My name is Gary Cox, and I am an animal photographer from Bury, Greater Manchester, UK.
I have always loved everything to do with wildlife since trying to photograph lizards as a child.
I have taken my photography seriously since about 2009 after capturing a hummingbird in flight whilst on holiday in San Diego.
I have taught myself photo editing over the past several years, which I use to turn standard photos into display-worthy artwork. This makes the editing side of my craft just as important as the taking of the photos themselves.
My work has been very well received and can be seen on display in UK wildlife parks, featured in national newspapers and magazines, and featured in numerous worldwide exhibitions from Barcelona to the USA and Vietnam.
I started my main photography work with a Panasonic Lumix G1, and although this was only a bridge camera, I managed to get many great shots, some of which remain my favourites to this day.
However, I began to see areas where it lacked clarity and functionality, so I upgraded to a Canon EOS 100D, which provided me with more options and a better pixel count.
Again, this worked very well for me for some years until I thought I had honed my skills enough to want to get even more from my camera, particularly as I was feeling the limitations in shooting in low light.
I then upgraded to my current Canon EOS 80D, which has better overall functionality and increased pixel count.
Canon EOS 80D – As stated, I have recently upgraded to this camera due to its increased functions and pixel count. My budget is such that I cannot just choose the most expensive camera on the market, so I have to work out which is best for my wallet.
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM – This is my favourite lens as it is so important when photographing animals in wildlife parks to get up close, and the majority of the time, the animal can be far away in the back of the enclosure.
I find that this lens performs perfectly for me, along with raising a few comments, such as ‘Have you seen the size of his camera?!’. I try so hard not to point out that it is a large lens, not a large camera, but I am used to these comments now.
I also sometimes use a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III when the animals are mid-range, but I tend to use this less and less because of my preferred long lens.
My most recent lens purchase is a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM, which is great when the subject is nice and close, particularly when I am working on my pet photography sideline. It makes things quicker when I am not working out which zoom is best.
I must add that I sometimes use a silicone lens hood with my smaller lenses. This is extremely useful when placed against viewing windows, as it removes any background reflections.
There is nothing worse than getting a great shot only to realise that someone’s bright yellow bag is all you can see in the image.
VIJIM VL120 LED Panel Light – As I work mainly in outdoor enclosures, my main light source is daylight. Even when I am in low-light situations, I cannot use a flash or external light as it may disturb the animals.
I just have to try harder to make sure the camera settings are best for the environment. I can work out extra lighting during post-processing.
The only light that I sometimes use is the VIJIM VL120 LED Panel Light, which is a cheap and cheerful light that can change the filters and brightness if things get a little dark.
It is very subtle and does not disturb the subject. I have only used this on a handful of occasions when photographing pets.
The North Face Backpack. – This backpack is large enough to hold my lenses, camera, harness and most importantly, my lunch. It also has handy side slots for drinks.
I do have a dedicated camera backpack, but I rarely use it because it cannot fit anything other than my camera equipment. I am usually out all day, so I need some extra room for essentials.
I do not use tripods. I never know where I am going to point my camera next due to the unpredictability of animals. I find them more of a hindrance than a help.
I extensively use Adobe Photoshop on my Apple iMac to process my photos. The Apple iMac is perfect for me as the screen is about the best in the business, perfect for when I am working on the finer details of an image.
In my first step, I like to use Adobe Lightroom to save the initial images with edits to the exposure, highlights, shadows, texture sharpness, etc.
I then load up the image in Adobe Photoshop to carry out the final conversion, whether it be to remove the backgrounds, crop, add a colour splash effect or various other creative touches, depending on what I think may work best for each image.
My favourite editing tools when creating my images are Crop, Burn, Dodge, Crop, Clone Stamp, Sharpening and Blur.
Food and drink is extremely important. You could be out for some time, and you may not always have the opportunity or time to buy onsite. Plus, the prices in wildlife parks can be far too high – it is best to be prepared yourself.
Sun creams are also a very good idea, even in England, as the dangers of being outside all day with no protection cannot be understated.
Make sure you have at least one extra memory card – you don’t want to try and capture a juggling, skateboarding giant panda only to see the dreaded message memory card full!
When it comes to animal photography, you have to have your wits about you. Always be ready, as anything and everything can happen. If you are not paying attention, you could miss ‘that shot’.
I feel that each animal deserves to be in the spotlight, which is one of the reasons I create the images that I do. Remove all background distractions and concentrate on the animal.
Credit : Source Post
