We are often asked about how to get started in the wildlife filmmaking industry and, as many will tell you, the best and most straightforward advice is to get out with a camera and shoot! Wildlife stills are a great way to get started and we're lucky to live in a digital age where cameras are cheap and accessible, even if it's just on your phone. Studying wildlife photographers and how they take great pictures is a fantastic way to learn how to get that elusive shot...
The new year may well be underway but here at Maramedia we can always make the time for some wonderful wild imagery. From moody skies to lichen-festooned trees and friendly urban foxes, the Maramedia camera team reflect on their favourite wild images of 2016 and tell us how they got the shot.
![North Ron sky[10].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/553f926ce4b0a46bddb4baf6/1481295007081-L353Y2I64QDSHAFNMADH/North+Ron+sky%5B10%5D.jpg)
RAYMOND BESANT
I had just finished filming Sanderling on a wild beach on the island of Sanday and was packing my kit away. I thought I would have one last look at the shore and when I walked over the top of the dunes I saw this dramatic sky, full of angry snow clouds. I rushed down the beach and saw the lovely light being reflected in the wet sand. I used a 20mm lens and waited for the inquisitive Fulmar who had been circling me to make another pass, firing off some shots as it flew through the frame.
JIM MANTHORPE
High pressure was sitting over Scotland for much of November so there were plenty of clear, cold, frosty mornings. This was taken in Glen Affric where you will find one of the finest remnants of Caledonian pine forest in the land. But a pine forest is not just Scots pine. There are plenty of ancient birch trees too. This one was festooned in lichen. To get the best shot I opted to get under the tree, down low and shoot into the sun to make the most of the soft backlighting on the bracken and leaves. I positioned the camera so the sun was partially hidden by the tree, to avoid glare on the lens which would have killed the subtle light.
steven mcgee-callender
I am lucky enough to stay right round the corner from a fox den. This year the pair had three cubs and I would see them in my garden regularly. One morning I decided to get up at first light to see them emerge from the den. From watching them on a number of previous occasions I knew the larger male cub was extremely bold and often would approach me with little to no signs of fear. This particular morning I decided to sit on the ground to appear as unthreatening as possible. The cubs curiosity quickly got the better of him and it was not long before my shoes became his new favourite chew toy. He stayed close by for roughly 5 minutes until he decided I was no longer interesting or providing him with food and he made his merry way back into the woods.
FERGUS GILL
My approach to landscape photography has always veered towards the abstract end of the spectrum. Each woodland has its own charm and character, which in turn changes with the seasons. Often I find myself experimenting with multiple exposures, photographing individual trees and painting over or under them with other views from within the woods. There’s a lot of trial and error involved as you’d expect but every image you create is unique and that’s what I love about it.
AMY THOMPSON
My most recent obsession has been experimenting with cheap, vintage lenses (inspired by the wonderful Vintage Lenses For Video). Vintage macro lenses are great as autofocus isn't much of an issue in macro photography and new macro lenses can be particularly expensive. While on holiday in Cornwall, I was photographing foxgloves with a new (old) Vivitar macro lens when I spotted this busy bumblebee, proboscis-poised and dwarfed by the foxglove's bells.
JUSTIN PUREFOY
Lamu island is part of an archipelago off the coast of Kenya. Rich in a Swahili-Arab history, it was has been a trading hub for hundreds of years. There are no roads on the island and so the best way to get around are on traditional dhows, which have been used for centuries to ferry passengers and traders across East Africa and all the way to the Middle East. I took this picture of while onboard, as the sails, still constructed in their traditional style, caught the trade winds.
