Nigel Pye

Why?

Well, because of images like this Kingfisher for starters!!

RB Question - What a terrific image Nigel - How did you manage it?

This Kingfisher had shown well at Salthouse bridge for a few days a couple of winters ago, the reason she was hunting so close to the bridge was the rest of the stream had frozen up and there was still some running water near the bridge. The next day it was still frozen over so I parked the car up and waited, and to my amazement she appeared 4 or 5 times over the next couple of hours, successfully catching Sticklebacks. I got loads of shots in different positions. I had finally got some shots of one of my favourite birds.

AND, Nigel's Barn Owl work is of the highest quality....SO, I thought you might want to hear about some of his best tips to help us photograph them. (A LARGE SECTION OF NIGEL'S INTERVIEW IS DEDICATED TO THIS FABULOUS SPECIES).

(RB - That is exquisite...& I don't do portrait work!!)

Day Job?

I'm a trained Graphic Designer producing anything from business cards to large illustrated books. This profession was a great introduction to photography as I'm always dealing with photographs, and have art directed many photo-shoots but also I first started using Photoshop 2 way back in the early nineties which as we all know is a great advantage not have to go through that learning curve, as well as going through the learning curve of Photography.

Gannets

 RB Question - Was this taken at Bempton Cliffs Nigel? Any good?

A great place Richard, a must if you like seabirds, Gannets, Razorbills, Guillemots and Puffin all possible here. A great place for flight shots as the birds glide above and below the cliff tops.  If you haven’t been it’s worth a look from May – August.

Singing Wren - A very underrated bird

Gear?

I currently use the Canon 40d attached to the brilliant Canon 500mm F4 IS L lens, usually with a Canon 1,4 extender attached for wildlife photography but I also like use my Sigma 105mm F2.8 macro lens for insects etc. I also own a Canon 17-45mm F4 L zoom lens which I use for studio, portrait and wedding work etc which I undertake from time to time. I use a Manfrotto monopod when wandering about as I like to be as lightweight as possible, I do own a Gitzo tripod but this is usually left in the boot of the car as I use 98% of the time my essential beanbag, a great piece of kit which I use when shooting from the car, hides, and when lying down shooting birds from ground level.

RB Question - The 40D, good bits & bad bits?

All round a pretty good piece of kit, combined with the Canon 500mm the quality is great, easy to use, one of them cameras you can take out the box and start shooting instantly.  The layout is good and is easy to change settings etc quickly. On the down side I don’t like the preview screen, sometimes I look at my shots on the camera and they don’t look very sharp, then when put on the computer they’re fine. The auto focus is ok but not a patch on the 1D Mk III and Al servo isn’t worth using as it doesn’t lock on quick enough. I've missed a lot of shots when in this mode. But I like it generally and I do ok with it. I will get a pro camera one day. (Hopefully).

Sedge Warbler - Great birds soon to be with us...can't wait!!

Style?

My main style I try to achieve is to get the birds in their natural surroundings (although I do use feeding stations) behaving in a natural way preferably doing something, using limited DOF to throw the backgrounds completely out of focus. But this can change and I often have fads ie, birds small in the frame showing more environment and also sometimes I'm led by whatever action is on tap where I like the shot to represent the speed of the event especially when birds interact with each other ie fighting, hunting or mating etc. I particularly like to shoot at ground level, especially birds that feed on the ground ie. Thrushes, Wheatears and all waders. Not only does this give me a great clutter free background but the images show the birds on their level giving a much better feeling of intimacy, we see what they see. I do use the thirds rule but I also like to break it as much as possible, remember it is a rule not a must. I don't think I have got to point where any one style is really prevalent but this is something to work on.

RB Question – I remember the first time I saw you Nigel…down at Salthouse. I got out of the car & said ‘there’s all those people down there photographing the birds in the pools, just one bloke laying down’..that was you Nigel!! Don’t you get achey?

The answer is yes Richard, especially on the neck, but it is worth it.

Little Stint

 RB - I love the colours, symmetry and reflection in this image.

Dunlin

RB Question - I love your wader work at Salthouse almost as much as your Barn Owls Nigel...to the novice though, visiting Salthouse for the first time, it can feel disappointing. It's open and initially there can appear to be nothing going on there. What's your take on it Nigel & when's the best time to nail great wader portrait work like yours?

Yeh it can be slow there sometimes but I only live an hour away from Salthouse so I go there a lot as you can see, if it’s dead I move on to some of the other places around the area so there’s always something to do if it’s quiet.  The best time for waders is usually the autumn and winter. Dunlin, Redshank, Bar Tailed Godwit, Curlew Sandpiper, Ringed Plover, Purple Sandpiper and of course Turnstones all show well here. The best technique is to lay on the shingle, even if no birds are there, and wait. Usually we find birds soon come to your pool. Keeping low work in two ways the birds are more relaxed and you get much better shots. You can try baiting with smelly dead fish and crabs etc. Also this is a great place just to wander about as scarce and rare birds can show well here too.  You never know what will turn up here so be patient. I have got about 20-30 different species here  alone.

Nuthatch

Red Kite

RB Question - Gigrin Farm Nigel? Impressions?

I really admire the farmer who runs Gigrin Farm, he’s a great bloke who has carried on his father's work with the Kites. A real success story and a must for the British wildlife photographer. I like that you can pay extra and get in a hide with only a few people in, giving you space to shoot in. The weather is key here so try and get there on a good sunny day in winter, I went there in late August which isn’t the best time as a lot of the birds were moulting. The only downside is that a lot of togs go there and a lot of the shots look similar or the same, but that’s the challenge try to get something different. I will go back.

Where?

Everywhere and anywhere from my back garden to travelling  long distances in the UK (something I want to do more of), but my main area for photographing Birds is the North Norfolk Coast from Snettisham through to Wheybourne.

What I love about it is the variety of habitats ranging from the huge coastal estuaries, marshes, heaths, woodland, farmland and coastal cliffs that hold a large number of common and scarce species. But my favourite place has to be Salthouse, a great venue that holds different species with the seasons it's always changing, also there are no hides here allowing the photographer to get down low and shoot at the birds own level.

RB Question - What'sthe score with Snettisham? Should I go Nigel? What can I expect?

Definitely Richard, this is a great venue for massive flock flight shots, From late July the waders come back from their northern breeding grounds in their tens of thousands, Dunlin, Knot, Bar-tailed Godwits and Oystercatchers are all in good numbers. I love watching them weave in out out when they form huge flocks. They look like a shoal of fish in the air as the light catches their white underbellies.  The best time to go is when there is a spring tide, which happens twice a month. I also like to get down to the shore line, as the tide comes in, and wait for waders to move in closer and closer, I got some nice Curlew Sandpipers here last autumn and have had a massive flock of Dunlin fly right in front of me. Brilliant to experience and great for flight photography. Richard you’d love it.

Pom Skua with Common Gull

RB Question - I remember this event, it made big news on Birdguides. Many observers found it hard to stomach. You did a great job here Nigel, how did the image come about? How did you feel about it?

This is nature Richard, harsh and beautiful at the same time. Some of the comments I got from birders surprised me a little bit. They don’t want to see such images, but they still click the thumbnail and look at it bigger, clearly they can see what the image content was so why look? Some people have said I should have intervened and that I get some sick buzz from photographing such an event. This is the timeless battle of survival between predator and prey and I like to photograph nature so it’s in my nature to photograph all aspects of it, however harsh. No different to me than shooting a Kingfisher that has just caught a fish and bashed it to death on it’s perch but that seems ok with some people because it’s just a fish. But for me this shot explains a lot about birds behaviour, this is why birds are so nervous, none of them want to end up being predated so they have adapted their behaviour trying to avoid it. This time the Skua won, nature has made him a very ferocious and successful hunter he has the right to live too.

Turnstone bathing in the pools at Salthouse, Norfolk

Stunning portrait shot of a Knot

RB Question - I understand about getting low down to the subject and how it makes the image look so much better, but how do you manage to get so close to wild birds like this fabulous Knot Nigel?

It’s all about keeping low Richard, waders don’t seem to mind your presence if you are lying down, they may think we are seals or something. So find a good place lay low and wait, they do come to you.

Snow Bunting photographed at close range.

Get to know and work a local patch - Salthouse has provided some of Nigel's best work.

Great-spotted Woodpecker

RB question - I've noticed you get some great woodland and general garden birds photos Nigel...a preferred site?

I use various feeding stations on private land which I get invited to by a few mates from time to time, it really is the only way to get good shots of the birds that live in this habitat.  I love the song and colours of these birds, Woodpeckers and Nuthatch are my favourites. But I like to get the really common birds as well.

Favourite Bird & Why?

Ha I think you know my answer here Richard, it has to be the Barn Owl, it has a brilliant contrasting plumage from the textured back feathers to the brilliant white underside and that heart shaped face. They live a short and harsh life in the UK but still manage to hang on in Norfolk.

RB Question - Every time I go to Norfolk I seem to see Barn Owls all over the place...it's great!! Could you give us all some locations to see them & more importantly for us photographers places to photograph them safely & without causing impact to the location and the birds?

I go to a few key areas in Norfolk but it does change from year to year and usually find some new sites each year. The main areas are around the north Norfolk coast, Cley can be good also Holkham, Burnham Market and the famous Thornham are good regular hotspots but they can show up anywhere in the right habitat. I can't wait for the winter to get here to be able to get out early and catch up with these great birds.

RB Question - What sort of times do they come out to play Nigel?

Usually a few hours after sunrise and a few hours before sunrise but this can change when feeding young, photographing them in flight and perched on posts. I know of several key sites they frequent but sometimes they disappear from certain ones and then show up at new sites. I never tire of photographing them, especially when on posts, I still get a huge buzz when I approach one in the car and it stays and allow me to get loads of shots.

RB Question - I use my car a lot also Nigel..an important tool for photographing Barn Owls?

A must especially when photographing them on posts. A great bird whose future is uncertain but is getting some help from conservation groups and hopefully will do well. How bad would it be Richard for these to decline even further, I know the Barn Owl has a special place in your heart too. A great bird. Simple as that.

RB Question - Is it true that after bad weather, wind etc the Barn Owls will be out afterwards making it a surer bet to try to photograph them Nigel?

This is a hard one because in my experience Barn Owls carry on hunting through the rain, they’re not supposed to but they do, especially when hunting from posts. The shot below is taken whilst a storm was brewing and he continued to hunt through it. They lose their advantage of silent flight when their feathers are wet but if they haven’t fed well for a few days they have no choice.

Stunning image

Top tip(s) for us?

Getting Barn Owl shots is a real buzz for me, it is very challenging and can be very rewarding, luck plays a big part but I've found you can increase your odds by using these few tips that I try to abide by.

1. I always use the car as a hide or position a mobile hide into the relevant area. If you see a posted Barn Owl pull up slowly and turn the engine off before you stop.

2. Open windows before you get there as the noise of an electric window can be enough for him to get going. When in position don’t move straight away, the Owl usually looks at you to check you out for danger, wait to get the camera on him once he is looking down hunting again. Try not to burst loads of frames off as the shutter noise can flush them.

3. If time check the preview screens histogram as it can be really disappointing if you have great shots but ruined because you got the wrong EV settings and high ISO settings etc.

4. For flight shots I get out of the car and position myself at key areas where I know they hunt. Having good panning techniques is essential if handholding (I do) or using steady tripods etc.  On bright days keep an eye on EV settings as you usually have to stop down a 1/3 – 2/3 stops.

Hopefully these tips may increase your chances. Good luck.

Flight shot

RB Question - I've been getting up early to photograph Barn Owls over the past few months, and boy.. what a pleasure it is just to see them! When I see them catching voles/mice from a distance, I wonder how many they need before they go in for a sleep...any idea Nigel? 

Adults need about 6-7 Voles a day which they take about 2-4 hours a day to catch, the rest of their time is spent sleeping but the male does most of the hunting for the female when she’s sitting on eggs so he needs to get 12-14 a day and then they need even more once the chicks hatch but they hatch at a time when Voles are more abundant.

Love the back light on this image...it just shows you, the sun doesn't always need to be behind you.

 You've won £20,000 quid (inflation since last interview..sorry Kev, Matt & Lee!!) on The Lottery...Spend it!

Easy Richard, I'd use it to spend as long as possible in somewhere like Finland in the winter or the Antartic with a new Mk III attached.

Most memorable event?

I have so many, simple things like watching a Marsh Harrier collect reeds to build a nest in the most awesome sunset you can imagine, one of those sunsets that go in and out with the cloud cover and travel when coming out again painting orange across the landscape as the light moves. A brilliant event to witness, a complete 'at one' feeling with nature and a feeling that I was lucky that only I was there to witness this beautiful event. Something I will remember as long as I can remember.

Beautiful image - Nigel pulled way back with his composition, showing the bird in it's natural environment (this is a technique I could do well to learn by).

Most painful event?

Picking up a flattened Barn Owls off the road, we lose hundreds to the road every year. Very sad and such a waste.

Your favourite Pro. Photographer & Why?

This a tricky question for me as I have met a lot of pros and have become good friends with some of them. But it has to be Nigel Blake, he was the first pro I came across on the net 5 years ago when I started, I awed at the quality of his shots and wanted to be as good instantly, he was very influential in my catching the bug. I met Nigel about a year later and we got on great and he was always been great for info on tech stuff and especially baiting and tips on getting close to certain species. I like his style also, it is varied and always sharp as a razor with good compositions.

Your Favourite photo? & Why?

This is my favourite photo at the moment, I love the expression on the Barn Owl's face, he has just heard a rodent in the bank of grass opposite and is about to strike, this shot was taken in May so there is a lot of green foliage about. Usually most of my shots are in the winter and the bg colour is yellowy orange.

RB question - I've been watching them recently as they perch up and hunt this way, could you expand on this technique they use Nigel.

They post hunt to save energy, I've noticed that they use this technique when there is hardly any wind to hover against, also when the birds have been flying for long periods, they often rest and keep a good eye out for prey at the same time, also when the ground is covered in snow.

My Favourite Nigel Pye photos

Love the snow falling and on the fencing.

Wow...I look at this common species (Wheatear) so differently with this image. It looks majestic!!

Bar-tailed Godwits in flight - Very nice indeed!!

& Finally

Many thanks to Nigel for agreeing to this interview, it's been a real pleasure! When you've recovered sufficiently, check out his web site below!!

& One last Barn Owl image!!

Amazing Barn Owl Photography - Courtesy of Nigel Pye.

Richard - March 2009