GO WILD THIS WEEKEND

Jon Adams and Andrew James present 10 great ways to capture amazing wildlife shots - no safari needed!

- Jon Adams, Andrew James

There's a belief that a truly great wildlife shot needs to be of an exotic species, captured in an exotic place. But 'exotic' is a highly subjective term that pretty much depends on your starting point. After all, if you live near the Masai Mara, then 'exotic' may apply far more to a British butterfly than to a local lion.

With that in mind, a great shot of a humdrum domestic species will always trump a so-so shot of something less familiar - and for most of us, the former will be far more accessible and present many more opportunities. We're not suggesting you turn down a Safari trip should the chance arise, but if you want to take wildlife shots, starting close to home will refine your technique and get you results that can be just as rewarding.

Over the next few pages, we'll reveal 10 great ways you can begin or bolster your wildlife portfolio, all of which are accessible to those with some general-purpose shooting kit and a little bit of time to devote to the subject. The latter is important, as wild subjects run on their timetable - not yours - and embracing this is all part of the fun. It's often said that patience is a virtue, and nowhere is this more true than in wildlife photography. But persevere with any of these projects, and you will be rewarded just as much as you would be on a week's Safari and, even better, you won't have a colossal bill to pay!

PRO ADVICE THE BEST LENSES FOR THE JOB

For wildlife in all its forms, you are generally looking to shoot long or shoot close. This means a telephoto zoom such as a 70-300mm or 100-400mm is a requirement, and for working close with small subjects, nothing beats a macro lens with a medium working distance, like a 90mm or 100mm model.

1 BAG A BACKLIT BUTTERFLY

Get up early in the morning to catch your subject