3 NEW CAMERA TRICKS I learnt trying WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY + gear advice and dealing with failure

[@NigelDanson]

I would love to know what you thought of the 'landscape photographer tries....' series and how I can improve going forward. So please let me know in the comments below. Back to landscapes next week!

[@eamonoc2268]

Really enjoyed the topic. But not just the topic, I also enjoyed the photographer, Morten that you partnered with. He was very interesting. Your KZbin videos are excellent. Well presented, full of useful ideas and practical insights. Many thanks Nigel.

[@stevesvids]

Two of my favourites in one long episode..... fantastic.. 🙂 Great tips from Morten there to set custom buttons.. . Must do that with my xt3.... as he said..you only have seconds to get the shot and it's gone. I liked your thoughts on combining landscape and wildlife..... but not sure how your gonna pull that one off... challenge on eghh. All the very best to you both. Thank you. Regards.... Steve

[@tjnicol]

Great new series Nigel. I shoot mainly wildlife and have really enjoyed watching this. Keep up the great work!:)

[@woodworkerroyer8497]

You should partner with a hunter next time. There are human-odor killing shampoo and soap, and other tricks that help now hunters especially to get close to animals. I'm not sure how many hunters there are in GB though.... (the area, I don't want to offend you if you don't identify as British. I'm just a dumb American what can't tell Irish from Scottish... ;)

[@gordroberts53]

Hi Nigel. I enjoyed these videos and must thank you for introducing us to Morten. I split my time 50/50 between landscape and wildlife (primarily birds), so this held particular interest to me. Fully agree that working to include wildlife in your landscape work could benefit many of the compositions. Love your work, thanks for sharing and Cheers from BC!

[@sarkarpappu]

I couldn't be happier to see Nigel and Morten talk about wildlife and landscapes together. Thank you Nigel to bring up these videos.

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks - appreciate the kind words

[@howardallen5390]

For about 5 mins after you donned the camo all I could see of you was the occasional disembodied head, but I did enjoy this video. Morten comes across as a thoughtful, caring person and you showed us some wonderful pictures that he’d taken and he shared some useful tips.

[@Fagapperd14]

Morten is a genuine decent and respectful person. Love his work, subtle and clever.

[@danag6886]

Nigel, I’ve been subscribed to yours and Morten’s channel for many months now and was very happy to see the past few videos as a collaboration between you both. Love your work and I really like the fact that you’re touching on other styles of photography as well. I’m always looking forward to your next video!

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks - back to landscape for my next video

[@MadsPeterIversen]

Great photos and tips from, Morten! Enjoyed the video :)

[@sarkarpappu]

I hope you can collaborate sometime and I can see all three of my favourites together.

[@Darkart123]

I have been watching you for over a year enjoying every video. And now the combination of you and Morten has me looking at nature differently. Great series!!!

[@ED-on8to]

Morten is awesome! 😃👍 Thank you for that video!

[@plantherain]

MIssed this one. Such a gem to find you two endangered creatures by the fireside. Shew, the Ptarmigan is breathtaking...xx

[@ianh8396]

Brilliant and informative video Nigel, I love Mortens‘ videos too, seen all of them, the places he gets to are amazing.

[@ijiwarumat]

Thanks for another great Sunday morning, Nigel!

[@victaylor-amateurphotograp9171]

Nigel, I love your great advice regarding equipment in your many videos. The discussion with Morten really sums it up. In reflecting on my own experience and equipment I have come up with kind of a reverse saying that seems to confuse/amuse lens sales people..."I can do just as much rubbish photography with a $10,000 lens as I can with a $1000 lens". Thanks for all your advice and perspective.

[@moravcik53]

....Morten is the "master" you are a lucky man Mr Danson .... !

[@liz2959]

Im so happy I found this channel ! Listening to the two of you talk and share the photos was extremely valuable and entertaining! You both exude so much passion in your description of each photograph.

[@francescovalentinuzzi1008]

One of the most interesting and nice video about wildlife photography. Thanks!!!

[@iastorgaphotos]

I really do enjoy watching collaborative photography series. Being that photography is mostly a solitary pursuit when out in the field, this series is so helpful with advice, thoughts and tips from the pros. Thank you! 👍🏼🤗

[@klassenrick87]

300 mm is most powerful lens I have at the moment but is sufficient for it I find one day when I can afford I will go up .Thanks for no bs content Nigel.

[@dougson56]

Hi Nigel, Just a couple of pointers, if the deer are looking at you freeze and when they look away move slowly so as not to get their attention , the other thing is your face and eyes are like a big warning flag, I have a Realtree mesh headset but I put it on backwards as it has big eyeholes and you can easily see through the mesh but it disguises your white face, I have stood next to Badgers by using that technique and have had Roe Deer sniffing my feet whilst sitting at the base of a tree completely camouflaged .

[@stevenl.passalacqua3953]

You're doing the right thing, all this experience will be part of you forever..

[@youknowwho9247]

"Equipment doesn't matter" - proceeds to explain with about ten reasons why he needs a 600mm f/4. :D Let's be honest guys: Gear isn't the most important thing, but a) there's a certain gear threshold one needs to cross to get usable wildlife images and b) better gear does produce better results. If those things weren't true, we'd all be shooting with our smartphones and nothing else.

[@subhajitbhattacharjee7347]

Yah..and saying like D2x and D700 are not professional cameras..

[@headshotke]

Good gear helps in getting the shot better, but it's not guaranteed to be making better photos on the contrary! I started with d1h and the old 80-400. Upgraded my self over the years till my recent setup a d850+500mm f4, both when I bought them took me a long time to get sharp and good photos, the smallest mistakes shows directly, motion blur, back front focus, ... I even dear to say it's easier to make great sharp pictures with "lesser" gear, it's more forgiving for your small mistakes, ...

[@garfieldirwin]

It's true -- equipment doesn't matter ... AFTER you get the 600/4!

[@youknowwho9247]

@@garfieldirwin That's the feeling I get from most videos that talk about this. It's always photographers who own pro level equipment who tell you gear doesn't matter. Well, then why have you got all this stuff? Clearly it must be serving some purpose of you're sinking thousands into your own gear.

[@FlyersNation98]

@@youknowwho9247 Morten explains it clearly though. He took some wonderful images with the Tamron 150-600 G2 but for some jobs, it's not enough. The Tamron is notably crap in low light situations (I have one, I know!) and not well weather sealed. When you go in places where light and weather are crap, and you're a pro, you NEED these big glasses to achieve great shots. but for most people, a 150-600 will suffice more than enough. Just check Morten's video where he's shooting deers in Scotland under torrential rain using the Tamron. Good lesson for everybody. :)

[@RobertMintonPhotography]

Just discovered this Nigel, I have been obsessed with sharpness on my wildlife pictures, perhaps I may chill a bit now!

[@HarmBouwman]

I like this serie. Stunning stories with Martin. I like his wildlife and landscapes very much! Go on🤲

[@garfieldirwin]

Wow, two of my favourite photographers comparing notes -- doesn't get any better than this!

[@headshotke]

Very good interviews and videos with Morten! For wildlife I have AF-ON programmed with group 9 and PV button in the front to AF-ON + AF-area mode set to single point. So I have always these two focus modes accessable at my finger tips, so I can change what the AF-ON button does, for small birds I go some times to group 25, for bigger I stay on g 9...

[@urmumsgstring8254]

the birth of Nigel Hilmer ... :)

[@M_Rollins]

I shoot landscapes 85% of the time, but I always carry my 300mm+1.4tc lens, just in case a wildlife opportunity presents itself. This series is definitely something I can get into! I'm eager to see more. I've learned much about light and shadow, and how they can be used to control composition and the viewer's eye, from looking at street photography. Depth of field and subject isolation and bokeh from portrait photography. Telephoto compression and wide angle distortion from architecture photography. It's all useful knowledge, and photography is such an enjoyable thing to practice.

[@GunnarDresler]

Glad you are excited about doing something new. Morten does some impressive photos where the animal does not necessarily have to fill the frame, he is just so good at combining it with its surroundings and natural behavior. I guess he is just a great storyteller. BTW did exactly the same with my photos review and focus modes to have it on the Z6 custom buttons, makes it so much easier!

[@holgerschmitz5634]

The mountain does not move...😂👍👍👍👍

[@jameslane3846]

You don't need a long focal length for great wildlife images. There is a misconception that you need a super telephoto of 500mm for full frame equivalent for amazing wildlife images. Due to this misconception, most wildlife photos, though beautiful and stunning, look the same because of the severe compression. This is why some wildlife photographer masters are masters because they stick out. Look at David Yarrow who uses wide angle lenses and goes right up to the animals whether personally or remote fires. Nick Brandt, the God of wildlife photography, who uses a custom 105mm f2.4 on his Pentax 67 to get unique DoF normal perspective close up photos that is impossible to replicate or copy on any digital camera and software

[@johnlavin-ford8372]

Great upload... I really enjoyed that ty.

[@scotty4418]

Enjoyed this Nigel. A great way to start off a Sunday morning

[@tbs21988]

Hi Nigel, Happy New Year. I “accidental” came across your You Tube channel, but what a luck, and then I saw this fantastic video, loaded with really valuable information, especially the input from Morten pointing out ( stressing I would say ) why big, heavy (expensive) equipment is not so important. It´s a matter of being out there and getting to know your equipment, be it small and less expensive. My grandson, age 14, and I go out “shooting” wildlife, and many of the photographers we met out in the field carry around these huge long 500 or 600 mm f4 lenses, so no wonder he is “big eyes” on such a lens. I have told him that less can do it, and it´s a question about the person behind the camera which he understands, and now he can hear it from the master himself, Morten Hilmer, whom he really admires. So, many thanks for great video, and remember how important it is with that nice cup of coffee. Cheers, Torben

[@bobrutan4735]

Enjoyed!

[@JoDaniels]

Great see that based on shared interest and without losing any respect to each other you both are improving your own strengths and skills. That is why you are one of the most respectful and inspiring photographers. All photography- and gear tips are very inspiring to challenge myself on next steps to be taken on my photography goals. Thanks for sharing!

[@YOJIMMIE]

I am a former Bowhunter and wish I had a camera at times many years ago when sitting in a blind with sometimes bull elk, deer, bear, and other animals within 20-30 yards! especially bull elk bugling!

[@benwilde4337]

Soumendranath Baidya You’ve clearly never hunted.

[@AlexLancashirePersonalView]

The Ptarmigan photo is excellent, I would love to own it. Morten is a great character. You make a good team.

[@justkerry173]

That was so good to watch, really lovely to see the excitement from trying something new. I'm still trying to work out what I'm doing, so when I manage to get out, I feel like that too. It's great to feel like a kid again.

[@russleewildlife1136]

Love Morten Hilmer

[@1spitfirepilot]

Excellent.

[@janm2473]

Absolutely perfect, Nigel. A meeting of the minds. A fan in Canada..

[@christianpetersen1782]

Thanks Nigel for a really enjoyable video. You and Morten make a great pair; I don’t think I’ve seen two really enthusiasic photographers enthusing so much about landscape and nature photography. Its a real joy to watch. I can almost see your mind whirring about creating a combination of both types and I’m sure you’ll get some unique and creatively beautiful photos. Thank Marten for the camera tips and for showing us his photos. Its a pity Fujifilm don’t have comparable focal length lenses. 😕Yet!

[@kennethbradstedlarsen5194]

I love this series and your talks with Morten. Great job! I hope you keep making these

[@Ducky441]

Your reaction at the start of the video when you had seen the deer reminded me so much of the first time I saw wild deer that I was trying to photograph, I'd been looking in different areas for many months at different times of day and when I finally found them I was so over excited that all my photos were completely out of focus or over exposed and whilst that was upsetting and annoying I was also so happy that I'd found them and seen them. I don't comment very much but I just needed to say that I've really enjoyed these last two videos and I hope the series continues.

[@NigelDanson]

Yep - exactly what happened... ha ha

[@antonoat]

Wildlife photography is about capturing wildlife being wild! When people say "Shame he wasn't looking at the camera" is totally wrong in my opinion, we don't want photos of wildlife reacting to us or our presence, that is totally missing the point! I think Morten also agrees with this ethos. Fabulous film Nigel, thanks for sharing it. Cheers.

[@NigelDanson]

have to agree - thanks for the comment

[@masjaprinsen8051]

I love the movement in photo's as long as there is a bitt of sharpness to, amazing atmosphere if you ask me :-))

[@paulinefollett3099]

I really enjoyed this video. It was so nice of Morten to share his knowledge with you.

[@thomasb4717]

Another excellent vlog, Nigel. Really enjoyed this one. Great advice from Morten. Lovely guy - he’s got a great channel, too, and I look forward to his ebook. One top tip that stood out for me (after ‘get yourself out there’...) was that you need to know your equipment by heart. In wildlife photography this might be even more important than in landscape photography as you only have a split second to change camera settings. I really need to work on that in order to make the most out of these rare moments. Many thanks for sharing your insights.

[@hopoutside]

I've been shooting full manual for landscapes for a few years. I rec'd the Z9 a couple days ago, set up a few banks using auto modes. I have to say that I'm changing up my photography now by using more automated functions. I didn't feel comfortable doing this previously (i.e., giving up more control to the camera). Now, though, it makes total sense to do it because the Z9 nails focus so well. Really hoping to expand my photography to include wildlife now, which was not even a consideration before...

[@matsfotografi]

Amazing video! I would love to see Morten visiting your favorite go to sites back home Nigel. The two of you seems to have instant chemistry, 27:11 minutes just flew by!

[@JPLamoureuxsTravels]

Great guys, great tips, great footage, great pics well everything's just great lol ;)

[@SachithWithana]

Try Macro as well. Great time to photograph snowflakes. A whole different beast.

[@martharetallick204]

Macro shooting is quite the challenge. But it is one that I enjoy.

[@thegrayyernaut]

My hands are so shaky that the challenge is doubled xD

[@marcd7332]

Bao Doan get a vr lens

[@thegrayyernaut]

@@marcd7332 Of course. But the stabilisation can only help so much.

[@phooesnax]

Great episode! Thanks. Some of my best wildlife shots have been out back of house.

[@lowredphoto]

Really enjoyed this thanks Nigel and Morten.

[@mickhursey3887]

A very enjoyable video, Morten’s passion comes across in bucket loads!

[@GrymmsPlace]

Awesome, awesome video - and I would LOVE to see reactions of any innocent hikers stumbling on you in your ghilly suit - you will need a fast speed to get them though

[@uaebifvideo5472]

Beautiful episode!!thank you!!🌷🌷

[@qnetx]

Excellent video. I enjoy watching Morton and as a wildlife photographer myself, his tips are invaluable!

[@kjellgunnarklaksvik]

Another great video, Nigel. Good to see some of my favourite youtubers and photographers work together. Also nice to see that you are using the same lens (500mm F5,6 PF) as I am using with my Z6. Looking forward to follow your quest to try new things to photograph.

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks a lot

[@kemerthomson]

Two of the nicest gentlemen in photography giving expert advice ... for free! How good does KZbin get? (I never saw the point of reassigning buttons, but this video showed me a tangible benefit: thanks!)

[@nelsonm.5044]

Gear is important, I have a 150-600 mm Tamron and I bought a second hand Nikon 600 mm f/4, the quality of those lens is different and it shows on the photos. Considering that a lot of wildlife photo are cropped, you need that quality and also the light in not always perfect in the woodland so the f/4 becomes very handy. That being said the weapon of choice for a wildlife photographer is his patience

[@hamsterneckliving]

This is a fun series. Glad you’re doing it. I live on a lake and we have bald eagles sometimes. I don’t have a lens to capture them but this is inspiring me.

[@karyleianawildernesscapes]

The Tamron (g2 version) or Sigma 150-600mm is an awesome introductory bird/wildlife lense & affordable! (If you shoot Nikon, the 200-500 is also great) The Tamron 150-600mm g2 is a lense that Morten uses too! So y'know it's vouched for, as he mentioned it in this video.

[@hamsterneckliving]

Do they have those for cannon?

[@hamsterneckliving]

Canon

[@912582]

Good relaxed atmosphere with you two, just Mads needed and we have The Three Musketeers :)

[@Woodenarrows]

Excellent video Nigel. Thanks for the tips, I've always found wildlife photography so difficult I tend to ignore it but.. you've given me renewed hope. That rain too was a help to you for stalking the wildlife as well. Wet the leaves on the ground and helped to cover your step sounds. Subbed to Morten's channel as well.

[@brianjordan8990]

I really enjoy these videos. I'm definitely learning things as you go along as well. I can't wait for the next one.

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks Brian

[@RichardBirchett]

Great Video from very experienced guys, although i've just released my KZbin video on what's in a Wildlife Photographers gear bag, I have also learnt lots more. As they say every days a School Day. Great work chaps, looking forward to seeing more.

[@tjsinva]

Great info! I found that turning on the captions during the whisper session was really helpful. Later on, the captions weren't exactly spot on with what was being said. Morten has an infectious enthusiasm for what he does. Rock on!

[@gumbysenduro6546]

Absolutely awesome vid :)

[@ralphwatson7036]

LOTS of good information.

[@raylander6329]

Such wonderful video, and such interesting points of view; great to watch and think about, like "the cherry on top"; lots of take home lessons here; thank you

[@rodgerwearne9931]

Really great video this week.. Best for a long time, The cabin talk with another person was excellent (though I'm sure pebbles would be jealous of the stuffed seagull... Take it home as a chew toy 😁)

[@kernowjago1999]

Fantastic set of videos really enjoyed watching you try something different

[@SundayRacers]

Really nice video. I like Morten, he seems like a really nice guy, although I bet he's as hard as nails (with his army background). I think being a landscape photographer sets you up really well for wildlife. My favourite images are generally landscape focused images which incorporate wildlife (if that makes any sense). Morten's polar bear image is a great example - much less literal than having the bear filling the frame and gives a real sense of place.

[@naturfilms4213]

Same. I really love to show the mood of an encounter it shows so much more of how you felt.

[@SundayRacers]

natur films Absolutely. I have a huge amount of admiration for photographers such as Morten, Vincent Munier and David Yarrow. They know what makes a great image with tons of atmosphere (and many more of course, just picked those three off the top of my head).

[@naturfilms4213]

@@SundayRacers I would have listed exactly the same names 😂😂

[@mohammedaareeb5341]

Great Video has Always. Its Really Great to watch your every Video. Lots of love from india

[@josephcole3187]

This was awesome can’t wait for the Astro ... Morton looks like a giant dude 😂

[@NigelDanson]

I am just tiny... (ha)

[@KBee795]

Deer can see and hear very well but their sense of smell is their best attribute. You have to move through the woods into the wind to get the shot. They most likely smelled you from a far. If you just get behind a bush, even with no camo on, the bush will break up your body figure and you'll be fine. Don't carry food with you either as they will smell it. Good luck with your future animal pictures. These are tips from a deer hunter.

[@christopherdean5323]

Loved this. Being new to the sport I am still on the fence of what genre I prefer. Just need to get out more (note to self: stop being a fair weather shooter!)

[@JennaCee]

Really nice video! I love taking pictures of the landscape, large and small and the animals in it. So I consider myself a ‘bioscape’ photographer. Having animals and even insects in the landscape highlight the importance on the environment they are in. Something we are losing too much of every day. On another note could this have been the first of many to come - fire side chat with Nigel and company, discussing all things photography......?

[@robertbohnaker9898]

Filling the frame always comes back to me as I view the images…

[@naturshoot8448]

Loved the video.

[@jroynorris2963]

I was fooled there for a few moments. I subscribe to your channel and I started watching this video. I thought, Nigel really needs to get some tips from Morten Hilmer and with that the great man appears on there screen.

[@bennymaguire5331]

I was working a 13 hour shift today, knowing the whole time I had this video to come home to. Well worth the wait. Really doesn't get any better than this. P.s where can i pre-order your 2020 wildlife calendar? 😁

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks so much for the kind words Benny. Appreciate that.

[@ozmid40scouple]

Whoa.......I agree to some degree that "certain equipment" wont necessarily give you better quality shots, a lot of that comes down to field craft and learning the ropes BUT having a 500f4 or 600f4 can make a difference when your photography gets too a certain level......having used the 200-500 and now using the 500PF I can clearly see a jump in image quality in many of my shots......an now lusting that holey grail 600f4...just need to find a riche benefactor! lol Enjoyable watch......

[@stevebennettphotography]

So we can expect to see Pebbles wearing a variety of animal onesies in the new year then 😉😀. Excellent vid reaffirming what a hard discipline of photography that is 👍

[@NigelDanson]

ha ha

[@paulbarnard5267]

Great video and brilliant chat. Having met you I’m now shocked at how tall Morton is 😀

[@NigelDanson]

He is a big chap.

[@ianslingsby682]

Invite Morten over to the Peak District next October for the Red Deer rut on Big Moor.

[@martharetallick204]

Oh, Nigel, you had to go and talk about failure. And here I thought I was the only one who had experienced such a thing.

[@NigelDanson]

I fail a lot

[@wendynewing8834]

Very interesting.

[@pematamang9268]

Used Sony a9 or a9II it is absolutely great camera for wildlife photography?

[@CookedLight]

Someone should send this to Nikon...cameras used to have dedicated switches and buttons for these exact reasons 😉

[@Petesmotoadventure]

Gear doesn’t matter especially when you don’t know how to us it. He made a valid point about his 600mm, he uses it to make money. My favorite lens I own for my wildlife photography is 200-500mm 5.6 on my D7500.

[@sandrokumin2497]

I have the same camera and lens.

[@ReinhardBiller]

To have the playback button on my right hand is also one of the first things I change on any new camera. On my last wildlife tour I saw a deer, two mufflons and a chamois, check it out if you are interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h3u1g5epr7yNj7c

[@ianbachanek2538]

Not a wildlife photographer until you get a lot of deer butt shots. LOL. I shoot both types of photography as a hobbyist and find they do work well together for inspiration. Amazing how many times being in a spot to find animals you realize you should come back for a landscape and vice versa.

[@RaytheReviewer]

Hello,i watch your videos all the time...got a question,in your opinion,what is the most comfortable (really comfortable ,that puts the weight on the hips)camera backpack for camera gear and other long backpacking trip items? Thanks..

[@NigelDanson]

I love my Tenba bag but it depends so much on what works for you

[@RaytheReviewer]

@@NigelDanson hmm,ill look at the Tenba(looking for something that has a internal frame to distribute weight to the hips,fstop,shimoda,etc.its hard to make a decision(most bags with the variable internal,removable icu's are north of 300 bucks )....im watching reviews on you tube of course,ive used Lowepro,manfrotto,etc..i usually do alot of hiking,minimum distance is usually 4.5 miles,but average is around 9 miles or much more..anyway,thanks for your response,ill check out the Tenba...

[@denniscp4]

In order to be able to capture decent photographs, what size lens should I use?

[@NigelDanson]

anything above 200mm good

[@nldazuu]

Well done and you coffee lovers ;-)

[@beardog6569]

ASMR Nigel

[@horticultureing]

stag low light shot in glen etive Scottish highlands was setting up for a landscape and this beauty ,walked right in on frame . shot took at 24 mm nikkor 24.70 at 1/80th sec was so close to it he just froze and if to say Wellcome to Scotland .. they are usual very shy and don't come any where near flic.kr/p/QkLSgj

[@YabannPenceresi]

The gear may not be as important as a point. Because sometimes you can get good results with very simple gear. But, most importantly, the photographer must have be good. Otherwise, even if the gear is the best in the world, it may not help to get good results.

[@AntonioCalado75]

I want to know the secret of that coffe...

[@johnhubble5156]

I am sure that many people watch this video for enjoyment alone, but with the cost of a 600 mm f4 at over £10k and the 500 f5.6 pd at £3.5k many may feel that this type of photography is out of reach. If you look at the work of David Yarrow you will see that there is another way of getting high quality images of wildlife. By using extensive analysis of his subject's behaviour to predict its movements combined with a remote shutter release he obtains stunning images of wildlife using short focal length lenses. Modern mirror less cameras having wifi capability and apps that allow remote control using a smart phone make this approach accessible at relatively low cost. It allows you to capture high quality images of wildlife from the comfort of your house or hide without the need for a long telephoto. I can certainly match the quality I get from my Sigma 150-600 Con on an apsc Nikon by using a low cost Nikon Nikon 50mm f1.8 on an MFT adapter and taking this approach

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks John - and makes sense. I also mentioned and chatted about the fact you don't need those lenses and one like the Tamron is great and around $600 on eBay.

[@johnhubble5156]

@@NigelDanson Sure, which is why I bought the Sigma 150-600, but the 50mm is only £54 on MPB