Photography at the ICBP

The Centre is a great place for photography! There is a large collection of spectacular raptors, many of them out of doors and accessible at close range.

In the Hawk Walk, the flying team of birds can be photographed from many different angles and many of the large birds have proved to be the popular subjects of close-up portraits. Some of the aviaries have been refurbished with zoo mesh which has a very fine gauge so that the common problem of wire shadows has been eliminated. The flying field has a natural backdrop of trees and beautiful countryside. All the old fences have been removed and as the foliage changes over the seasons, the birds can be captured with spectacular backgrounds.

During the demonstrations, birds will fly directly overhead and whether or not you have a long lens, you will always get an opportunity for a close encounter. The challenge of flight photography is there for anyone who wants to have a go. The seating is arranged so that photographers can work on their shots without hindrance and without disturbing the other visitors who are sitting and watching.

The Centre will be running a variety of photography courses. These will include opportunities for camera groups to book private sessions to photograph birds which are presented to them by a falconer, as well as tuition for small groups or individuals in how to use a camera. This will be provided by a photographer who can cater for a wide range of abilities, starting with complete beginners. Course members will learn about image composition, camera techniques and specifically, how to take a good photo of a bird of prey. Most challenging are the techniques for flight photography and plenty of opportunities will be provided for this.

Please take time to look at the various courses on offer. We aim to be flexible with the dates to meet your needs and are now taking bookings. As with the falconry courses, a photography day or weekend may be purchased as a voucher.

Please contact us to discuss your preferences and for more details.

Please note: We apologise but should it occur that there are not enough people to make the course viable for us we will have to ask you to choose another date. We need to have at least 5 people on the photography days.