Tell us the story behind your photo in the British Wildlife Photography Awards exhibition?
One of the best ways to photograph Pine Marten is to find a location, usually a self-catered cottage, where they’re frequent visitors to the premise’s garden. They’re opportunistic, so will often visit in the hope of finding food, particular from bird feeders.
This image was taken in the garden of such a cottage in the summer of 2024. I set up a hide in a quiet spot in the garden, after checking telltale signs of where they were coming and going. Pine Marten are habitual, so will use regular trails to move around.
Behind this image was an entrance to one of these trails. While they don’t stand up like this too often, they will do on occasion to get a better look around before venturing out into the open. I was lucky this young male decided to look my way.
How did you go about getting that shot?
I set up a pop-up hide in the garden of this cottage, left a few peanuts out by the bird feeders and spent a long time waiting. While Pine Marten are habitual in their movements, they’re not habitual on their timings. Dawn and dusk are the most common times, but they always leave you guessing. So, patience is the game and it pays off when opportunities like this come along. A good book is a great way to while away the hours in waiting!
Did you use any particular equipment or software?
I’ve always used Canon equipment. My dad got me into photography and he uses Canon too, so it was a natural choice. My main camera is a Canon EOS R3. The mirrorless capabilities with a silent shutter have been a game changer for wildlife photography for me. I then combine the camera with either a 300mm f/2.8 or 500mm f/4 lens in most cases, though I do love wide angle images too (usually a 16-35mm f/2.8 lens). In terms of software, I do most of my editing with Adobe Lightroom but try to keep editing to a minimum.
What would you like people to think about when they see your work?
I was fascinated with wildlife and the natural world from a young age. Photography came much later. Ultimately, I love wildlife photography as it gets me closer to the natural world and it’s a way of keeping a memory of seeing an animal. I hope people see the beauty of the natural world, and in particular the amazing species we have here in the UK.
How do you know when you’ve captured “the shot” and can stop shooting?
I’m not sure I’ve ever felt I’ve captured “the shot”. While I’m proud of some images I’ve taken, the joy of being out and seeing wildlife in the flesh keeps me going out again and again. I really like this winning image of a young male Pine Marten, but I continued waiting in my hide in the hope of more encounters with him and any other animals until it was too dark to continue. As I say, good things come to those who wait. There’s always another image worth taking.
What has wildlife taught you about paying attention?
In short, an awful lot! I’m not the most patient person, but with wildlife photography you must have patience in spades, while at the same time paying constant attention. I may read a book on occasion but I’m always keeping a lookout. It also really pays to know what to listen for too. Some animals will give the game away by their calls (like a kingfisher), but Pine Marten are usually silent. It pays to know and listen to alarm calls of birds in the area. They’re top predators and any prey species are a great way to listen to what’s going on.
What projects are you working on now or have coming up?
I’m fortunate to have a good population of Brown Hares close to my home in North Yorkshire, so this is a never-ending project which I started back in 2019. I try to spend as much time as possible with them. I’m also lucky to have a pair of Little Owls nesting just across the road from my home, so in spring and summer, when they’re feeding young, they’re often seen out and about in daylight. They’re a subject I don’t get tired of seeing. They are such characters!
I then have my regular projects at different times of the year. In autumn and winter, I try to spend a lot of time with Red Squirrels as there are small populations in pockets in the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria. Finally, my favourite project of the year is time with Pine Marten. As I’ve said, I’ve visited many parts of Scotland to see them, but Ardnamurchan is my favourite. I usually visit in the summer when the chances of seeing them in daylight are best, but I do enjoy photographing them at night, sometimes in autumn and winter too. There’s always something to keep me busy throughout the year when it comes to wildlife!
Check out more of Alastair’s photography:
www.instagram.com/alastairmarshphotography