Photography

How to photograph cliff-nesting kittiwakes at dawn without altering their behaviour: lens, approach and shutter tips

Jan 20, 2026 • by Mathis Bernard

I often plan cliff-nesting kittiwake shoots around the same two priorities I have for any wildlife photography: get close enough to make meaningful images, and stay far enough away to leave the birds exactly as I found them. Dawn is my favourite...

Fieldcraft for photographers: composing intimate landscape shots while keeping wildlife undisturbed

Dec 02, 2025 • by Mathis Bernard

I often think of fieldcraft as the quieter half of photography — the set of small, patient skills that let you collapse the distance between yourself and a scene without collapsing the scene itself. On Britain’s borders — where cliffs meet...

How to photograph seabird colonies without disturbing nesting birds: approach distances and camera settings

Dec 02, 2025 • by Mathis Bernard

I spend a lot of time photographing seabird colonies around Britain, and one lesson keeps nudging me every time I leave the path: the best images come from patience and respect, not aggression. Nesting birds are especially vulnerable during the...