Doing a little Sunday afternoon research re: wildlife & nature photography; except it’s Wednesday. (It feels like a Sunday!) For anyone planning on joining me on the 2012 Genre a Month Photography Challenge, January’s genre is Wildlife & Nature Photography. Given January starts next Monday, Andrew and I got a headstart yesterday by visiting Kuringai Chase National Park in Sydney’s north. Is this allowed? It’s my challenge, so absolutely! (As an aside on ‘rules’ there really aren’t any as this is a personal challenge. Even so, in the spirit of the challenge, which is about learning more about different styles of photography, selecting an image which you took last year, doesn’t fit the bill. This is about learning in 2012. About thinking about a style for a month and seeing what I learn at the end of it. So in that vein, I would prefer if fellow-participants – all 2 of you at this point – didn’t select old images. As for starting before the month has started… phhh… quite acceptable!)

Now, where was I? Oh yes, background research. Whatever you do, DON’T go reading the chapter in Tom Ang’s The Complete Photographer on wildlife and nature photography. The images from Stefano Unterthiner and Thomas Marent are so spectacular, you’ll be quitting the challenge before even starting. After seeing these images I realise even my BEST shots of yesterday are worse than ‘pedestrian’ which is how I described them to Andrew last night. Now, I’m not sure what qualifies as worse than ‘pedestrian’ yet my confidence that is where my pictures belong, is unshakeable. I mean really, how unremarkable is this shot?

18-55mm lens at 55mm, f/5.6 at 1/800 sec, ISO 2500, ND2, Close-up +4 filter

The only thing vaguely remarkable about it, is that in the context of my shots, it wasn’t blurry! Can someone make wildlife that doesn’t move?

I’m sure that leaving my neutral density filter on the camera did not help. I forgot that it was underneath the close-up filter.

I had another go with a winged insect (yes, another challenge of Wildlife & Nature photography – I don’t know my insect names!).

Who’s stupid idea was it to put Wildlife & Nature Photography as the first subject in this challenge? January is going to be a long month. Oh well, lots to learn I suppose.

18-55mm lens at 53mm, f/5.6 for 1/80 sec, ISO 250, ND2, +4 close-up filter

Before you think I’ve completely lost my sense of humour, I’ll include 2 more photos from yesterday’s excursion. Both were taken en route to the National Park (for those of you who live in Sydney, you’ll laugh knowing that we went from Redfern to Kuringai Chase National Park via Palm Beach!)

The first, tells me crows can read:

The second is a strange kind of wildlife. Very rare indeed. Only found in a pie shop in Whale Beach.

If you are participating in the Genre a Month Photography Challenge, please post a comment including a link to your efforts on this page.