Birds of the World
Birds are a difficult subject to photo as most of them move in a 3D environment and do so very quickly. Capturing an action shot therefore has been a blend of luck and… well, basically just luck. Here are a few of my luckier snaps of birds…..
King Penguins - South Georgia
The journey to South Georgia was one of the most gruelling trips I have taken. I had just finished filming squid in Mexico so took a 1 hour flight from La Paz to Mexico City. Straight onto a 10 hour flight to Heathrow and then two 10 hour flights to the Falkland Islands. By this point I was pretty frazzled so after my first night in a bed for a few days I boarded a small metal boat and set off across some of the most treacherous seas on the globe for a 5 day roller-coaster ride.
However, it was still worth it. To be on a beach with 250, 000 penguins was a smelly but very visual spectacle. I took hundreds of shots (and this was back in the days of film!) but this was one of my favourites. They have such a tough time evading predation and feeding hungry chicks that taking the odd nap makes perfect sense. Click on the picture for a couple more penguin snaps.
However, it was still worth it. To be on a beach with 250, 000 penguins was a smelly but very visual spectacle. I took hundreds of shots (and this was back in the days of film!) but this was one of my favourites. They have such a tough time evading predation and feeding hungry chicks that taking the odd nap makes perfect sense. Click on the picture for a couple more penguin snaps.
Osprey - North America to Columbia
From Martha's Vineyard to Cuba to Columbia, our birds didn't make filming easy. When we could catch up with them, as we did in this reservoir in Cuba, they were spectacular to watch. Crashing into the water in an almighty splash to emerge with a fish that looks far too big to carry. These 'refuelling stops' prove crucial as they have to keep their strength up for the big leap over the open sea to the safe mangroves of South America.