Birds of Prey - Photography Days - Silverband Falconry Cumbria UK

Hawk & Owl Photography

One day workshops

Friday May 2th, Sunday May 4th, Sunday September 14th and Friday September 19th 2008

Cost £100

A superb opportunity to photograph beautiful birds of prey in lovely natural settings. Birds include golden eagle, barn owl, tawny owl, snowy owl, great grey owl, kestrel and buzzard, some without jesses. Working with a master falconer we will photograph in natural farmland and also on upland moors near to Penrith, Cumbria. Maximum of eight participants per day, so plenty of time for one-to-one help and lots of access to the birds. Note: weekend dates available!

We also have Professional Wildlife Photographers Ann and Steve Toon present all day to provide any assistance you require.

Read on for more info and to see the sort of shots you could take.

The location

Silverband Falconry is based in the Eden valley, a beautiful part of rural Cumbria east of Penrith, but within 15 minutes drive of the M6 motorway. The centre itself sits amid rolling farmland, with lots of opportunity for naturalistic bird portraits against the backdrop of the fells. We will also spend part of the day photographing on the moorland at the top of those fells, a superb location for pictures of birds of prey in a wild habitat.

Experience necessary

The workshop will be a fun and relaxing day suitable for photography enthusiasts of all abilities. Because we will be working in very small groups there will be plenty of time for individual help if you want it.

Professional Photographers Ann and Steve Toon are well placed to offer this help during the day, being regular contributors for national photographic magazines - one of their photographs of our tawny owl was used in a recent Bill Oddie BBC book - such is the high standard of their photographs. There will be the opportunity to try flight shots of some species and as a special bonus,while more experienced photographers who simply want to make the most of unique access to some wonderful subjects in beautiful settings will be assured of superb opportunities.

Bookings

For more information
Bookings for these workshops are being handled by Silverband Falconry. To book please send a cheque for £100 per place payable to ‘Silverband Falconry’ at the address on the Contact Us Page. Please indicate your first and second choice of dates, and provide full contact details, including name, address, daytime and evening phone numbers and email. Silverband will confirm the date of your workshop on receipt of your fee. If your preferred dates are not available Silverband will contact you to see if an alternative date is satisfactory, before paying in your cheque. If you cancel your booking after payment, you will be liable to a 100 per cent cancellation fee, unless we can fill your place at short notice, in which case we will refund £75.

A one day bird of prey photographic workshop makes a great present, and you can buy a gift voucher from Silverband. Send a cheque to Silverband for the required number of places/vouchers and they will send you the voucher(s), along with a copy of the information on this page. The recipient of your gift can then contact Silverband to book onto the date of their
choice, subject to availability. Vouchers are valid for 2008 workshops only.

The birds

We will photograph a range of birds from the Silverband falconry collection, which includes Golden Eagle, Tawny Owl, Barn Owl, Snowy Owl, European Eagle Owl, Kestrel, Buzzard, and more. Exactly which species we work with on the day will depend on which birds are in peak condition. Silverband’s birds are experienced performers, well-used to being handled, and photographed at very close range. Richard is happy to remove the jesses from some of his birds, where conditions permit.

The day

We will meet at 9.30am at Whiteacres, for coffee and a quick briefing. Depending on the weather, we will spend the morning photographing on the moors and the afternoon in natural settings around the centre, or vice versa. We will mostly photograph in two groups of four, each working with Ann or Steve and a professional falconer. This will ensure that everyone has the best possible access to photo opportunities and plenty of time to seek individual help and advice if you need it. Our first photo session will last from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm, when we will break for a light lunch (included in the course fee). During lunch you will have plenty of opportunity to ask the falconers about the birds, and to pick Ann & Steve’s brains about photography. Photography resumes at 1.30, and we will aim to finish at around 4pm. Exact times may vary a little, depending on weather conditions.

Equipment to bring

The workshop will be best suited for 35mm SLR users (film or digital), though there is nothing to stop you bringing a larger format or panoramic camera if you wish. Working with controlled birds it will be possible to get very close, and you can capture some dynamic shots with a wide angle lens. For most portraits, lenses in the region of 70mm to 200mm will give you a comfortable working distance and natural perspective. A focal length of around 200mm to 300mm will be useful for flight shots, but isn’t essential.

It’s up to you whether or not you use a tripod, but we’d recommend one to ensure you avoid camera shake, particularly if we have a cloudy day. Optional accessories include a gentle warm-up filter (say 81A), which is useful in dull light (not necessary for digital users), and a circular polarising filter for bright sunshine. If you wish to use flash in the event of low light, the birds will be comfortable with this.

Bring plenty of film, or digital storage capacity, and spare batteries. Bear in mind that in this part of the world we could experience anything from bright sunshine, light drizzle, heavy cloud or even snow – possibly all of them in one day! So if you are using film, bring a variety of speeds.

Wear warm and comfortable clothes and bring a
waterproof. There will be a little easy walking, so sensible footwear is recommended. If, like us, you are keen on taking interesting low angle shots, wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty!