Budget Photography: Smartphone, Patience, and Luck

A burning passion for capturing the beauty of the world around us, but lacking the funds for top cameras and lenses? This is me, and I'm sure many of you reading this are in the same boat. But you don't need the fancy gadgets or editing software at top dollar prices to get Magazine / Instagram worthy photographs. All you need is a smartphone, patience, and a little bit of luck...

Our boxer's Dizzy (pictured right) and her 1 year old puppy Ziggy (Left) on a 5 hour hike up Mount Snowdon, in Wales. They say a picture says a thousand words, and this photograph captures perfectly Ziggy snoozing in the sun, relived to have reached the summit, and Dizzy's awe as she watches the clouds go by. Taken on a 24 megapixel smartphone, we had chosen the perfect setting for our photography trip to get some beautiful landscape images. However, this picture, like most animal photography, relies on an element of luck. The scene was too perfect, and I snapped the shot before they became impatient and excited to begin our descent.

I would recommend taking the efforts to set the right background for your photography, location is often key. Take the time to visit a local beauty spot, be it in midwinter when the trees and lakes are shrouded with snow, or get the perfect lighting with summer sunshine. When trying to capture glorious birds chirping and feeding their young, a forest gives a beautiful background in contrast with housing and back garden fences of your back garden. You can still take some wonderful pictures at home, but for truly inspiring images I would always venture out into nature.

Contrary to what I have just said, this image was taken in the middle of a city centre, at Coventry Cathedral in England. I was passing through the grounds, when a friendly squirrel approached me. I knelt down to show him I was friendly and coaxed him over by holding my hand out. He let me stroke his nose, clearly used to urban life and human interaction. His parting gift to me, a perfect pose as I reached for my phone.

We are a generation now which always has a phone to hand, and hence can quickly photograph moments that occur through random chance. My advice is to be alert to your surrounding for any opportunities that present themselves. It's not common for squirrels to be so friendly, often bolting up trees the moment footsteps approach. If you are lucky enough to pique the curiosity of a fellow creature, be patient and show that you are no threat. Take the time to build a relationship and allow the animal to come to you. In time you will be able to approach, and from there you will have the chance to take photographs that those less patient would struggle to achieve.

For the following year that I lived in Coventry, this squirrel would always come over to me. I became so fond of him that I named him Nutkin (after Beatrix Potter's Squirrel Nutkin), and gave him a belly rub each time he'd let me. Later in my animal photography endeavours, I found the same technique worked with birds, badgers, and foxes. If they see you as a friend, they'll allow you into their world and you would get some wonderful images, as well as newfound insight and respect for these creatures.

When it comes to animal photography, the "pretty animals" often take centre stage: fluffy animals, butterflies, baby ducklings etc. The beauty of other animals, often disregarded as pests, is completely overlooked. I'd like to make it my mission to show that every animal is beautiful, fascinating, and worthy of admiration. The ethereal wings of the hover-fly above are reminiscent of angels, glinting in the light and refracting rainbows as they pollinate the flowers - I'd never noticed this before.

Photography teaches us to look deeper into our environment, to see what often gets missed, and share it to inspire, evoke emotions, and in this case give newfound respect for nature. For the few minutes I observed this creature, I was reminded of how our ecosystem depends on the interaction of every animal with every plant, how each life cycle interacts with another, relies on each other. It was such a humbling experience. To take the photo, I simply watched, keeping my distance to ensure I did not disturb him (or her). Once he settled, I took a few snapshots, and my patience was rewarded with the photograph above.

Lastly I couldn't write this piece with mentioning the bold seagull who insisted on having his photograph taken. Returning to Snowdon, this time we hiked through the night in order to reach the peak before sunrise. From 11pm to 4:30am we ascended the steep mountainside, struggling to keep the pace as we pushed forward through stitches and aching calf muscles. We arrived shortly before the 5am sunrise, exhausted, sweaty, and eager to observe the magnificence that was to present itself. I cannot describe the beauty of what we saw, only the picture above from my humble smartphone can act as a tribute to the wonders of nature we experienced that day.

This particular photograph became my favourite, because of the audacity of the seagull, mocking us with his arrogant stance. Perhaps it's just me, but this image conjures up a story in my head. The seagull took the shortcut, flying to the top of the mountain to secure the best view, as we and many other weary climbers pushed ourselves to our limits as we chased the morning sun. As we onlookers capture the breaking of dawn, he steals the shot, posing proudly for an Instagram worthy photograph.

Photography is an amazing art form beyond the realms of language, it evokes deep emotions, tells stories, and captures memories. I will forever be reminded of this seagull when I see images of perfectly posed animals.

I hope this has shown that those with a passion for photography can achieve great images with just their smartphone, and that when it comes to animal photography, immerse yourself in nature. Find the right setting, and you can capture the beauty of our world with a lot of patience and a little bit of luck.