Wildlife photo holidays and safaris continue to enjoy growing popularity among Britain’s photographers, and there’s no denying the excitement and memories that such experiences provide. But many of the professionals who lead these trips also stress the importance of honing your skills and abilities by shooting local wildlife before you board that flight for Africa, India or South America. A badger isn’t as grand as an elephant; a squirrel pales before the tiger; the grey city pigeon will always be outshone by a scarlet macaw; but the disciplines, knowledge and techniques required for creating great pictures of these subjects are usually the same. Indeed, in the right light and conditions, and with more opportunities to return, experiment and try, try again, the chances of getting a technically better picture are often greater at home than abroad.
From the Jurassic Coast to Shetland, Kent to the Cairngorms, there is an extraordinary array of habitats in Britain, supporting a wide variety of wildlife. Sure, some common species such as robins, squirrels and bumblebees are seen by most of us, but the challenges of knowing where and when to find them, and how to use the right lens in the right light also apply for photographing more elusive and warier animals such as hares, otters and foxes. In short, as our five local heroes reveal, there is no shortage of wildlife subjects to discover if you simply begin by taking the time to observe your own surroundings.
Robert Canis
A professional wildlife and landscape photographer, Robert Canis has spent over 40 years photographing the fauna, flora and scenery of the north Kent marshes, specifically Elmley National Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey, close to where he lives. Robert is the recipient of numerous awards for his photography, including the Royal Photographic Society Gold Medal in 2014. www.robertcanis.com
When he was ten, Robert Canis made his first visit with a family friend to Elmley National Nature Reserve. Situated on the Thames Estuary, just 40 miles from the centre of London, the 3,300 acres of grazing marshland are home to roaming cattle, winding waterways, hares, badgers and dozens of bird species including marsh harrier, egrets, lapwings and redshank. ‘Over the years, I’ve spent thousands of hours in all seasons and weather, capturing its many moods and wildlife,’ he says. ‘It’s now quite well known, but when I carried out much of my work there in the 1990s and 2000s, it was only ever frequented by a handful of hardened birdwatchers willing to endure long walks to the hides and content with basic facilities.’
Four decades is a long time to keep returning to a location that he knows so well, so why does Robert keep going back? ‘It’s hard for me to express in words,’ he answers. ‘I guess you could say it’s become a huge part of who I am. I can’t imagine for one moment not ever visiting Elmley again. It’s where I’ve experienced the most incredible sunrises and sunsets and soul-stirring sights of winter skies filled with waders and waterfowl, hunting raptors and boxing hares. I’ve spent whole days in tiny, wooden hides surrounded by wigeon and egrets and enjoyed the simple pleasure of just sitting and observing butterflies flitting from one thistle head to another.’
Local knowledge
For Robert, frequent and repeated access to the same location has allowed him to observe the seasonal changes in the landscape and to gain extensive
