Quack shot

A rain-soaked Robert May proves you don't have to head out searching for elusive birds of prey to capture stunning shots of birds in flight

- Robert May

I get a lot of my love for 0 photography from my parents. They captured loads of photos on film when I was young, and when I reached college and could choose the subjects I wanted to study, I chose photography. I used my dad's Nikon F-801 a lot (my first Nikon); it was a remarkable camera and I still shoot with it these days!

My studies revolved around a lot of war photography and I've always liked street photography, too. But as a certified nerd (my day job is software engineering), I find I'm much more comfortable photographing birds. They never complain about how they look, and they usually don't attack me.

For me, the only essential items are: a reliable camera body, a battery grip - unless you're using a camera with a built-in grip like the Z 9 or D6 - and a long lens. I carry lots of other stuff, but only because I'm a habitual over-packer. Oh, and a waterproof jacket. I live in Wales, after all...

Bird is the word...

I'm not a very patient person, so my approach to wildlife photography is to wander around and hope for the best. This isn't a technique, per se, but oddly enough it does tend to work out quite well. Here in South Wales, we're a bit lacking in larger mammals, so I'm mostly all about birds in flight. I just love the challenge.