Looking Back in 2008

One of the club’s favorite speakers  made a welcome return to the  Scunthorpe Camera Club. Colin Smales ARPS from Grimsby Camera Club has been a freelance photographer since the early sixties.  Whenever possible, and whenever time permits Colin eagerly turns his camera toward the natural world. Although 2008 was a year of bad weather, it still presented  Colin with some super photo opportunities

Colin started the evening by showing the club his mobile hide – the car.  He took nearly all his photography out of a car window, using beanbags on the window for support. A camouflage net was also used over the car window

Serious bird photographers were encouraged to try a ‘Better Beamer’ which is a flash extender used by Colin. He didn't think the UK wildlife photographers have realised what a great gadget this really is, although it is widely used in the States for incredible warbler shots and quality images,

Colin had visited most the hides in Lincolnshire and is always trying for a different slant  - to do something different. He demonstrated this with a photograph taken at Far Ings of a Willow Warbler, taken in spring surrounded by flowers. This made an interesting change to the usual  ’ bird on a stick’ image that is often taken.

Colin normally shoots using 500ml lens, but found he had no need for it at Bempton Cliffs. Here Colin captured stunning shots of gannets which come up really close, makinging it easier to photograph. For much of the year, the cliffs at Bempton are relatively quiet, but during the breeding season, between April and August, they are crammed with birds. Bempton has the largest mainland gannet colony in Britain. When fishing gannets can dive from heights of up to 130 feet entering the water at up to 60 mph. You may see some diving for food not too far out to sea.. Six other species of seabirds nest at Bempton Cliffs. Kittiwakes are the most numerous, with 75,000 pairs packed onto the cliffs.

Colin spoke of his favourite time of year - Autumn. This was also when he took his favourite wild life shot so far, driving along a farm track amongst wheat fields in Grainthorpe. Suddenly the head of a roe deer popped up amongst the wheat. Colin managed to poke his camera out of window and  was fortunate enough to get several shots before it disappeared.

 Donna Nook also proved irresistible around mid November through to December. Colin’s photographs were taken with a long lens. He advised checking the tide times and moving out onto the low tide mark, which is approximately a 30 minute walk. Here Grey Seals can be found playing in the surf, and generally being livelier than their more usual beach bathing.

Winter brought the first recorded sighting of a one wild bird to the Lincolnshire. This was the Steppe Grey Shrike, originally from Romania/Afghanistan. It was first reported at Grainthorpe Haven in Lincolnshire on 7 November 2008 and stayed for at least 2 weeks.  Many people came to the area hoping for just a distant glimpse of it, but were surprised to find the most confident wild bird many had ever seen!  It wasn't at all bothered by the birders and would approach them within inches often sitting on the heads of the birders and their equipment.  Needless to say getting decent images wasn't a problem for Colin who spent an enjoyable couple of hours photographing it.

As Colin came to the end of another year, he had shown the club prints from all seasons and held the avid interest of his audience for every second. In his closing remarks past Club President Roy Featherstone, thanked Colin for an entertaining evening. Colin’s passion, commitment and enthusiasm for natural history shines through the quality of his work and we all look forward to next year…..