I was attending a business workshop at a local cricket club. When I pulled into the car park I immediately forgot about the workshop. There was a puddle following thunderstorms during the night, and a small gulp of barn swallows absolutely living their best lives around it.
I had a little bit of time before I needed to be inside. The camera was in the car, it was a no brainer to grab the camera for an impromptu wildlife photography shoot.
The swallows
Barn swallows are notoriously difficult to photograph. They exist in a state of perpetual motion that makes autofocus feel like a suggestion rather than a guarantee.
These ones had landed around the puddle and it felt like a gift. And then they took off again, swooping and diving, occasionally landing for a second before launching back into the air. You can checkout the gallery below for a few more.
I was handholding the Nikon D500 with the Sigma 150-600mm, no tripod, wobbling considerably.
The shots aren’t perfect. Some are soft and some missed the moment entirely. But some of them I’m genuinely pleased with, especially the ones where multiple birds ended up in the same frame. I mean these guys are fast and don’t stay grounded for long!
They also absolutely clocked me watching them. That little head turn side eye in one of the shots is unmistakable 😂
The robin
After watching the swallows, as I still had some time to kill I sat down on a bench, enjoying my take-out coffee and the morning sunshine. Then a robin appeared on a nearby picnic table.
Robins have a particular confidence about them, they don’t really do shy and always seem happy to pose. This one stood there in full orange breast glory, looked directly at me, and held perfectly still for just long enough.
The chairman
I made it into the workshop with approximately a few minutes to spare. The club chairman spotted me with the camera and I explained what I had been doing. He was rather excited about my camera and lens and started telling me about the deer that gather on the pitch. Then he invited me back. Anytime. Even when the club is closed, he even told me where I could park.
I went in for a business workshop and came out with a standing invitation to photograph the grounds whenever I like. Like having my own private wildlife location!
Why this matters
I talk a lot about accessible photography and unplanned moments, but this is what it actually looks like in practice.
No special location, I was on a cricket club car park. There was no real preparation other than that the camera was in the boot ready to go. I had no dedicated time, I was just early for a meeting and paying attention to the nature moving around me.
The Sigma 150-600mm on the D500 is heavy and not exactly subtle in a car park. Some of those swallow shots genuinely surprised me when I got home and looked at them properly because I could feel the shake.
You don’t always need the perfect setup, the perfect location, or a whole day set aside.
Sometimes you just need five or ten minutes and the camera in the boot 📸
Shot on Nikon D500 with Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary, handheld, in a car park, in five minutes, on the way to a meeting. Available second hand via the affiliate link in the kit sidebar 📷 #ad
