Martin Bailey is a nature and wildlife photographer, originally from England though now a Japanese national, based in Tokyo. Fuelled by his passion for travel and nature, and a tireless desire to share his knowledge and artistic vision, Martin is a popular international tour and workshop leader. He’s also a pioneering Podcaster with the third longest running photography Podcast.
In this interview with Martin we chat about what he suggests you need to do to get moving, emotional, images of wildlife. Some of the things we talk about are composition, lighting, exposure, and focus. We even get a little personal and talked about his near death experience with a brain tumour and how that’s changed his life.
The three main take aways you will get from this interview are as follows. Watch the whole video to view some of Martin’s images and how they were taken.
- Be prepared – ensure you are dressed for the occasion. Don’t let bad preparation spoil your chances of getting the shot
- Be ready – don’t wait until the action starts to mess around with your camera settings.
- Be patient – spend the time necessary to capture something special and pick your moment for maximum impact
Enjoy the interview and scroll down after watching to get links
More of Martin’s amazing images
Connect with Martin Online
- Martin Bailey On Google Plus
- Martin Bailey Photography on Facebook
- Web site and blog
- Twitter @martinbailey
- Martin on YouTube
- Listen to his podcast in iTunes
Martin’s Photography Tours
Martin Bailey Wildlife Photography Tours – trips to photograph the snow monkeys in Hokkaido, Japan and Iceland’s wonderful landscape and wildlife. Join Martin for a once in a lifetime adventure!
Some of the equipment mentioned in the video
- Canon EF 1.4x II extender or multiplier
- Canon EF 2x II extender
- Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS USM lens
- Canon EF 600mm f/4 USM lens (this is the monster)
- Canon EF 400mm f/4 USM lens
- Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 – for Nikon – for Canon
- Buying a tripod tips
As Martin mentions in the interview he stays with brand name lenses. If that is not an option or affordable for you there are other options for long telephoto lenses and other brands. Sigma is gaining popularity and makes some nice lenses. These are just a few of the ones we talked about. Before buying a lens always read the reviews, and weigh your options.
ACTION PLAN
I hope you’re inspired to get out and take some photos in nature, I sure am! Even if you lack the giant lenses needed for wildlife photography, just get out into nature. If you live in the city, go take a drive with no agenda or destination and see where it takes you. See what wondrous things you find and photograph them!
As always, if you have any questions for me or for Martin please put them in the comments below. If you enjoyed this interview and Martin’s images please share the article on your favourite social media sites and help spread the word.
Cheers,