[Wine Man]

Hello George,
Wonderful to see you on BirdForum.net, your reputation travels well before you

As someone who has some aspirations towards nature photography, it would be very interesting to know what equipment you use for your work.

Maybe giving me an idea as to what lenses you prefer for certain tasks and other relevant equipment.

Best regards,
Wine Man

[George McCarthy]

I use Canon bodies and lenses and have done since I first started my photography, in fact the first SLR camera I ever bought was a Canon A1. That choice, way back then, was made purely by chance. Today, as a professional wildlife and nature photographer of almost 20 years standing I have the technical expertise to make the necessary comparisons between every camera system currently on the market. Without a shadow of doubt, at this point in time, I do not believe there is anything to touch Canon (sorry all you Nikon users). If there was I can assure you I would be using it.

I own a comprehensive range of lenses - 13 at the last count from 16mm ultra wide angle to the 500mm F4, the latter a truly staggering piece of equipment. I used to own the 600mm F4 as well but, at nearly 8 kg with a body attached, it has left permanent groves in both of my shoulders! Clearly I would not get very far if I tried to carry them all with me everytime I went on a field trip, although I often come across nature photographers on my workshops who, loaded down like pack horses, seem intent on doing just that.
I have always believed that comfort plays an important part in the results we achieve and so the less I have to carry the better. 'Old git' I hear you cry in unison but I respond with 'experience'.

Wine mans last question would involve me sitting at this computer writing for the best part of this week and as I am away selling prints (I hope) this weekend at Knepp Castle in West Grinstead, Sussex I'm going to ask you all to be more specific with your questions. For instance 'What macro lens is best suited to butterflies' or 'what telephoto lens, 300mm, 400mm, 500mm, 600mm is best for bird photography'? Just send them in and I will plough thru them as time permits.

By the way I just found out that the Bird Forum stand at the Bird fair is the same marquee as mine so if you are coming there do stop by and say hello. My stands, I have two, are numbers 52 & 53 in the top corner of marquee No1. See you there. George

[sparrowbirder]

george,just curious how much manipulation you apply to your photographs,ie in photoshop!! are you of the school who think that this is a form of "cheating" personally i think you use what you can to get the best shot! ive actually had discussions about this with "purists " in the past, ive always come to the reasoning,if technology is there,use it!! end of the day,is using a telephoto lens cheating,or push processing etc etc everyone to their own i suppose!! also george,what form of wildlife photography gives you the greatest challenge,are birds the "ultimate" great to have your expertise on the forum
andy p

[George McCarthy]

Hi Sparrowbirder,

This same school of purists have been around a long time - I meet them at most camera clubs when I am lecturing.

In fact, they said the same thing about 35mm SLR cameras when they started to replace the brass and mahogany plate cameras all those years ago. They said the same thing about built-in exposure meters, about auto-exposure, about-auto focus, about TTL flash, about image stabilisation and now they are back on their soap boxes once again putting down digital photography and all those that use it. "It's not real photography, is it?" they chant in unison "it's bloody cheating!"

Even from their elevated and blinkered viewpoint they still fail to see that we are at the beginning of the greatest revolution in photography to have taken place since the photographic process was invented.

Everything I take goes thru Photoshop 7! If that makes me a cheat in their eyes so be it - I couldn't care less what they think.

There are cheats out there, of course, but then they were always out there passing off controlled subjects as wild and free.

I see photoshop as simply another (fantastic) tool in my armoury to use in the best way I see fit. At the moment (note at the moment) I do not engage in producing composites, ie two or more images blended together to create something that may have been there or not. Maybe those photographers that produce these images did see the final blended image but wasn't able/competent enough to get it in one take. I have no strong feelings about this one way or the other provided the producer declares his hand.

I will often remove bits of twig or vegetation etc if I feel it adds pictorally. Really that's about it. Anyway SB you may have set the ball rolling here - we will have to see?

Oh, and yes birds are the greatest challenge for me without a doubt.

Thanks for the questions. Rgds George

[AirData]

Hi George,

I'll ask about the telephoto lens. What do you suggest for an all-purpose telephoto lens for birding? By all-purpose I mean portability and blind sitting. Do you like the IS lens? What length do you suggest for overall use?

Thanks,