In the Herald - When everything clicks with nature

Herald Edition 4th November 2020

IAN MORTIMER

I live in Ayrshire and I am a keen photographer and an active member of Irvine Camera Club.

I have been taking photos for over thirty years and I have a wide and varied interest in all genres of photography.  I really enjoy doing street photography as well as architecture, sport, landscape, portrait and macro.  Most of all though,  I adore nature photography.  I spend time on lots of subjects but I always find myself returning to nature.  There is nothing better than getting up very early on a Sunday morning to go and capture birds and animals in their habitat.

I love sitting patiently in my mobile hide, or at the side of a loch or river bank, waiting, hoping…. praying that something interesting appears for me to capture.

So much of nature photography is knowing the habits and behaviour of the species you intend to photograph.  The best images don’t occur by accident or luck.  You need to observe the animals to learn their behaviours and habits.  Before you even bring your camera to your eye, you must become a student of the animal you’ve decided to photograph.  The time invested in studying and learning their habits will pay huge dividends by allowing you to predict the animals’ movements which in turn increases your chances of being in the right place at the right time in order to get that winning shot.

Due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions I have been setting up natural looking feeding stations in my garden to attract a wide range of birds.  I get gold finches, robins, wrens, siskins and I’m able to capture them in action.

During the warmer weather, I decided to try my skill at macro photography.  Macro usually involves very small subjects and living organisms such as insects where the size of the subject is reproduced in the photograph at greater than life size.  I find myself patiently waiting for insects to rest on weeds or flowers so that I can capture a close-up photo of them.

Photography for me is a way of switching off from day to day life.  It allows me to slow things down and to really concentrate on the moment.  Wildlife photography can be so rewarding and at the same time frustrating!  It is a challenge of patience and persistence but it is so satisfying when I click the shutter release and I know I’ve got that special shot.  Sometimes I come away from a shoot feeling frustrated that I wasn’t able to nail the photograph I was after.  At times like that I remind myself just how lucky that, come rain or shine, I am to be able to enjoy my passion for the countryside.  I know it won’t be long before I’m back out again taking the photographs I love.

If you are interested in meeting up with a friendly and active group of photographers, please don’t hesitate to contact Irvine Camera Club.  You will be made very welcome.  You can find us at www.irvinecc.co.uk as well as on social media.