It seems to me that there is a lot of wheel re-invention in this business, stemming in part from the absence of a proper literature and catalogue of nature photography from the late 19th century to the present. Without this it is all to easy to imagine that we’ve hit on something new and wonderful and claim it as our own rather than acknowledging and building on the work that has been done in past.
In an earlier post, I traced the origins of my field studio work back to an image made in 1947 by Richard Avedon, by way of Susan Middleton and David Liittschwager. In the early 1990′s I started to work with floating hides, motivated powerfully by a picture of a male hooded merganser catching a fish, taken by the Canadian photographer, Tim Fitzharris. I am not aware of this sort of work being done previously in the UK, although Fitzharris had, at that time, been doing it for years in Canada.
Can you cite earlier precedents, in the UK or overseas? It’s one of those slightly risky techniques that few British photographers have been willing to adopt (although there are more practitioners – and opportunities – on the continent.) If you are looking to produce a distinctive body of work, there is still much to be done in the water. Just check out your equipment insurance first.
Hi Niall
It was about 7 years ago, inspired by an article that you wrote in Outdoor Photography, that I built by first, and only floating hide with the intention of photographing the courtship of the great crested grebe. I based my design however on one that Rob Jordan had used with black-necked grebes but I had very limited success with it and found it to be a most unpleasant place to work.
As I moved around in my chest waders I was constantly disturbing the decomposing organic matter on the lake bottom which then released all manner of odours into the enclosed space in which I was confined. The grebes too were unconvinced but my love of water level imagery remains as it offers a uniquely intimate view of the subject.
I’ve no doubt that in the future I will revisit this way of working but I am at present blessed with a site where I can photograph grebe courtship from a reservoir outflow. This allows me to sit on a chair, warm and dry and with my camera on a tripod but still able to produce similar water level imagery, bonus!
With a limited array of subjects at which to point my camera however I shall no doubt be forced to don the chest again soon!
Firstly, great portraits! This soft blue color adds delicate freshness to these water level images.
I am a French photographer and I built my floating blind that allowed me to approach and photograph a purple heron. The floating hide this year and it’s really a wonderful tool to provide a much more intimate with the animal photographed. Somehow, this perspective allows me to really enter into his world and observe with his eyes. And finally, not simply see the world through human eyes.
In France, the two photographers who have contributed to popularize this technique are Hellio & Van Igen (in Brenne). It seems that they use this technique since the 1980s. Before and besides, I don’t know more!
Niall, you’re referring to the work of Susan Middleton and David Liittschwager. Strange coincidence because it’s in discovering their fabulous work on the islands of Hawaii in the National Geographic, that I began to mount a photographic project on amphibians in Europe!
This work took me three years, including a full year to develop a small portable studio in order to photograph these animals at the edge of ponds, rivers and streams; in lowlands like mountains. By this approach, I wanted to take out the amphibians of their ecological context to show them like they are … beautiful. My goal was to show the public the beauty of these animals so that he can reclaim this natural heritage, their heritage.
I finished this work in 2008 and at the same time I discovered your work in the wild wonder of Europe. Great job!
From my side, I could use this technique of mini studio and white on small mammals (Apodemus, Clethrionomys, Microtus and Eliomys), when I was working with scientists in a Natural Reserve in the French Pyrenees. Job has not as easy as amphibians!
Well, my English is far from perfect too, I hope not too have flayed the language of Shakespeare.
It is time for me to return to the water! See you soon.