Mick Colquhoun photography

I have been taking photographs since I was a child, growing up with B & W and a home darkroom. I wanted to photograph birds for as long as I can remember but had to wait until I had finished university and could afford a decent camera. After a career in the NHS, retirement has now given me more time for photography and to develop this website.

I live near Ross on Wye in Herefordshire and most of my work is undertaken locally or in the neighbouring English and Welsh counties. 

Style and approach

I am interested in most styles of bird photography. Many of my images are portraits but I am equally keen on action and flight photography. My approach is essentially pictorial, trying to portray the subject as a picture within its natural environment. This explains why there are prominent backgrounds or surrounding features in many of the pictures.

In common with many contemporary photographers I do not have much time for nest photography. With modern equipment there is usually no need to exploit the breeding season to get close. I prefer to stalk birds during the course of their daily activities or lie in wait concealed until they arrive.

I am only interested in photographing wild birds. Collections of captive birds have undoubted value for conservation, education and for learning or practising photography, but all the pictures on this site are of wild birds. 

I prefer natural light and only rarely use flash, and then only when circumstances demand it.

Equipment

Although I started photographing birds in ernest in 1976, and butterflies soon afterwards, the great majority of the images on this website have been recorded in recent years with modern digital equipment.  I intend to add some of my film pictures scanned into digital format in due course.

I started with the Olympus OM1 using a variety of Olympus and Vivitar lenses, later adding a Nikon FM2. These days I use Nikon digital equipment, at present the D300, D600, D7000 and D7010 bodies with 500mm F4, 300mm F2.8, 70 - 200mm F2.8 and 180mm F2.8 lenses. For butterflies I use the Micro Nikkor 105mm F2.8. In early 2015 I purchased the 800mm f5.6 lens and use this extensively for long range photography; it is a stunning lens.

I use Gitzo, Manfrotto and Induro tripods with Wimberley, Benro or King Cobra heads.

Despite my general lack of enthusiasm for flash, the Nikon creative lighting system does make it effortless for someone who grew up using guide numbers and interesting times when using more than one flash head at a time.

Hides

Most of my hides are home made but I also have two modern pop-up hides which are light, erected in less than a minute and almost waterproof. I also use a variety of other camouflaged screens, clothing and aids to concealment. Hereford has many outlets for such gear although not primarily intended for photographers!