Flowers & Wildlife + Railways

Working as a travel photographer, numerous opportunities keep presenting themselves which seem too good to pass by so here is what shooting Flowers & Wildlife and Railways means to me in practical terms.

            There are so many flower pictures it might not seem worth using any more film on them. Talk of over-saturated markets! However, I'm always on the lookout for a new angle. Or I go out when the light is interesting, such as after rain when it's far more atmospheric and you can get good and different images.

            The standard ‘mugshots,’ which most go for, I also do myself, just so I have them covered. But I never spend much time doing this, just a few frames. A reflector can be a useful addition to the kit for this work; maybe a flash if you can make sure the resulting photo doesn't look like a flash picture. The key thing with flowers is usually defeating the high contrast, especially on a sunny day. Which is the reason most flower specialists shoot using Fuji Velvia on a bright but overcast day if they can. It makes for bold colours but flattens the contrast enough to make the image more acceptable.

            Wildlife can be fun to shoot, but unless you have the right equipment and the patience of a saint, you are not likely to get outstanding sales possibilities. I possess neither, but manage now and then to capitalize on some opportunities. For example, I got up early when I was in Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory, and made sure I got the front seat on the crocodile boat ride. I was able to take good pictures of a Jabiru bird with a handheld 400mm lens, and could cover far more than I expected. On another occasion, at an Orangutang sanctuary outside Kuching in Sarawak, I got some good pictures at feeding time. But I admired the German guy who was there, using a Nikon with a 600mm lens plus a 1.6x extender plus flash all mounted on a heavy tripod. I’m sure he gets good images, but I’m not that dedicated to wildlife work to go through all that. I only do it now and then when a possibility looms up.

            As for railways, a very enjoyable way of travelling for me is by train, and this always presents opportunities. I make sure I get to a station early enough to take pictures, not be in a mad scramble to catch the train. Again, in early morning or evening the light can provide that magical quality which will make the difference between whether a picture is sold or not. I usually travel Economy Class, but once on the train, I usually ask the Conductor if I can shoot in the First Class carriages. I traveled on The Ghan from Adelaide up to Alice Springs in Australia, and persuaded the conductor to open a window so I could hold the camera out at arm’s length, take an educated guess what the 28mm lens was seeing, then shoot along the side of the train whilst in the outback. A risky thing to do, but wrapping the shoulder strap tightly round your hand will prevent you from dropping the camera!