Heaton Park in Manchester, UK, is a surprisingly decent location for observing wildlife, especially in winter. The park's grey squirrels are a common sight, and their activity in the snow offers excellent opportunities for capturing animal portraits.
Grey squirrels are obviously active all year round, but winter presents us with the chance to observe some less usual behaviours. In Heaton Park, normally they are often seen scurrying across the ground, digging for buried food, or climbing trees in the woodland right next to the small petting farm, but when it snows this makes them easier to spot as their dark grey fur makes for a stsquirrels-in-the-snow-at-heaton-park-manchesterark contrast. Because it has snowed, they need to preserve their body heat as much as possible and thus they become (even) more daring and willing to interact with humans. I've seen people hand feeding them with peanuts still in the shell - they will come and take the grub right out of your hand. This obviously makes it much easier to photograph them too, but I had no need to try to lure them this way, they were even more willing to be close to humans in the snow.
Here are a couple of ti[ of tips for wildlife photography in the snow
To photograph any animal in the snow, not just grey squirrels, a few techniques can be useful:
Use Proper Exposure Settings: Snow's high reflectivity can fool your camera's sensor into to underexposure, so adjust your exposure compensation to +1 or +2 stops. This prevents the snow from appearing too grey, but make sure to review your images on the screen (if possible), to avoid adding too much postiive exposure comensation and blowing out the hughlights.
Focus on Contrast: To ensure your subject stands out against the snow, look for areas with contrasting colours. Grey squirrels, for example, stand out well against a white backdrop due to their dark reddish fur. Consider using spot metering to ensure accurate exposure on your subject.
Timing is Everything: The best times to photograph wildlife are early morning and late afternoon when light is softer. These golden hours create a warm glow that enhances the look of your animal portraits. This softens the light as due to the time of day, there is more atmosphere for the light to travel through early and late in the day, which causes more of the blue light spectrum to refract away leaving the redder end of the spectrum, and causing that lovely soft warm light we all love to see!
Stay Low and Steady: To create a more intimate perspective, position your camera at eye level with your subject. Use a tripod or beanbag for stability, which is especially useful in snowy or slippery conditions. However, for the shots below these were not quite hand held, but the camera resting on my fingers which were in turn supported by the wall. This kept the camera low and steady, but a small plastic bag would have been handy to keep my hands and the camera kit dry (and warmer!) Speaking of which...
Keep Your Gear Protected: Snow and moisture can damage your camera. Use weather-resistant gear and carry a lens cloth to wipe off snowflakes or condensation. A camera rain cover can provide additional protection from snow and moisture. You cna buy specific rain and lens covers if you like (link below) but to be honest, I just use a bag for life.
Mind Your Composition: When composing your shots, use the rule of thirds to create balanced and visually appealing images. Position your subject off-center to create dynamic photos with a sense of movement or direction. I hear so many people sprout that the rules are there to be broken, but if you think about it, they exist because for well over 150 years now people have been experimenting with compositions in photography, and for aeons longer as painters! Sure they can be broken to great effect at times, but mostly they will help you out, especially if you're still early in your photography journey.
Use Natural Elements to Frame: Take advantage of the snowy environment by incorporating natural elements like trees, branches, or rocks to frame your subject. This adds depth and context to your portraits.
Experiment with Shutter Speed: To capture fast-moving animals, use a faster shutter speed to avoid blur. A shutter speed of 1/1000 or faster is recommended for capturing sharp, clear images of quick movements.
Play with Depth of Field: Experiment with different apertures to control the depth of field. A larger aperture (e.g., f/2.8 to f/5.6) creates a soft background, isolating your subject, while a smaller aperture (e.g., f/8 to f/11) provides more detail in the surrounding environment. Remember, you can get away with a smaller aperture (e.g. f8) and still get beautiful out of focus backgrounds if a) you're using a longer focal length, and b) if your subject is close to you and the background is further away. Point B is all relative, the closer to your subject you are and the further from the background the subject is, the more out of focus it will appear.
Be Patient and Respectful: Wildlife photography requires patience. Observe your subject's behaviour and wait for the right moment to capture natural poses. Always respect the animals and their environment by keeping a safe distance and avoiding disruptive behaviour. Please don't be that person who jumps fences or scrambles down embankments. You give us all a bad name.
Heaton Park's expansive grounds are ideal for winter exploration. The park's varied landscapes, including wooded areas and open fields, offer different settings for photographing wildlife. The snow enhances the park's visual appeal, creating a picturesque backdrop for animal portraits.
For those interested in wildlife photography but lack the means or time to get out and into a field at 4am, Heaton Park's grey squirrels offer a great opportunity at the best of time, but in the snow they present a much more special opportunity. The park's winter environment allows photographers to capture these active animals in a stunning setting. You don't need a 600 f4 and a fancy pants gimbal head, you just need a standard lens and camera. Your mobile would probably do a decent enough job for most people these days anyway.
Hope you like the shots!
Cheers
Olly
Links to Gear*:
Waterproof camera cover - https://amzn.to/4bbF7dJ
Nikon Z7 II - https://amzn.to/3wsYzU5
Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70 mm f/4 S https://amzn.to/3UwdCEB
PD Strap - https://amzn.to/4a7wIqj
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