new techniques and experimenting with different equipment to create truly stunning wildlife films.
Whether it’s the shimmering waters of a mountain stream, the rugged beauty of a windswept moor, or the delicate dance of a butterfly in a meadow, I’m constantly on the lookout for new and exciting subjects to capture on film.
So if you ever see a guy in a ghillie suit creeping through the undergrowth, camera in hand, don’t be alarmed – it’s just me! Drop by and say hello.
Till next time, keep exploring.
Scott
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