WILDLIFE-Garden visitors

Steve Gemmell reveals how he captured and edited this blue tit in his garden

- Steve Gemmell

Garden birds are great to see at any time of the year. A common visitor to our gardens is the blue tit; they enjoy a wide range of natural food, but appreciate being offered something extra – so we always hang some food from our magnolia tree for them.

I decided to try to capture these busy little birds with my Fujifilm GFX 50R and GF 110mm f/2 lens, plus a Godox V860II flashgun. I waited for a solitary arrival to alight on my target area. The blue tit took up several poses, and I snapped away until it decided to depart. It seemed completely unaware of the high-speed flashes and continued to feed happily.

This is my favourite shot from the session. So if you have often considered giving garden bird photography a try, my advice is to have a go. This was my first attempt, and I learned a few key points worth remembering. Think about the background when you place the camera. Once the equipment is set up, find somewhere to hide yourself – and above all, be patient. Trial and error will lead to success in the end.

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