As a person whose photographic experience barely extends beyond phone pictures of my cat, the idea of being taught the basics of wildlife photography by Richard Austin was a little unnerving. But when I learned we would be using a unique Westcountry facility designed as the perfect setting to capture native British mammals in natural settings, the opportunity was too tempting to resist.
He probably won't thank me for bringing it up, but Richard has been passionate about taking photos of animals and birds for about as long as I've been alive. His interest started as a young child, but flourished when a successful early career as a premier league football photographer also provided him with the specialist lenses needed to capture the natural world. Years down the line, he has amassed scores of accolades, sells his images around the world and has published five books under the title Richard Austin's Animal Magic.
We've come to the Westcountry Wildlife Photography Centre, set in the beautiful landscape of the Devon and Cornwall border at Broadwoodwidger, near Lifton. The facility is the brainchild of Derek Jow and was created in 2009 with, he says, "... a view to creating something as naturalistic as possible, with sets and enclosures developed to give the animals lots of space." The centre is for British mammals – not a zebra or zebu in sight. The outdoor habitats comprise woodland, rocks, hedgebank, wetland pools, drystone walls and sedge grassland, whereas indoor features for smaller animals typically include things like hollow logs and tree stumps. The beavers at the site occupy a landscaped eight acre valley where they can build dams to their heart's content.
I'm using a top of the range Canon EOS-1DX with a 400mm 2.8 telephoto lens, which equates to around £10,000 of kit in my inexperienced hands. Mounted on a tripod, it's heavy and there's a lot of water around to drop it into. We begin with a pair of otters, stepping gingerly into their enclosure amidst a warning not to put our hands out (not likely – I remember Terry Nutkins' missing fingers) and animal handler Lavinia Wakeham starts to toss chunks of salmon to them. Two problems are immediately obvious: the otters are incredibly nifty, tearing after the food and mostly keeping low to the ground, and there is so much long grass in the way that when they do pop up, the camera focuses on that instead. Richard tells me that "hunting for the focus" is a frequent – and often frustrating – element of wildlife photography. Things get easier when the otters move to a big pond and stalk the pieces of fish amongst lily pads.
Hopeful that I've bagged at least one decent shot, we move to a shelter that has been set up expressly for photographing smaller animals. Lavinia brings out a box full of super fast, tiny harvest mice, which are placed into a big glass tank so I can shoot from all angles. We experiment, gently lifting one of the mice onto an ear of corn and then a buttercup stalk. He seems happy enough clambering around, using his long tail to navigate this new surface as I snap away – trying to heed Richard's advice to be mindful of my background as, even though it will be blurred, a nice green expanse will look better than catching any fence or tent in shot.
As the day progresses I get to photograph a hedgehog, a female fox, a beautiful bushy-tailed pine marten – rare in England – and, to my utter delight, a family of Scottish wildcats. The latter is one of the rarest animals in the world, with scientists warning they will soon be extinct unless urgent conservation takes place. The wildcats at the Westcountry Wildlife Photography Centre are a mother and her children. Although obviously bearing a resemblance to our domestic moggies, they are bigger with much broader, blunt tails and mean, fierce faces. I feel privileged to have been close enough to capture images of these amazing "highland tigers".
Despite only being at the centre for a couple of hours, I've fired off thousands of frames and am getting a feel for what will make a good picture – where best to stand, squat or lie, what the light is doing, checking the background etc. Richard said the centre "realises a dream," adding: "It's not something you're going to get in the wild, and provides the opportunity to hone your skills, watch the animal's expressions and come away with a handful of great images."
I've learned that patience isn't necessarily as important as anticipation, as Richard explains: "It takes time, but by watching you become able to anticipate things to a certain extent. With a heron for example, it does a little duck split seconds before it takes off, so you can be prepared to get that image of it leaving the water with wings spread wide."
Derek said word was spreading and that the centre is "growing amazingly well." He added: "What we have here is quite unique. There are wildlife parks where you can take photography courses, but no other facility not open to the public at all. You're not dealing with something that's open 9-5 – here people can work in the misty mornings or late into the evenings. Rather than a clinical image of an animal, you can have a play and get shots you would not get elsewhere." Nine staff, all local, are employed at the centre and visitors are also encouraged to stay in B&B accommodation nearby.
When Richard shows me my images I am genuinely thrilled and surprised. Being in such close proximity to all of the animals was a wonderful experience, but I didn't expect that experience to be translated in my own photographic efforts. I had a lot of help in terms of environment, equipment and expertise, yet I still feel delighted when I look at the harvest mouse perched on the buttercups or the wildcats glaring at their meal. Frankly I'm ready to jack in everything else, don a camouflage jacket and jump into the thicket. If somebody could just lend me ten grand for the kit…
For more information on Richard Austin visit richardaustinimages.com. To learn more about the Wescountry Wildlife Photography Centre visit wcwpc.co.uk or call 01409 211578.
