Distance

Are these paintings or digital frames on an orange wall? No, it was my view from a bird hide.

It is somehow cynical that more and more hides are being created in the country. Don't get me wrong, it is a great way to enjoy wildlife without disturbing them. It is the expected outcome of nature becoming rarer and more vulnerable and human pressure becoming greater. Although you would expect people to come closer to nature in a hide, I think it is also creating a distance between people and wildlife.....it is like you are watching TV or you are looking at paintings in a museum......... How more emotional is it when I skulk through the forest and approach an animal without it noticing me. However, sometimes I also have to rely on hides for my photography. It is ambiguous.

Cheers, Niels

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Close encounter...

Hi,

another moment at the island of Tiengemeten. The Scottish Highland cattle that were introduced here, are a popular subject for photography. They are known for their friendly character......yeah right. I was appraoching this subadult cow with my wide angle lens to make a low level shot, emphasising the dark cloudy sky. It was keeping an eye on me, and the other way around. After getting the shot I stood up a little bit too promptly and a nearby mother cow with two calves did not like my sudden rising. She charged twice and I had to run a short distance to stay out of reach! It was good to know these animals still have their wild instinct, in the end they should appeal to the public's sense of wilderness on this island.

Cheers, Niels

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The last light

I see a lot of photographers turning home after the sun sets. Actually, most bird photographers leave the field even before the sun has set, because they consider the light too dim for nicely lit portraits. I always try to wait until there is really no glimpse of light, before I leave a scene. This photo was taken during a weekend with my friends of the Wageningse Natuurfotografen on the Island of Tiengemeten. I positioned myself facing the sunset, with a large group of Barnacle Geese between me and the sun, in order to make silhouette shots of the birds in flight. After the sun had set, the sky was still like fire. I caught this group of geese with my camera and followed them until their flight created the perfect composition.......

Cheers,

Niels