Extract From RPS Nature Group Code of Conduct

Below is the start of the Codes of Conduct form the RPS Nature Group you can veiw the rest online see link to the right.

The Nature Photographers' Code of Practice
Produced by The Nature Group of The Royal Photographic Society.
Revised in 1997 and 2007 in consultation with the RSPB and the three Statutory Nature Conservation Councils.

There is one hard and fast rule, whose spirit must be observed at all times -

"The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph.”

Introduction

• Photography should not be undertaken if it puts the subject at risk. Risk to the subject, in this context, means risk of disturbance, physical damage, causing anxiety, consequential predation, and lessened reproductive success.
  
  
• Photography may be seen as a criminal offence with relation to some species, since disturbance will be occasioned.
  
  
• Many species are afforded special legal protection. The Law as it affects nature photography must be observed. For Great Britain the main legislation is listed at the end of this leaflet. In other countries one should find out in advance any restrictions that apply.
  
  
• Apparent lax or absence of local legislation should not lead any photographer to relax his/her own high standard.

General

• The photographer should be familiar with the natural history of the subject; the more complex the life-form and the rarer the species, the greater his/ her knowledge must be. He/ she should also be sufficiently familiar with other natural history subjects to be able to avoid damaging their interests accidentally. Photography of uncommon creatures and plants by people who know nothing of the hazards to species and habitat is to be deplored.
  
  
• With reference to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs): anyone who intentionally or recklessly destroys or damages any of the flora, fauna, geological or physio-graphical features by reason of which a site is of special interest, or intentionally or recklessly disturbs any of those fauna, is guilty of an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine.
  
  
• It is important for the good name of nature photography that its practitioners observe normal social courtesies. Permission should be obtained before working on private land and other naturalists should not be incommoded. Work at sites and colonies which are subjects of special study should be coordinated with the people concerned.
  
  
• Photographs of dead, stuffed, homebred, captive, cultivated, or otherwise controlled specimens may be of genuine value but should never be passed off as wild and free. Users of such photographs (irrespective of the purpose for which it is thought they will be used) should always be informed, regardless of how little they may seem to care.

Morals and Ethics of Wildlife Photography

An issue that always surrounds wildlife photography is the issue of how and when and by what means was a image of a wild creature captured. Most wildlife photographers always put the subject first and picture second however there are some out there that do not and these in my opinion are harming the industry. Recently I found this extract from a Article in Wildlife Magazine by the photographer Mark Carwardine. The article was on integrity of photographers and also they use of captive animals in wildlife shots. The extract that I want to put in here is about codes of conduct when photographing wild animals.

These code of conducts have been put together by conservation groups and photography associations that are getting concerned about these issues

Code of Conduct

Most recommendations are common sense - the welfare of the subject is more important than getting the photo. Here are a few key points to remember.

• Always photograph animals from a safe and respectable distance.

• If an animal shows signs of stress, move further back or leave altogether.

• Be patient and never try to force and animal to due something. Remember that the impact of many people si cumulative: you may be the 100th person that day to yell “Hey moose” while the poor creature is trying to feed or care for its young.

• Never encrouch on nests and dens during the breeding season.

• Treat the habitat to the same regard that you have for the animals themselves.

• Respect local cultures and customs when you are working abroad.

• Check published recommendations such as the excellent code of conduct produces by the nature group of the Royal Photographic Society: www.rpsnaturegroup.com.

• Finally, always be honest and truthful when captioning your photos.

New Website

Just thougth I would let you all know my website is now up and running, check out the link below

my website

Hare to day gone tomorrow

Hare today gone tomorrow

Just before I left I bumped into Martin - fair dues to him when I am in the hide he does not come up, and he leaves me to it. He said that they had coppiced some of the reeds the other day and with this they found 8 + Hares. I couldn’t believe it when he told me, so he took me to the location. No signs of them, however there were signs that they had been there recently. Need to look into photographing hares and when best to do it. This will be a task this week.

To do list for this week:

Visit farm at first light and last light to see what is about that time of the morning

Check out the new fields more closely to see if I can find these lizards

Establish a second hide in the oak field next to the location where the hares have been seen so that I can watch and wait for them.

Feed the birds.

Keep and eye on the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks.

Day 7 at the hide and the results

Up early again today to get to the hide before sunrise. Earlier start than last time as it starts getting light by 6 in the morning. Again the car was frozen which is a good sign as it means its going to be a good day. I suppose I am going to have to get used to getting up this early, as I will to do this regularly when I finish my degree.

Got to hide about 06.30 just after sunrise, however the sun doesn’t hit the feed station till around 0730 so all is ok. Fed the birds and got into the hide instantly the two willow tits came to feed and also the neighbourhood was alive with bird noises, with the Nuthatch being the most vocal. In under 5 minutes the Nuthatch arrived to feed. Have decided today not to deploy flashguns as the light is good throughout the day, and I found that the flash guns do not help the image quality in my opinion they hinder it. I set the ISO to 400 if only I had a Mk4 I could set it to ISO 1000. Nothing much happening and the light is not there yet. It is in the top canopy and it is still rather cold. It was minus 2 when I got the the farm. I decided to go for a walk to check out the new fields that Martin has told me about. He said that he saw some lizards in there. I decided to take the camera as well as just my luck I would see something and not be able to photograph it. Found the fields and it seems quite interesting. I think this could be the barn owls hunting ground, will have to check it out at dusk sometime. As the sun was still rising the light was really good. In the new fields were the mountain ponies that they look after. The light on the horses manes was quite interesting so I took a few shots. I also did see two swallows flying around, they must have just come back from Africa. Also the other day I saw a load of frogs' spawn in some of the pools on the farm, they have now hatched and they are tadpoles I will keep a good eye on this to see if I can get some pictures of the little froglets. Check out the link to see how long their life cycle is.

http://www.tooter4kids.com/Frogs/life_cycle_of_frogs.htm

Back to the hide now for a days photography.

Aftet getting back the feeders were more active with the 3 nuthatches comeing in all the time. The one is being very vocal I think it is the juvenile calling for its mother. I intend if possible to get some images of it singing as it would make a good image.

Today I tried some different things. As I do not have the 500 with me I will try to capture some of the birds in their habitat as it can make some interesting shots at times, and it also puts the image into context. Over the last couple of years Andy Rouse has started to do this and his photography has become more sellable and appealed to a bigger audience.

Results

Interesting day today with a few new birds seen in the forest. These include :

A treecreeper looking for bedding material for his nest. This the bird was probably doing as this is the mating season of most birds.

A Redstart. This was an interesting find as I have always wanted to see one of these - such a beautiful small bird. After doing this I went on the Carmarthen birding site to see if there were any seen near by and they have been seen in the RSPB Reserve DInas just up the road.

A male and female Pied Flycatcher, this was probably the best sighting of the lot as this is a migrant bird and not seen in many locations. Fingers crossed it will be seen again this time so I can photograph it.

The usual suspects.

The nuthatch very active today I wonder if they have got more young as they seem to be frantically feeding. The woodpecker is getting closer and closer by the day and also he has got used to the hide as he no longer is getting spooked when the camera is going off. The other thing I have done here is to put the screens down so that he can no longer see me, and as the lens is camouflaged as long as I move it slowly there should be no problem.

I noticed today the Blue tit and the Great tits are not so active. Maybe there is enough food in the forest for them now. I did read yesterday that feeding stations are really active in the winter and early spring.

Grey Squrirrel is also getting used to me as well as he seems not to be bothered by me either. Last week he would run a mile if he saw me at all.

Day 6 at the hide and the results

Tested the Mk4 yesterday really happy with the results straight out of the camera images sharp really good results up to iso 1000 after that up to 2000 as long as muted backgrounds images fine, if blacks in it they showed noise. Iso 400 was an amazing iso really good results pin sharp throughout. Really impressed with the camera.

Happy with the results today really impressed with camera got some different stuff today lighting really good.. Woodpecker got closer again however spooked really easy I need to put the curtains down so that he cannot see me. Will try to visit in the week.

Weather forecast next couple of days

Testing of the canon 1d MKiv at WWT Slimbridge and the hide

Tested the Mk4 yesterday really happy with the results straight out of the camera images sharp really good results up to iso 1000 after that up to 2000 as long as muted backgrounds images fine, if blacks in it they showed noise. Iso 400 was an amazing iso really good results pin sharp throughout. Really impressed with the camera.

Happy with the results today, really impressed with camera got some different stuff today. Lighting really good.. Woodpecker got closer again however spooked really easily - I need to put the curtains down so that he cannot see me. Will try to visit in the week.

Weather forecast next couple of days. (double click on it to open in seperate window)

Day 5 at the hide and the results

Went up to the hide today left around 07.30. I decided to do this as the weather forecast is changing by the hour. I could not risk not having good weather next week so I went up today. Not sunny today although nuthatch again very active and very vocal. The woodpecker is getting more confident today and is coming closer, however he is spooked by the noise of the camera going off. If only I had the Nikon D3s that has a silent shutter setting - maybe I would get him.

Tomorrow I pick up the 1D Mk iV for trial. I can’t wait to try it as I have heard good reviews about it, and photographer Danny Green says it is really worth owning. I will test it on all isos to see what the noise is like. I wonder how it compares to the Nikon D3s. Tests will tell me.

It will be interesting to see how it reacts, as being able to use higher isos will give me higher shutter speeds hopefully giving me sharper images.

Surprising results today. New addition to the station very successful, nuthatch coming to it regularly he is rather quick though need to get the aperture right so that the image is sharp. Also need to prefocus on it so that I do not miss a shot.

Woodpecker got really close today managed to shoot two frames off before it flew off. Quite happy with the shots though as the one is different to what you normally see.

Flashes deployed today, not happy with what results it is giving now. Now that the light is good it seems too harsh with flash.

Fencing of the hide and why

Back up at the farm today to check the feeders, and with the aim to put the hide there on a semi permanent basis. This was achieved with a bit of effort and help from my wife. I was quite happy with how it turned out as there is room, if needed to put another hide there. The surprise of the day was to see the Goshawk fly over. I knew there were a couple in the area but had not seen one for about a year. The good things was Helen saw it too.

Feeders busy after I had refilled them and after we had stopped making noise.

Went for a walk after to see what else was about, nothing much disturbing however had a chat with Martin and his dad and they gave me a few locations to look for other wildlife on the farm. Also they have said that they have seen some of the young rabbits about. I still need to be there at first light either in the hide or on the farm looking for other wildlife.

Did notice that the light was staying on the feeders for longer today as before it had gone by 3 o'clock. This is good as it extends my time in the hide.

The next 2 weeks are going to be vital in what I see and are going to need a lot of time up on the farm to get more images to bolster my portfolio.

With the good weather, hopefully this will happen.

I have been in contact also with another friend who owns a couple of farms in Brecon to see what he has around there. The more the merrier in my opinion.

Filling of the feeders and the weather.

I went up to the farm today to refill the feeders and to check that every thing was ok. I wanted really to fence off the hide so that it could be left there. The new addition to the hide seems to be a success as the log was empty again of food. Refilled the feeders heavily so that I do not have to visit for a while as the weather is not very good for the next couple of days. However Sunday is good and I intend to fence off the hide with the help of my wife Helen. This also gives me the opportunity to show her what I have been up to.

See weather reports below. (Double click on them to open them in a new window).

For the weather reports I used the accuweather website I use this as I have it on my iphone. Also it allows you to see around 15 days in advance, which is great as this then allows to me to plan ahead when to go the hide.

Talk by Andy Rouse and Laurie Campbell

I went to WWT slimbridge today for a workshop with Andy Rouse and guest speaker Laurie Campbell. It was fantastic to be in a room with two people whose work really inspires me to do what I do.

From this workshop I found out a lot of information. Although the room did have the odd geek in there, it was really good and as per usual Andy was on form. Laurie as I knew was quite reserved and quietly spoken. Both of them had some beautiful work and you can see why they are in the industry. It was really nice to see Laurie's work- especially the Sea Eagles of which he was one of the first photographers to photograph them.

What I really like about these two photographers is their morals and ethics within the field of wildlife photography, I only wish some photographers were as honest as they were.

Day 4 a the hide and the results

Arrived at the farm around 08.30 today. Still cold around 3 degrees and the wind is still here as well. Today I have decided not to deploy the flash guns as it seems to be sunnier. Got some good results today however I think that If I had deployed the flashguns I would have had more as I would then have had more opportunity to take shots of the birds when they were in the shade. This time I concentrated on a particular spot on the branch and waited for the birds to come to me. I used both lenses 500 and the 300 and found that I was using the 300 more. The nuthatch very busy again today and also the woodpecker is getting closer still. I think he is getting used to me now. No sign of the sparrowhawk and the longtail tits. Why, I do not know. The light seemed to on the branches for longer today I put this down to the nights getting longer.

I used the sidekick and ballhead today. I wanted to try this as it seems more versatile that the normal Wimberley head. I found it very good and it is more flexible and you can lower the lens so much easier than with the Wimberley, where you would have to alter the legs.

I think in future I will deploy the flash guns as it allows me more flexibility and also allows me to use a shutter speed of 1/250 at iso 200 at f5.6 and f8 of a second. At times today the shutter speed went down to 1/100 of a second at f4. This was also at ISO 400 where as with the flash guns I could use ISO 200. Therefore allowing for better results and also if the subject is static the image will be sharp.

Considerations for the future. I am thinking of putting another log in place to try and bring in the woodpecker. I am thinking of getting some water and putting it on the logs as sell so that they look better. I am also going to look for another log to replace this one as it is looking a bit bashed now. No doubt down to the squirrel.

After talking to Martin I found at that there are hares on the farm. I think a early morning recce is called for to find them.

Day 3 at the hide and the results

Got up early this morning with aim to be at the farm for 8 o'clock. I wanted to be taking pictures by 9 so I had to be on the ball. I got there and it was minus 3, however it was sunny and it seemed that it was going to be a nice day.

Everything went like clockwork today. Instead of using two tripods I decided on using one. I have considered whether to make a platform which I can attach my two heads to via manfrotto superclamps this would also allow me to have more room in the hide, and maybe allow a second person to come into the hide at the same time. Ultimately I would like to put a permanent hide there which would be longer and house around 3 people at any one time. This I need to put to Martin. The trail camera had been set off around 100 times this time. However I could not see most of what that it had seen as the flash that goes off at night seems rather bright. I think I need to move it back so that I get a bigger picture view.

The weather today was really good but the wind was really cold, it felt more like minus 10 at times. I deployed flash guns again this time and had decided that they would only be used when the light was not good.

The nuthatch was very busy today and also the woodpecker seems to be getting closer every time I visit. I need to fence off the hide so that I can leave it there permanently. This I think will allow the woodpecker to get used to it so that it will then hopefully come to the feeders. Also need to consider maybe putting some peanut butter somewhere close by to draw him in.

Happy with images today got some good shots of nuthatches and chaffinches.

Day 2 at the hide and the results

A full day in the hide today, prepared my equipment last night to make sure that all batteries were charged and that the memory cards were empty.

Set off early-ish however would have like to have been there at first light. Need to speak to Martin to see if I can stay one night so that I can do this. The other thing is, if I am in the hide before first light it would be interesting to see what comes in as I would have not disturbed them at all. Every time so far I have visisted the hide the woodpecker has been there as well. This I want to capture for this project.

I borrowed my Father in-law's 500 f4 as I thought it would give me more flexibility and allow me to get closer to the subject. With this in mind I decided to take the following to site:

2 x cameras

2 x tripods and Wimberley heads

500 f4 and 300 2.8 and 1.4 and 2 x converter.

Initially I set the two cameras up but found that I then had a limited field of view and also I could not pan the camera how I wanted to. I decided that I would concentrate on the use of one lens at one time but have the other one ready to hand. The light today was excellent, I was so glad that I set up this other perch as when the light had fallen away from the other branches, it was still on this perch at the front. It was actually constantly on it all day. When I filled the feeders, I had also on the previous visit bored some holes into the log so that I could stash some food in it.

I think I need to maybe put some peanut butter somewhere as this will then draw in the woodpecker as from previous experience they really like it.

One thing I did notice was that the front perch was too close for the 500 f4. I worked out that by moving the hide back about 1ft that I could then use the 500 all the time.

Results of the day

The results were actually quite surprising and I was very pleased with the days results. I found that at times using the flash really worked as fill in flash when the light dropped off. I need to experiment with the positioning of the flash guns to accentuate the bird. Rik has also said for me to think about blowing them up really big using genuine fractals. I will look into this. The best image of the day was however taken using natural light with the 500 . It is a blue tit on my log with a vey muted background. If the rest of the images are as good as this I will be very happy.

Day 1 at the hide and the results

This is my first day in the hide. Couldn’t get up this morning as was busy doing other things. When I got here I noticed the light was fading a bit, I was thinking have I missed the best light.

I set up the hide refilled the feeders and went to check the camera. It had been set off however nothing had been captured. Battery is now dead so have had to take it home to recharge. Need to consider investing in a second battery so that I can just hot swap them.

Went to car and got camera gear. Sneaked up to hide and set up camera. Light not fantastic so decided to set up a remote camera to the right of the hide so that could if needed to have some fill in flash. Also by doing this I would test out my new radio triggers that I have invested in on the advice of Rik and John.

Nuthatch very busy today must be hungry. Have heard the woodpecker - however they are being very weary of me. I think that I need to leave the hide in place permanently so that they get used to it, like they have the cam net. I will discuss this with Martin the farmer.

Martin has agreed to me fencing off the hide, now need to find time to do it. He has also said he will help me as he knows what he is doing.

Results of the Day

Got some interesting results today. One image in particular I am very happy with as it is a shot of a nuthatch arching its body - a shot that has eluded me for years. Have looked at the results of the flash, this needs to be looked at. I think I need to use two of them and use the light meter to set them so that I can use my camera set to manual mode and this will allow me to have more control of the exposures. Need to look at where to set the flash guns to think about the lighting of the birds. Could consider snooting them.

The setting up of the feed station

1^st of March 2010, St David's Day.

I have decided how to set up the perch. I didn’t want it to be heavy and the props needed to be portable. I have invested in two broom handles which I will pre-drill so that the nails do not split them when I nail them home.

Arrived at the farm and firstly went to fill the feeders again, they were empty. Good sign that the birds are using it. Woodpecker flew off when I approached the feed station. After that I have decided to check the camera that is in place. Something has set it off so I am curious what has done it. I have a my Canon g10 so that I can look what has set it off. I think the it is a fox. I will have to wait till I get home to check this. I can't wait.

I have decided to set it to video to see if I can get a longer exposure of what is there. I have also moved the camera closer to the hole to see if I can get a better picture too.

Trail Camera and Feeders

Recently I purchased a Trail camera so that I could see what other wildlife is in the forest, as there seems to be a lot of activity and some tracks in there. This I wanted to do as I want to photograph different wildlife on the farm other than the birds. I bought the camera from the website Flyonthewall check out the link. The camera is well made and has good resolution.

Today's findings

I went back to farm today to check the trail camera and to fill the feeders. Nothing has been to the camera location so have decided to move it to near the location where the 3 holes are.

Filled the feeders, also put two more feeders there. Rather than put fat balls there I have invested in a feeder, so that I can remove the nylon sacking around them as it is not very environmentally friendly.

I spent an hour sitting in the field in front of the location of the feed station. This I wanted to do to see how the natural light was hitting the branches where the birds were coming on to.

After doing this I have decided that I want to put a prop nearer the front of the station so that the birds have something to land on before they go to the feeders.

Equipment needed to do this:

2 x stakes

suitable branch for a perch

hammer and nails

Also need to get some more sunflower seeds as this seems to be the food which is bringing in the birds. I will mix this in with the other food to increase how many birds come to the feeders.

Setting up of the feeders and why I put them where I did

The setting up of the feeders was paramount to this project. I wanted to do this, as it is bird photography that I really enjoy doing. I set them up to see what birds were in different locations and also what they wanted to feed on.

Revisited the farm today to check on the feeders I put in location the findings were as follows:

Feeders in the forest basin.

Feeders in the forest had been attacked and eaten by a squirrel, the base of the peanut feeder has been ripped of and eaten away. I have made the decision to not use this location for this reason. Also on the second visit the light was not that good, and I don’t think that I can get a clean background which is a key element that I want to use in my images. (reference Danny Green from previous project)

Since this has happened I have decided to look for a better location for this set of feeders. I have chosen to put them at the top of the farm as when I visited there last there seemed to be a lot of bird activity.

Feeders at the top of the forest near the slurry pit.

After four days the feeders were empty, this shows that there is a lot of birds feeding in this location. I refilled the feeders and straight away birds were coming in.

I have decided to invest in a cam net so that I can put it in place, so that the birds can get used to something alien in their environment. This will also check whether they get spooked by its presence.

Other activities on the farm.

Whilst searching the farm for other possible photographic subjects, I discovered three holes in the ground in a location known as badger hill. I am not sure what it living there so I have decided to invest in a trail camera so that I can see what is there. I also have other potential locations for this camera (see map) as I know that there are foxes in the location. Need to research trail camera and look at how best to use them. (research uses of them – Simon King and autumnwatch and springwatch)

Need to look at Andy Rouse's current project on birds that he is doing in Wales. (need to talk about them and critique them during major project).

I crept up the feeders from the field and the birds were already there feeding. What I was looking for was potential sites for the hide that I want to establish in the next couple of days. Have decided to give the location a bit of a trim as it is looking a bit cluttered.

Equipment needed for this:

Loppers

Small saw

Need to get a cam net, need to visit West Wales to buy this

Now need to establish a routine for filling the feeders. This I will do for the next week to help bring the birds in and so that they expect the feed.

Need to concentrate now on my dissertation as this is now a priority. I will go to fill the feeders to have a break from this.

Found an article today in Outdoor photographer about establishing a feed station. It suggested that you use metal feeders to conquer the problem of pesky squirrels

Major Project The Farm and inital findings

Today's Antics.

Farm Wildlife Day 1

Today I decided to start the farm project, this I wanted to do as before when I have been on the farm. I decided that I would establish some feed stations on the farm to see what birds come to them. The location of the farm I will not divulge on here, however it is near a RSPB reserve so there should be a lot of wildlife in the area.

I decided that I would establish them in the wood next to the barns. I decided to do some scouting about around the rest of the farm, whilst doing this I found a tree that had been pecked by a Woodpecker. Excellent I thought, it was ideal for establishing a feeding station and a hide, the problem was that there are someone else's horses in there so I had to abandon that one. This will keep for the future.

I went into the ash tree plantation and found a few ideal places to establish a hide. The main concern for me was light. At the end the plantation was a clearing which was ideal. I decided to establish my first feeding station here. There were plenty of very photogenic perches there and there were many that I could put into place as well.

Further in to the wood I started to see some tracks. I think from a fox as the grass was not disturbed. Following these tracks led me to a bank which I climbed and found another tree that had been pecked by a Woodpecker. As there was a clearing there I decided to establish the second feeding station here.

After establishing them I decided to look around the farm to see what other wildlife was about that day.

I found a small roost of about 100 starlings that were flying oblivious to my presence.

I saw two Red Kites

On the edge of the boundary next to the forestry plantation, I discovered the following wildlife:

Long tailed tits

Goldcrest or a firecrest

Tree creeper

I saw a potential site on the edge of the reeds to place a hide to get shots of birds of prey with some feeding done.

And this is only day one.

I will leave the feeding stations for about 4 days and then go to check them, if they are not touched I will think about moving them up to the top of the farm.

Point to note:

After watching Simon King's programme on BBC2 about wildlife in Scotland, he said when establishing a hide two of you should go there and then one leave. He said the birds will be none the wiser as long as you are quiet.

Major Project: Bird Migration - Slimbridge January 2010

It's been a while now since I last posted work on my blog, however have been rather busy my Major Project for my degree. I thought it was about time that I updated you all so that you can see what I have been up to.

As January and February are really good months in the United Kingdom for Bird Migration I decided to concentrate on this during these months. I spent most of the time in Slimbridge WWT in Gloucestershire. In the week this place was quite deserted and most times that I was visiting there were no more that half a dozen people about. This suited me as it enabled me to look around the hides and find where the best places were to be to photograph the migration.

My Findings.

To see the incoming Bewick Swans use the hides that overlook that Rushy as this is where they come to feed during the night. This place is great for flight shots. (see the map below. No 9)

To see the Starlings coming in to roost (and I tell you January is the month for them as they are at their peak of around 60,000 birds), make sure that you are either in the Hides that overlook the Rushy or go the the lakes at position 12 on the map and wait for them to come round. I recommend that you have a wide angle lens with you and that it is either a 2.8 or better.

Images to follow...