Photographic competition

Adventures in the Uplands - photo competition top tips!

The Uplands of Great Britain provide us all with a fantastic opportunity for exploration and adventure. With the theme of ‘Adventures in the Uplands’ you have the opportunity to highlight exciting but responsible use of the wild places you explore - be they mountains, moorlands, upland woodlands or bogs.

Here are a few tips to help you on your way to creating images of your adventures:

1.    Find the lines

Many striking images rely on ‘lead-in lines’. This could be any kind of line that the observers eye can follow through the image, providing impact and focus to the picture. Footpaths are a great example to be found in the uplands.

2.    It’s all in the detail

A great photo of the uplands doesn’t have to be a landscape. Observe people’s activities and focus on the details of what they’re doing.  Maybe it’s the water splashes while playing in puddles or a climber’s grip as they hang on for dear life!

3.    Find the interesting perspective

 
Don’t be afraid to look at a scene from many angles and perspectives to make your picture stand out from the crowd. Also think about using the light to create interesting effects like silhouettes.

4.    Go wide

 
One of our favourite things about the uplands is the wide open views they provide. Consider creating panoramic pictures to take in the entire landscape.

5.    Shoot mono

 
Black and white images can help bring out the texture in a scene in a way colour images can’t. Try thinking in monochrome to create really eye-catching photos. 


To find out more and to enter the competition, visit the Moors for the Future Partnership website. Good luck!

Making conservation engaging - a volunteer view

Guest blog post by volunteer Jackie Wragg

A crucial part of any conservation effort is public engagement. Over the summer I have volunteered with Moors for the Future Partnership to aid them in this effort. Is my motivation totally selfless? Not at all. Although I take great fulfilment from raising awareness and inspiring people to value the habitats and rally for the cause it isn’t the only benefit. It’s the invaluable experience to hopefully lead me into my future career in a rewarding role in conservation. This experience is the key to my dream job!

Comma butterfly photograped at Longshaw Estate

The unaccommodating yet spendid Green Leafhopper!

Over the summer Moors for the Future Partnership performed a “takeover” of the Moorland Discovery Centre at the Longshaw Estate every Thursday. Volunteering here gave me the opportunity to set up and run a range of activities many of which were aimed at engaging children in the different species that can be found in our local uplands.

The staff are so appreciative of the help and keen to listen to new ideas and put them into practise. The chance to be part of a team setting up an engaging experience for members of the public is something I would not have access to without volunteering. Not to mention the chance to take children out on a bug hunt in the surrounding area and the opportunity for a spot of wildlife photography at the same time. I have developed a serious obsession with getting the perfect picture of the beautiful yet unaccommodating Green Leafhopper (Cicadella viridis) thanks to seeing so many of them during my time at the Moorland Discovery Centre. They’re so quick it’s almost impossible to capture their splendidness on camera!

In addition to this “Bogfest”; an event I was truly proud to be a part of. I was chosen to provide a port-of-call for visitors to this international gathering in partnership with the IUCN at the Moors for the Future Stall. This was a fantastic opportunity to network with people working within the field and also provided some experience of working to engage different audiences such as professionals and landowners.

I intend to do much more volunteering for Moors for the Future. There is no doubt that people who volunteer are valued greatly and I look forward to more events where I can be a part of the Moors for the Future mission.

Photo competition display - on tour!

Images on display in Bakewell Gallery

A display of the winning, runner-up and selected short-listed photos from our 'water in the uplands' themed photographic competition is now touring venues throughout the summer and into autumn. You can visit the exhibition at the venues below; and we will add more dates to the list when new venues are confirmed.

26th May - 9th June: Gallery Oldham
9th June - 23rd June: Totley Library
23rd June - 7th July - Bakewell Tourist Information Centre
7th July - 21st July - Sheffield Central Library
21st July - 4th August - Marsden Moor Exhibition Centre (National Trust)
4th August - 18th August - Brownhill Countryside Centre, Greater Manchester
18th August - 1st September - Hayfield Library
1st September - 15th September - University of Sheffield -Western Bank Library
15th September - 23rd September - Edale Visitor Centre and 'BogFest'

Top tips for entering our photography competition

Here are 6 top tips for those thinking of entering our 'Water in the Uplands' photo competition: http://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/community-science/competition

1.  Slow the flow

Reduce your camera’s shutter speed to catch the dreamy effect of water in flow. 

A tripod is a handy piece of kit to keep your camera steady, but alternatively use a small bean bag or even a folded up jumper to sit your camera on. 

Use the self-timer function so you can go hands free, ensuring the camera doesn’t move while it’s recording the shot.


2. Beauty in the details


Look more closely at water and you’ll be amazed by some of the little details to be found.

Capture bubbles below a waterfall, reflections in puddles and get really close to discover the world of water droplets.










3. Water in the landscape


Consider the wider landscape and make water a part of the bigger picture.

Think how it has shaped its surroundings whether naturally or by the addition of man-made structures like bridges and weirs.





4. Go abstract

There’s so much potential for creating abstract images of water.

Create patterns from a flowing waterfall or focus on ripples in a calm pool.














5.  Winter wonderland

Winter is a great time to photograph water as the cold takes hold to create ice and snow.

Get out early after a cold night and capture incredible ice formations clinging to plants and rocks.

Alternatively take a break from sledging after a big snowfall and capture incredible winter scenery.







6.  Life giving water

There are many plant and animal species that rely on the habitats provided by the water in our uplands.

Capture beautiful creatures in their watery homes or look at plants like Sphagnum mosses that keep our blanket bogs saturated.

Tom Aspinall

Photo competition 2016 - 'Water in the Uplands'

We're very happy to announce that this year's Community Science photo competition is now open for entries.

The theme for entries this year is 'WATER IN THE UPLANDS'  - intended in part to draw attention to the wide-ranging positive effects of re-wetting blanket bogs. As ever you are free to interpret this theme as you see fit - using as much creativity and imagination as possible!

This year there are age-based categories for photographers to enter - 'Adults' or '15 and under', and we have kindly been donated some fantastic prizes:

The winner of the adults category will win this amazing HD nest box camera system worth £99 - donated by Gardenature.

The winner of the 15 and under category will win this (appropriately) waterproof camera worth £130 donated by Harrison Cameras.

The deadline for entries is 31st Dec 2016. For full details of how to enter, please see our webpage. Good luck!

Bumblee Survey - Edale Transect 1

Guest blog post by Community Science work experience student Izzy:

Today, I participated in the monthly bumblebee survey on Edale Transect 1. This transect is split into ten different sections, starting partially up the path (SK 12168 6552) that leads along Grindsbrook Clough at the north end of Edale, and continuing for just over a kilometre to SK 11438 87250.

The view along Grindsbrook Clough

The rules for the transect are relatively simple – you keep an eye out for any bumblebees that are within a two-metre radius from the centre of the path, and are less than four metres in front of you, forming a four-metre by four-metre ‘box’. Any bees that fly through the box are also valid, as long as they are under two metres from the ground. These measurements are to ensure that the survey is accurate every month, as surveyors will be looking for bees in the same places.  

You then need to keep a tally the different species of bees for each section of the transect.  This time, we saw a grand total of 59 bumblebees, of 5 different species – bilberry, heath, early, tree, and white-tailed.

Although the bees were very lethargic (perhaps because of the cloudy weather?), we saw twenty-four bilberry bumblebees, which was great; this species is one of the bees that Moors for the Future is focussing on, as they are good indicators for climate change.

A male bilberry bumblebee

Luckily, bilberry bumblebees are quite easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for – their distinctive fiery red tails stand out amongst the moorland plants.

These are a few other bee photos that I took during the transect:

Heath bumblebee

Heath bumblebee

 

White- or buff-tailed bumblebee

We saw a few bird species as well, including a grey wagtail, some stonechats, and a curlew!

Work experience with Community Science

Guest blog post by Community Science work experience student Izzy:

Hello, I’m Izzy, and this week I’m joining Moors for the Future’s Community Science Project for work experience . Since 2013, I’ve been really into wildlife and nature photography and have kept a photography blog (www.frozennature.wordpress.com); I hope to photograph some of the species and landscape in and around Edale this week.

Here are a couple of common frogs in my family’s garden pond. By March, Britain’s ponds are alive with these famous amphibians, and, if you can get close enough, they’re rather photogenic!

Blue tits are another common species in British gardens, and are active all year round. I took this photo during the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch last year, using a tripod and camera remote - most garden birds can be shy and are relatively  difficult to get close too.

 

The lynx, however, isn’t an animal that you’re likely to spot in your back garden. This elusive mammal became extinct in most parts of Western Europe after the destruction of habitats and thousands of years of persecution. The last of the British lynx disappeared around the year 700, although the Lynx UK Trust is currently doing research to reintroduce them to the British Isles. This lynx was seen at Nordens Ark in Sweden.

Here are a few more of my favourite photos:

Caterpillar in Sweden

 

Mute swan in the Somerset Levels

 

Honeybee

 

 

Wildlife photos from Crisis event - part 2

Last Friday was the second 'Creative Conservation' Community Science event with Crisis members from Sheffield. Member Steve Smith has shared this set of cracking wildlife shots he took on the day:

One of the highlights of the day was a close encounter with this roe buck near Longshaw estate

Another shot, as the roe deer makes a hasty exit...

A beautiful reed bunting seen singing in a patch of soft rush

Just one of the hundreds of millipedes all making their way along the path in Burbage Valley



A stunning meadow pipit; in a classic pose!


 

Wildlife photos from Community Science walk with Crisis members

Last Friday was the inaugural 'Creative Conservation' Community Science event with Crisis members from Sheffield -  consisting of a guided wildlife walk around the Millstone Edge and Padley Gorge area led by the Community Science team and Tom from the National Park Ranger Service, followed by an introduction to Community Science (and lunch stop) at Brunt's Barn near Grindleford.

Peacock butterfly (c) Steve Smith

Crisis member and photographer Steve took some pictures of some of the wildlife which was spotted, including the Community Science target species the Peacock Butterfly (above) - seen and recorded just below Millstone Edge.

A northern hairy wood ant nest (c) Steve Smith

Some of the other species also seen/heard and talked about were: orange-tip butterfly; early, white-tailed and tree bumblebees; willow warbler, chiffchaff, redstart, pied flycatcher, meadow and tree pipits, stonechat, buzzard, great spotted woodpecker, northern hairy wood ants, bluebells, lesser celandine, wood sorrel and birch polypore fungus (also known as razor strop) and red kite.

Female pied flycatcher (c) Steve Smith

Red kite (c) Steve Smith

Thanks to Steve for sending in these great photos, and also to everyone else involved for making it a very enjoyable day.

Picture perfect

I was very pleased this week to officially announce the winner and runners up in our 2015 photography competition. Many fantastic entries were sent in, covering the theme of 'moorland and wildlife'.

A shortlist of 25 was narrowed down to 1 overall winner and 5 runners up.

The winning image was the beautiful photo below: Malcolm Mee's shot of a short-eared owl which has momentarily perched on a moorland fence post. 

Worth the wait: Malcolm Mee's winning image

As Malcolm explained; he had been visiting the same spot for about 4 years to watch these daytime hunting owls, and finally (from his car) he snapped this suberb photo. The judges, Kate MacRae (Wildlife Kate) and Paul Hobson praised the golden light, and the use of the background moorland which put the owl into context with its landscape.

To read more about the winning picture and see the runners up; please visit our website.

Photo Competition - Top Tips from Paul Hobson

This year's Community Science photo competition, themed 'Moorland and Wildlife' is now open for your entries.

Black Darter by Paul Hobson

Local wildlife photographer and author Paul Hobson has kindly donated one of the prizes  - a signed copy of his fantastic book 'Wild Derbyshire' -  and will be helping to judge the competition alongside Kate MacRae, also known as Wildlife Kate.

The prizes - 2 fabulous signed wildlife books worth over £40

To help give you some inspiration and ideas, Paul has provided 7 top-tips for entrants:

1. The background is as important as the subject. More images are ruined by a poor background than any other reason.

2. Use a tripod, it slows you down and allows fine tuning to your composition.

3. Make sure you understand depth of field and f numbers so you choose the best depth of field (dof) for your image. Landscapes tend to want big dof's at F16 or higher. Portraits of animals and plants can look great at lower dof's using f numbers like 4 or 5.6

Red Grouse in a Peak District landscape by Paul Hobson

 

4. Make sure you understand the basic rule of composition, the rule of thirds. At its most basic try to get the subject to one side of your image and looking into the space.

5. Try to get away from auto and use one of the main modes like aperture priority, this allows you a far greater control over your camera and images.

6. Don't copy other images, try to be original and create a style of your own.

7. You don't need to travel far, all my best images are taken close to home because I can repeatedly visit and perfect my images.

To find out more about Paul's photography, and to see details of his new book 'Wildlife Photography Field Skills and Techniques' head over to his website.  

To enter the photo competition, please head to the Community Science website.