Back Button Focus

Posted on May 21, 2019May 22, 2019 by Francis J Taylor

Back Button Focus

If there is one simple change you can make today to improve your wildlife photography; it’s back button focus. Since making this small adjustment, there has been a remarkable improvement in the speed and accuracy of my autofocus and my ‘keeper’ rate has improved dramatically. This simple technique offers far greater control and vastly reduces the amount of time spent changing settings.

What is back button focus?

Back button focus is the process of separating auto focus and shutter actuation on to separate buttons. Instead of half pressing the shutter to acquire focus, the autofocus function is re-assigned to a button on the back of the camera (typically labelled AF-On or AEL/AFL). The shutter button then simply takes the photograph.

This may seem over complicated and awkward, after all why change something that works?

Although it may take some getting used to, (you’ll probably forget to press it a few times and wonder why the camera isn’t working!) it’s a major improvement and a very slight change in grip position, as the button lies pretty much where your thumb would rest naturally on the back of the camera.

The advantages of back button focus:

1 – Recomposing is easy; you don’t need to worry about the available focus points.

The first advantage is most obvious when dealing with those awkward compositions where your subject doesn’t quite sit on any of your available focus points.

To get around this without back button focus you would need to focus in one shot, recompose and shoot, simple right? The problem here is that if you fully release the shutter button at any point you will have to either switch to manual focus, activate AF lock (if your camera has it) or move the camera to refocus again the next time you want to take a photograph. So every time you want to refocus you have to move the camera, focus, recompose, shoot, repeating time and time again every time you fully release the shutter and want to take another image.

With back-button focus, all you have to do is focus using your centre point, which offers the most accurate focus, recompose, and keep shooting until you’re finished. Unless you or your subject significantly moves forward or backwards, you won’t have to re focus again.

2- You’ll never need to change from continuous focus mode:

With back button focus you can remain in continuous focus mode full time, whilst maintaining the benefits of being able to focus and recompose like in One Shot.

For example, if I was photographing a static bird on a perch, I can focus by pressing AF-On once and recompose the bird off to the side of the frame for a more pleasing composition (as discussed in 1). I can then take as many images as required and the focus would remain the same as long as I don’t press AF-On again. If the bird then decided to suddenly take off, I can hold down the back button and immediately track the action. (Some cameras are even capable of assigning two back buttons, one for single point focus and one for group, very useful for birds in flight!)

If I had used One Shot and AF lock for the static portraits, I wouldn’t have had enough time to change back to continuous focus and most likely missed the action.

3 – Less time spent fiddling with dials and settings.

Without back button focus I have to change my settings much more frequently. Whilst fiddling with dials and autofocus modes, I would be wasting precious time and potentially missing the shot.

4 – You’ll never need to change to manual focus.

With the autofocus set to the back button there’s no need to switch the camera/lens to manual. As long as you don’t press AF-On, the camera won’t try to acquire focus, enabling full time manual control with the focus ring and shutter button.

If you’ve ever been in a situation where there is grass or thick vegetation slightly blocking the subject, you’ll understand the importance of having full time manual control. If you tried using the autofocus the camera would spend so much time hunting, that the opportunity was likely to be gone.

How do I set up back button focus?

I have detailed the instructions for several major camera brands, instructions for other brands can be found in your manual. However the settings may be placed elsewhere on the menu for older/newer models.

Canon

Menu
Go to C. Fn6 : Operation
Custom Controls
Change shutter to “metering start”
Set AF-ON to “metering and AF start”

Nikon

Menu
Custom settings (pencil)
Select Controls
f5 (assign AE-L/AF-L)
Choose AF-On
custom settings
Autofocus
A1 (Af-C priority selection) and set it to release
set AF-s priority selection to also release
A4 – AF activation change to AF-on only

Sony

Menu
Custom Settings (gear icon)
AF w/Shutter = OFF
Menu
Custom Settings
Custom key settings
AE-L Button = AF ON

Olympus

Press the Menu button and navigate to Gear-A (AF/MF)
Go to AF Mode and select S-AF – Press OK.
Check that Full-time AF is Off.
Go to AEL/AFL, click on S-AF, and select mode3, Click OK, Click Menu (See illustration to find S-AF)
Navigate to Gear-B (Button/Dial/Lever), Press OK.
Click on Button Function.
Click on Fn1 and select AEL/AFL, Click OK, Click Menu, Click Menu

Badgers and bTB

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Francis J Taylor

Anyone who has spent a significant amount of time with me will know how passionate I am about wildlife conservation. I often get asked about the issues surrounding badgers and bTB, as many people are unaware of the ins and outs. So I decided to write a short blog detailing some of the facts and figures!

What is bTB?

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a highly infectious disease, devastating thousands of farms annually by infecting livestock. By law, infected cows must be killed and over 300,000 cattle have been culled since 2008. The occurrence of bTB has increased dramatically in recent years and has become a massive burden on both the taxpayer and the farming industry.

How are badgers involved?

Badgers are blamed for a significant portion of the spread of Btb to cattle.

It has been proven that badgers (along with many other mammals) can carry and transfer the disease. However the primary cause of the spread is cattle to cattle contact, often referred to as ‘kissing cows’.

Although badgers can transfer the disease, when tested most of the badgers infected were found to have foreign strains of the virus. This means that infected cows have spread to the badgers rather than the other way around!

How does the virus get transferred?

Research has shown that badgers and cows avoid direct contact, so the virus is primarily transferred between the two indirectly; through contact with urine and faeces or via shared food and water sources.

So what’s the solution?

The government has decided the best way to tackle the problem is a nationwide cull with badgers being slaughtered in the tens of 1000’s. Along with a huge number of the public and the scientific community, I am strongly opposed to the culls, believing it’s not a solution at all.

Throughout the cull farmers can earn £50 per badger killed. Combined with equipment, policing and admin costs this runs the cost to the taxpayer into the £1000’s per badger killed. A recent culling project in Wales actually cost £76,000 per badger culled!

Along with the financial cost, It has also been shown that culling badgers can actually cause bTB to increase according to scientific studies, via the perturbation effect.

Despite strong evidence showing the ineffectiveness of the cull, the government continues to increase the number of cull areas.

Vaccination, an ethical alternative?

The badger vaccination project has the potential to drastically reduce bTB transmission between badgers and cattle, by preventing vaccinated badgers from being infected. Unfortunately vaccination does not cure infected badgers. However it does protect additional badgers from contracting the disease. Over time, the already infected animals will die off, and without new hosts to spread to the number of infected badgers would massively decrease.

Sadly vaccination is not perfect and doesn’t offer a full solution to the problem on its own. But when combined with tougher biosecurity measures such as stricter controls on movement of livestock and disinfecting clothing and vehicles before and after contact with animals, it offers a real and viable solution.

Vaccination offers a much more ethical and cost effective solution to the problem. It’s nearly 20 times cheaper to vaccinate a badger over culling and when combined with the lack of policing needed and it makes complete financial sense. Data following the 2015 cull shows that the cost of vaccination was £82 per badger in contrast to the £2,441.89 the government spent per badger culled!

Here in Derbyshire and the Peak District the vaccination project has been working hard with a team of volunteers to vaccinate as many of our badgers as possible, in a bid to convince the government that it is a much more ethical, effective and cheaper alternative.

You can find more about the Derbyshire vaccination project here.

The Farne Islands and Northumberland Coastline

Posted on August 9, 2018August 9, 2018 by Francis J Taylor

Over the Spring and Summer months millions of seabirds come to our shores to breed in the vast seabird colonies. One of the best places to see this incredible wildlife spectacle is the North East Coast, more specifically around the Farne Islands.

I always try to make the trip at least once a year and 2018 was no different, so in June I headed up for a week with some friends in order to expand my portfolio of this stunning region. The focus was primarily Seabirds, but I also wanted to expand my collection of local landscapes as pretty much every other time I had been had been a washout!

The Farne Islands

Over the years I have built up a huge portfolio of puffin images and year after year I try not to go puffin mad. Although I did slightly better this year I still ended up with hundreds! During the week we managed two fantastic trips. Although sadly the swell was too much to land on Staple island for the second trip which unfortunately happens to be my favourite of the two public islands!

The featureless overcast sky and white painted wall allowed me to create this high key portrait of an Arctic Tern. Overcast conditions like this don’t offer much in terms of contrast, but are perfect for bringing out colour and detail.

High key action shot of two terns squabbling mid flight.

Shag ‘panting’ in the extreme heatwave of 2018. Inner Farne, Northumberland.

During the summertime around 150,000 breeding pairs of seabirds flock to the Farne Islands to nest. With such huge numbers crammed onto these tiny islands they are undoubtedly one of the best places in the UK to get close to sea birds.

Shag Details. Close up of the feather detail of an adult shag, showing their glossy green plumage in the afternoon sunlight.

A rare tender moment between two razorbills on Staple Island. These feisty little seabirds are often mistaken for puffins when seen mid flight and are in fact members of the same family, the Auk. With small black eyes on black feathers it can be really tricky to show the razorbill’s eyes, particularly on overcast days such as this where there was no chance of a catchlight.

Kittiwake captured mid flight with the afternoon sunshine glistening off the water, creating a beautiful bokeh effect. These stunning birds are often overlooked in favour of the crowd pleasers, but for me their bright white plumage and red rimmed eyes make them just as interesting!

Kittiwake calling on the cliffs of Inner Farne. These gentle looking birds are not shy about asserting their claim over a territory.

Guillemot ‘panting’ and spreading its wings to cool off in the heat. The afternoon sunshine glistening off the water behind, created a beautiful bokeh effect.

Bridled Guillemot rests on the edge of the cliffs on Inner Farne. The bridled variety of the common guillemot is a genetic mutation caused by a single Mendelian gene-difference.

Classic portrait of a puffin with beak full of sand eels. If you look closely you can even see a squid at the tip of the beak! The Farne Islands offer one of the best opportunities worldwide to get up close and personal with these charismatic birds.

Puffin peers cautiously out of the burrow with a beak full of sand eels after a vicious gull attack. Puffins nest in burrows in the ground, roughly 1-1.5m long. The male birds dig the burrow using their strong bill and feet to push the soil out behind them. Puffins often return to the same burrow year after year and will defend their territory ferociously.

Puffin in flight, coming into land on Staple island. These fast flying birds are notoriously hard to capture in flight, so it took a fair few attempts to get this one with a beak full of sand eels mid flight.

Puffin isolated against a fresh green background. By using a wide aperture and getting right down to eye level I was able to completely blur the background and foreground, isolating the bird.

Puffin in flight against a fresh green background.

Puffin preening.

Seahouses Harbour

During the Summer months the harbour becomes a nursery for families of Eider ducks with the locals providing plenty of much needed food.

I had to get pretty wet and sandy to get this water level image but I hope it was worth it in the end!

Little and large Eider Ducks. Eider duck and her duckling in Seahouses Harbour. Strangely the birds wouldn’t come anywhere near my camera on a remote shutter, but as soon as I picked it up they allowed me to get extremely close to them for this wide angle image.

The Bird Hide

Whilst up in Northumberland we also spent some time photographing a range of woodland birds from a local bird hide. Our birds are under a lot of pressure during the spring and summer, providing for their demanding young.

Juvenile Blue Tit

Juvenile Great Tit

Male Siskin

Goldfinch

Juvenile Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Nanny Long

Nanny Long is one of the best places to photograph Terns in flight. Protected by wardens for the three month breeding period, it is a sanctuary for more than 2000 breeding pairs of Arctic terns. Thanks to conservation efforts it is also a nationally important breeding site for the very rare Little Terns which have increased to 30-50 pairs, a staggering 2% of the British breeding population.

Arctic terns squabbling mid flight near Beadnell on the North East Coast. These ferocious birds are extremely territorial and will chase any intruders away from the nest, including people!

Arctic Tern portrait taken on Beadnell Beach, Northumberland. Here the birds nest in the sand dunes and fly out to sea to fish.

Cullernose Point

At Cullernose Point kittiwakes and other seabirds nest along the steep shale cliffs, using the layers in the stone as platforms. Here I stood back to take in the wider view rather than focusing on individual groups.

Kittiwakes nesting on sheer sea cliffs, Northumberland, UK. We had actually visited this location for some landscape photography, however I was much more taken with the nesting seabirds than the scenery here.

Dunstanburgh and Craster

Dunstanburgh Castle has been on my bucket list for two long and thankfully this time we finally got some good weather and I managed a couple of very productive sessions here.

Classic view of the black Embleton boulders looking towards the imposing shape of Dunstanburgh Castle. After photographing the sunrise at Craster we decided to visit the famous viewpoint at Embleton for the blue hour.

The black Embleton boulders looking out to Sea.

Dunstanburgh Castle from Craster. Craster is one of the few locations on the North East coastline that works well for sunset. After an unpromising start we were lucky enough to get some stunning light and afterglow above Dunstanburgh Castle. This natural horseshoe provided a great foreground for a long exposure, with the waves crashing against the rocks.

Bamburgh Castle

After shooting the blue hour at Dunstanburgh we headed back to the cottage for a couple of hours before heading back out to photograph the sunrise at Bamburgh. I had hoped to photograph the sharp rocky shoreline looking back towards the castle however as the sunrise coincided with low tide we were forced to head up to the sandy dunes instead.

Beautiful summer sunrise at the iconic Bamburgh Castle on the North East Coast. After photographing the sunset and blue hour around Dunstanburgh we headed to Bamburgh for the sunrise. After an unpromising start the sun eventually managed to break through the low band of cloud and we got some stunning light.

Harewood Red Kites

On the way up we up North we also stopped near Leeds to photograph the Red kite population which is really thriving here. Its always a pleasure photographing these stunning birds of prey. Particularly with such a dramatic sky behind!

As always thanks for reading!

Lake Kerkini – Home of the Dalmatian Pelican

Posted on July 20, 2018July 21, 2018 by Francis J Taylor

Earlier this year I visited Lake Kerkini in Northern Greece to photograph the healthy population of Dalmatian Pelicans found on the lake.

During the 20th century the pelican population suffered a dramatic worldwide decline due to habitat loss, disturbance and poaching. Recent conservation efforts around Lake Kerkini, such as the creation of artificial nesting platforms and the removal of power lines has seen a distinct upturn in the breeding population.The local fisherman on the lake have also been an integral part of this success story, providing plenty of food, safe havens for them and ensuring there was no conflict of interest between the birds and people.

LAKE KERKINI:

Lake Kerkini is one of the most important and easily accessible wetlands in Europe. With over 300 species of birds recorded here Kerkini is considered to be one of the worlds best bird watching destinations. The lake is most famous for it’s internationally important breeding numbers of Dalmatian Pelicans.

Dalmatian Pelicans:

The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is the biggest of all the pelican species. Adult birds can have a wingspan of over 11ft making them one of the worlds largest flying birds. At 11–15 kg in weight it’s also the world’s heaviest flying bird, although large swans and male bustards can sometimes exceed the pelican in weight.

Male pelicans are considerably larger than the females, but both exhibit the bright red pouches during the breeding season when their harsh vocalisations become much more obvious. After mating has concluded these distinctive pouches fade to a much more subdued yellow.

Whilst on the hunt for new and interesting local wildlife around Lake Kerkini we discovered a thriving population of Coypu. These large semiaquatic rodents can reach a metre in length and weigh up to 9kg. Originally native to South America, they have since been introduced around the world. The situation of these charismatic animals around the reed beds was perfect for creating perfectly clean out of focus backgrounds and the lack of wind down in the valley meant we could achieve perfect reflections.

COYPU (NUTRIA):

Coypu, otherwise known as Nutria, are large semi aquatic rodents whose webbed feet make them perfectly adapted to a life on the water. Coypu are highly sociable animals, often living in family units of 10+ individuals. Nutria families live in burrows or nests in dense reedbeds along riverbanks, lakeshores, and wetlands. They are very strong swimmers and can remain submerged for as long as five minutes. A Coypu’s diet mainly consists of aquatic plants and roots and small creatures such as snails or mussels. After grazing on the bank they typically take their meal into the water to wash it before eating.

ROSY PELICANS:

The Great White Pelican, otherwise known as the Rosy Pelican is the second largest of all the pelicans. The Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) being the largest with a wing span of over 11ft. This enormous pelican has a striking bluey bill with a central red stripe and red hook at the tip. Beneath the bill is a vibrant yellow pouch capable of holding large volumes of fish. During breeding season they have pinky white crest of long, bushy feathers.

The breeding range of the Great White Pelican extends from Africa to Eastern Europe, Iraq, India and Kazakstan.

PYGMY CORMORANTS:

The Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmeus) is the much smaller cousin of the common cormorant. Despite their large breeding range over Eastern Europe and Asia numbers declined so rapidly over the 20th century that it was feared they would become extinct. Successful conservation efforts helped to revive and stabilise their breeding numbers and since the late 1990’s their has been a distinct increase westward of their range.

Other wildlife:

Cormorant in stunning Winter breeding plumage, Lake Kerkini, Northern Greece. Lake Kerkini is regarded as one of the best birding sites in Europe, boasting over 300 different species.

Cat in the window of an old tumbledown building. Whilst driving around Lake Kerkini one afternoon I couldn’t resist stopping to capture this picture perfect scene. During my time in Greece I was surprised by the sheer number of feral cats and dogs. Despite not having owners most of them seemed to be in good health and very friendly, thanks to a government scheme. Although the dogs did keep trying to bite the car tyres as we passed!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip, sorry for the very image heavy post!

2017 in Review – Photography

Posted on January 9, 2018January 9, 2018 by Francis J Taylor

2017 has been a great year for my photography career, I’ve visited lots of new places and met some great new people.

My major highlights for the year have included a front cover for the UK’s best selling photography magazine and winning awards in 3 major competitions!

As my own harshest critic I never think my work is good enough, so it’s a real confidence booster to do so well in these prestigious competitions.

In early February I won an award in International Garden Photographer of the Year, achieving 3rd place with my image of Millstone Edge. In November I won the Wild Woods category of the British Wildlife Photography Awards and finally went on to achieve ‘Runner Up’ in Landscape Photographer of the Year!

Looking back at images from the last year I can once again see how my tastes are constantly changing, and how much the quality of my images has progressed.

As is tradition I’ve included a selection of some of my favourite images from the last year, here’s my top 17 for 2017!

Starting the year off with a very wintry image taken in mid January during the first snow of 2017. I reached the summit of Hitter Hill just in time to capture a blizzard that engulfed Chrome and Parkhouse hills, causing a complete whiteout. Although this image appears black and white, it’s actually full colour. This image was awarded ‘Runner up’ in Landscape Photographer of the Year.

This image was taken on an eerily beautiful afternoon in some ancient Peak District woodland. As much as I love vibrant sun rises and sets, dank murky days offer some great opportunities to expand my portfolio.

This was an image I’d had in mind for a long time, but had been waiting for the perfect conditions. It was absolutely freezing sat in -5 waiting for the cars to come by, every blade of grass was covered in thick frost and I could barely see anything in the thickest patches of drifting fog. Everything came together in the end though, and after capturing a few light trails I headed back home to the warmth.

Thick mist drifts through the silver birches at Bolehill Quarry in the Derbyshire Peak District National Park. This image won the ‘Wild Woods’ Category in the 2017 British Wildlife photography Awards.

When the days start to lengthen and become warmer I typically focus more and more on wildlife photography. 2017 was no different and I thoroughly enjoyed photographing the moorland Adders as they emerged from hibernation.

Mountain Hares are another of my favourite species to work with. This hare was so comfortable with my presence it was happy for me to get lose enough to fill the frame. An unforgettable experience!

After months of searching over winter and early spring and many unproductive attempts, I eventually managed to locate an active sett on suitable land. After a few long nights sat staring at a bush pondering my sanity, the badgers finally emerged in daylight. This image is a reminder to me that perseverance really does pay! I can’t wait to photograph these badgers again this year.

I had been watching this barn owl as it hunted the meadow, flying tirelessly back and forth with mice and voles for his demanding young. Just as he was about to enter the nest with his latest prize, he pulled a graceful U turn and landed on this post to eat the mouse just a few metres away from me! With the subject in shade and background illuminated by bright evening sunshine, I got the best of both worlds, combining fantastic detail with vivid colour and contrast, a beautiful effect!

After discovering this family of little owls, I visited most evenings, using the car as a mobile hide to get close without causing disturbance. Although initially they were slightly cautious of the car, they quickly became accustomed to my presence offering some great photographic opportunities.

Whilst out photographing little owls one evening, I passed under some telegraph lines literally covered in starlings. The racket they were making was incredible! I’m never one to miss an opportunity, so I stopped to capture this very simple silhouette.

The forecast had predicted changeable weather, my absolute favourite conditions for landscape photography. For once the weather was spot on and I had rainbows, sunshine, rain and even a bit of hail at one point! This image was taken just after a heavy shower when the sun managed to peek through a tiny gap in the dark stormy clouds.

Roach End Barn. After photographing the dramatic golden hour light at Ramshaw Rocks, the sun eventually disappeared behind the Roaches and into a bank of thick cloud. With plenty of cloud still overhead, I bombed it over to the nearby Roach End Barn with the hopes of catching some afterglow. When I got there I could see a tiny gap under the cloud, so I sprinted up the hill and set up to wait. After what felt like an age, the sun finally dipped below the horizon and the sky lit up with a stunning array of colour.

Fairbrook Waterfall. This waterfall is part of a series of stunning cascades on the lower slopes of Kinder Scout. It’s a real scramble to get down the valley sides to the waterfall, but well worth the effort. I’d been waiting for a dramatic sky to visit and the weather didn’t let me down. Using my trusty CPL filter I was also able to bring out some of the colour in the peaty water.

This proud stag looked in tip top shape, stood amongst the Autumn colours. I really like the simplicity and incredible detail of this image.

Whilst down in London for the BWPA, I spent some time photographing the local wildlife. Although London may seem a strange choice for wildlife photography, it can actually provide some of the best opportunities as the wildlife is so habituated. This colourful Autumn portrait of a grey heron is one of my favourites from the trip. By ensuring the subject was in shade and the background illuminated, I was able get the best of both worlds; fantastic detail in the subject and a contrasting colourful background, a beautiful effect!

The road to Skye literally passes through Glencoe, so it would have been foolish not to stop and take in the stunning scenery. This is the iconic view towards Buachaille Etive Mòr, an imposing 1022m high mountain. Here I went for the classic composition using the falls as foreground for the snow capped peak. This was my first ever visit to this incredible place, somewhere I will definitely photograph again!

This was one of the last images taken in 2017, taken just before Christmas. This friendly little robin didn’t want to leave my side whilst I was sat waiting for sunrise, even coming to sit on my wellies at one point. I couldn’t resist taking a few images, especially with the fresh snowflakes on the end of his beak!

I hope you enjoyed looking back at some of my favourite images from 2017. It’s been an incredible year for me and I want to thank you all for the amazing support you’ve shown me over the past year and look forward to seeing what 2018 brings.

Looking to the year ahead I will be focusing primarily on expanding my wildlife photography portfolio. I will be photographing all the usual favourites and lots of target species that I haven’t yet managed to photograph. Watch this space! 🙂

BWPA 2017

Posted on January 3, 2018January 3, 2018 by Francis J Taylor

I’m delighted to be able to announce that my image ‘A Magical Morning’ was awarded 1st place in the ‘Wild Woods’ category of the prestigious British Wildlife Photography Awards. Winning me a place in the book, travelling exhibition and a photography holiday!

I actually found out about the award in late July when I received a phone call from awards founder Maggie Gowan whilst out at a music event. Being in a loud venue I couldn’t quite tell if I had heard the news correctly and it didn’t really sink in until a week or so later! In November I went down to accept my award at the Mall Galleries in London’s iconic Trafalgar square, before heading off for a week to the Isle of Skye. As I’m writing this just after New Year it’s definitely a while ago now, so please do excuse the very late blog post!

I also would like to congratulate the rest of this years commended and award winning photographs in this fantastic competition. The standard of images is truly incredible and it really motivates me to keep improving and progressing with my own work.

You can see more of this years winners and highly commended entries on the BWPA website, the Guardian and the Telegraph.

Landscape Photographer of the Year 2017

Posted on October 26, 2017July 13, 2018 by Francis J Taylor

Following on from my success last year, I’m thrilled to announce that my image ‘Snowstorm Over The Dragon’s Back’ has been awarded 2nd place in the ‘Classic View’ category in Landscape Photographer of the Year. Winning me a place in the book, travelling exhibition and a cash prize. A second of my Peak District images titled ‘Twisted Old Trees’ was also commended in the same category and will appear in the book.

When I received the email I couldn’t have been more surprised, after the initial shortlisting process I hadn’t heard anything for a long time and had actually resigned myself to the fact that my entries hadn’t been successful. Just as I was about to enter one of the images into another competition though, I received an email to say that my entry had been awarded runner up in the ‘Classic View’ category, a great accolade!

‘Twisted Old Trees’ – Commended LPOTY 2017

I would just like to add that competitions are in no way the be all and end all of photography, there are many very talented photographers earning a living from photography that don’t even get shortlisted. Photography is very subjective and it comes down to what the judges like on the day. That said, it is a great accolade and always very rewarding to get some appreciation for the images we create!

Finally I would like to congratulate the rest of this years commended and award winning photographers in Landscape Photographer of the Year. The standard of images is truly incredible and it really motivates me to keep improving and progressing with my own work.

You can see more of this years winners and highly commended entries on the LPOTY website, the Guardian and the Daily Mail.

Forth Bridges, Firth of Forth, Scotland

Posted on October 9, 2017October 9, 2017 by Francis J Taylor

As part of my award in Landscape Photographer of the Year, I was treated to an exclusive all access visit to the Forth Rail Bridge. As it was a fair journey up to here from my home in Sheffield, I decided to extend the trip and visit some additional locations with my partner.

On the way up we made a stop at Beadnell with the plan to visit the Farne Islands and some of the surrounding coastline. Unfortunately we were hit by a summer storm and the visit to the Farne Islands had to be cancelled as the boats couldn’t land. Sadly The rain and high winds continued from here throughout my journey up to Scotland and so I still hadn’t managed any photography.

Thankfully on the day I visited the Forth bridge the wind and rain finally died down and I was able to enjoy the day!

My partner and I met up with Charlie, Diana and Scott at Queensferry train station and we headed down together to the bridge. Here we met with some of the engineers and after donning some very fashionable hard hats, we headed up to the top in the Engineers lift.

At the top there was a big platform offering some stunning views over the Firth of Forth and I had a great time creating some compositions.

Leading lines of the Forth Rail Bridge, looking towards South Queensferry.

View from the top of the Forth Rail Bridge, looking towards North Queensferry.

A boat in the North Queensferry Harbour.

View down to the railway tracks from the top of the Forth Rail Bridge, looking towards North Queensferry, Firth of Forth, Scotland.

After spending some time on the top, we headed back down and across to South Queensferry and walked underneath the bridge to the first platform. Here we had the opportunity to look right onto the tracks and watch the trains as they rattled along the tracks.

Finally we headed back along and said our goodbyes to the group at the station after what was truly memorable day!

After my visit to the top during the day, we headed into Edinburgh to capture some night scenes from Calton Hill, a great viewpoiunt in the centre of the city.

Princess Street from Calton Hill at Dusk.

After spending a couple of hours on Calton Hill we headed back to South Queensferry and photographed the forth road and rail bridges from the ground during the blue hour, I was really lucky to get a calm evening for some nice reflections!

The Forth Road and Rail bridges during the blue hour, I was really lucky to get a calm evening for some nice reflections!

The Forth Rail Bridge from the rocky bay, you can see the ongoing construction of the newest bridge in the background.

After my time in Queensferry it was time to head back down to Sheffield and as we had finally got some lovely warm weather, we decided to stop by the lovely St Abbs for a day on the coast.

Long exposure at St Abbs Head, showing the colour of the beautiful turquoise water.

I hope you enjoyed reading a little bit about my trip, I’ve included some additional information about the Forth Bridges below:

About the Forth Bridges

Scotland’s three Forth Bridges stand side by side spanning the Firth of Forth, each bridge is unique, representing the best in engineering and design over the centuries.

Completed in early 1890, the iconic Cantilever design of the Forth Rail Bridge is recognised throughout the world as the first major steel structure. The bridge still holds the world record for the world’s longest cantilever bridge and represents a key point in the history of the modern railway. After the years had begun to take their toll on the structure, a full-scale restoration project to return the bridge to its original construction condition was completed in 2012. In July 2015, UNESCO inscribed the Forth Bridge as the sixth World Heritage site in Scotland.

The Forth Road Bridge is an impressive suspension bridge that spans the Forth 1006m between the two towers. Upon completion the bridge was the fourth longest in the world. From end to end the bridge is over 2.5 km long, constructed from an incredible 39,000 tonnes of steel and 125,000 cubic metres of concrete.

The final bridge, the Queensferry Crossing, is the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world, spanning an incredible 1.7 miles. The innovative design of the cross spanning cables provides the extra strength and support which allows the towers and the deck to be more slender and elegant.

You can find more about the Forth Bridges here.

Photographing Badgers

Posted on June 21, 2017June 22, 2017 by Francis J Taylor

It’s been a life long ambition of mine to photograph one of the most iconic British mammals – the badger. Earlier this year I decided I would finally dedicate some time to making that happen and so I started out on my quest to photograph these elusive creatures.

The hardest part initially was finding subjects. I’ve seen plenty of badgers before, but only either as fleeting glimpses on city streets at night, or sadly dead by the side of the road. It’s very uncommon to see badgers foraging in broad daylight, but often at the sett the families will emerge early to socialise and reaffirm bonds before setting out for a night of foraging. This means that the easiest place to photograph badgers is actually at the sett.

The first step was to identify suitable areas to begin the search. Badgers’ main source of food is the earthworm, which favours grassy fields, ideally those grazed by livestock. The sett also needs to be sheltered from view and the elements, typically dug into sloping ground for ease of access and best drainage.

After I’d identified some suitable areas, I set out visiting a different one each day, following animal tracks as they criss crossed through the woodland, seeking out signs of badger activity such as snuffle pits and latrines. Many of the tracks lead nowhere and the latrines can be hundreds of metres away from the sett, but every so often one of the trails leads you to a hole in the ground and it’s then time to identify who it belongs to!

Many believe the best way to identify an active sett is by the entrance hole, as badgers typically favour a characteristic sideways ‘D’ shape entrance. However the entrance shape can be misleading as many animals can occupy old setts. Badgers, foxes, rabbits and even otters have all been known to take over each others old burrows. Actually one of the best ways to tell is by fresh piles of dirt outside, Badgers are voracious diggers and are constantly expanding their setts.

After a few long days searching I had found a couple of active setts, sadly they were completely unsuitable, either on private land, tucked away in dense vegetation or far too close to public roads and bridleways. I kept persevering though and eventually I discovered a sett on the edge of some farmland in an area of woodland with no footpaths running through, perfect!

The next step was to make sure the sett was definitely active and that the badgers emerged before dark. So I set up a trail cam and left it there for a few days to monitor the activity.

Upon reviewing the footage I discovered that there was a large family of badgers living in the sett and to top it off they were all emerging and playing long before dark, this was my chance!

I arrived early each evening and sat quietly waiting a short distance from the sett entrances. After a few long evenings sitting= in complete silence staring at a bush and pondering my own sanity, the badgers finally emerged in decent light.

It’s a real privilege to see these stunning animals as they go about their business just a few feet away, I have to admit I’m well and truly hooked!

International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) 2017

Posted on February 19, 2017February 20, 2017 by Francis J Taylor

A little bit late, but here’s a short blog post about my recent success in International Garden Photographer of the Year.

Due to being an international competition, this year’s IGPOTY received over 30,000 entries! So to have been awarded is a real honour.

Unlike some of the other major competitions, IGPOTY has three ‘winners’ for each category: 1st, 2nd and 3rd place awards. Whilst this is a little different to some other competitions, I’m certainly not complaining, as it meant I achieved my second award in the last 6 months!

My image of millstone edge was awarded 3rd place in the ‘breathing spaces’ category and will be exhibited worldwide in the touring exhibition, published in the official awards book and given media coverage. I also had a second image commended that will also feature in the awards book.

Commended – Peak District Cotton Grass.

You can find a full list of awarded images on the official IGPOTY site by clicking here

And a selection made by the BBC here

As this is a photography blog I have to include a few photos from the day, although they’re just phone snaps this time!

Nash Conservatory, Kew. The venue for the presentation and exhibition.

Exhibition space.

Exhibition prints.

My image of Millstone Edge in print.

Me on the other side of the camera for once!

Awards book and certificate.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day at Kew (especially the free champagne!), the exhibition was absolutely stunning and it was really great to put faces to some familiar names. Congratulations to all those who took part!