wildlife photography

Today I went out to see if I could capture some photos of ducks and birds along the River Thames.

So I started by walking through some fields where there are grazing horses and got a few nice shots.

Then I made my way along the Thames a saw huge variety of birds and ducks down on the waters edge, so I started snapping away with my camera with a 500mm Tamron lens.
Here are some I thought were nice.

    

BOOKS, MAGAZINES AND WEBSITES

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   Here is a list of books, magazines and website I have read and looked at and found some very interesting things and already learned alot from.
Amateur Photographer
This is a magazine I have bought every week now for around 8-10 months and I am constantly checking the website for updates. I would definitely recommend Amateur Photographer to anyone interested in photography at all levels.

The Digital Photography Handbook
Here is a book i found on Amazon for around £5 and it has so much information and advice on things like cameras, lenses, lighting camera settings and general help on taking photos. 
So here is a link to the book The Digital Photography Handbook.

DP Review
DP Review is a great website for the latest equipment reviews and if you are looking for something specific you will more than likely find a review for it at DP Review.

Digital Photography School
You can subscribe to daily emails with tips and advice from digital photography school. I am subscribed to the services and some of the tips I received have helped me alot and the best thing is you don't ever miss a tip because it is sent straight to your inbox.

Digital Photographer
This is another great magazine that has lot's of reviews and advice on a variety of photography and also you can take a look at other peoples work and be inspired.

They are just a few of the books, magazines and websites that have helped me so far, but other websites i have used for booking events or becoming a member of are listed here:

Brands Hatch day shooting British Superbikes.

A very good forum for photography questions and answers.

If your interested in fashion photography then this is a good forum for you.

I joined this group to donate each month to help towards saving birds and wildlife in Britain, so we can continue to capture nature for many years.

This site is great to find meet-up groups near where you live to take part and learn a thing or two from other photographers.

THE START OF MY JOURNEY

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   Hi everyone, I'm an amateur photographer from London starting my journey to become a professional photographer.
   So, so far all I have really been shooting is my two boys on special occasions with a compact camera that I  bought about two years ago. Then after about six months of taking average photos of the kids someone asked me if I enjoyed photography and at that point I realised that I did actually enjoy photography. So that night I went home and starting looking at all types of photography on the internet.
   A few weeks after I realised I did enjoy photography I bought a new camera, in the shape of a Canon EOS 1000D, and set out to learn all I could about photography.
   An injury while playing meant I needed an operation and was on crutches for 8 weeks, which meant I was in doors all day reading books and looking on the internet about photography. But after two weeks of taking photos of things in my home I put the camera down and didn't use it again for about 8 months.

   One day, 5 months ago my girlfriend was watching America's Next Top Model and while I was sitting there watching it too, I decided that I really did want to pursue photography as a career. So the next day I went out to shoot some photos down a lake near where I live, and as I was taking a few snaps of the trees surrounding the lake I noticed some ducks in the water, but with my 18-55mm lens I couldn't really capture any real detail in the ducks.

So off I went home to order a new lens with a longer range. Two weeks later my 70-200mm lens arrived and off I went to find the ducks and any birds that were in the trees and I saw this blackbird sitting on a fence.
 




As I am a huge fan of motorbike racing, I booked a ticket at brands hatch next time the British Superbikes were racing there and went along with my camera and lenses to get some shots. That night I sat on the computer for hours trying to think of ways to improve my photography and progress further.

   I started searching the internet for meet-up groups in my area and came across a nature walk and photography session very close to where I live, so I booked a place on the group and went along today (15 Oct 2011) to see what I could learn. I actually learned quite a bit today about exposure, white balance, ISO and shutter speed.

   So that is my journey so far, but I will regularly be updating my blog on how my progress is going. So check back soon to for more on amateur photographer's journey to become professional.