Master of nature
Ben Hall
Ben is a multi-award-winning nature and landscape photographer with an impressive portfolio so check out his website. While you’re there, take a look at his courses and workshops that cater for beginners upwards.
I shoot a wide range of nature subjects but if photographers want to shoot fast-moving subjects there’s huge potential and opportunities with birds.
I use Canon DSLRs, the EOS-1D X Mark II and the EOS 1D X Mark III. I haven’t gone mirrorless yet but I will next year. I’ve tried the EOS R3 with its animal/eye detect and it worked really, really well. It just locks on the eye so I can leave the camera to look after focusing and I’m free to concentrate on composition.
I use the EF 300mm f2/8 for flight shots because its AF is so quick but also the EF 70-200mm f/2.8. It is a bit short for wildlife but it’s great when I can get close or when shooting bigger birds such as geese and swans. For smaller birds, it would be the 300mm or even the 500mm f/4.
My favoured focus zone is the expanded single-point setting where there is one zone in the centre and four extra zones round it and this gives a little more margin for error when
