Tesni Ward: Capturing the Beauty of Overlooked Wildlife
In this episode of the SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast we dive into the captivating world of wildlife photography with the talented Tesni Ward. Hosted by Angela Nicholson, the founder of SheClicks, this episode explores Tesni’s unique journey from a casual photographer to a full-time professional capturing stunning images of wildlife across the globe.
Listen to another episode of the SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast
Tesni Ward isn't your typical wildlife photographer. While many chase after the rare and exotic, Tesni finds beauty and significance in the common species that others often overlook. From pigeons to badgers, she believes every creature has its own story and deserves attention. Her passion for wildlife is evident not just in her photography but also in her dedication to conservation and educating others about the importance of respecting nature.
Tesni’s path to becoming a full-time photographer wasn’t a straightforward one. Like many, she started with a simple point-and-shoot camera during family holidays, capturing memories without much thought of turning her hobby into a career. It wasn’t until she was made redundant from her job — a moment she now sees as a blessing in disguise — that she took the plunge into professional photography. With a significant investment in a photography trip and equipment, she decided to give it her all, and the rest, as they say, is history.
One of the pivotal moments in her early career was a solo photography trip to Alaska. Despite facing challenges, including a major lens mishap, the experience solidified her love for wildlife photography and her decision to pursue it full-time. Tesni shares how, without a concrete plan, she simply immersed herself in her craft, exploring the Peak District and honing her skills. Over time, she transitioned from struggling to find her footing to developing a multifaceted career that includes running workshops, tours, and public speaking engagements.
A significant theme in this episode is Tesni’s belief in the value of common species. While many photographers focus on capturing rare or elusive animals, Tesni emphasises the beauty and potential of photographing species that are often ignored. She argues that these creatures, like pigeons and mallards, offer endless opportunities for unique and impactful images. According to Tesni, focusing on common species not only helps develop a photographer’s skills but also shifts public perception, encouraging people to appreciate the wildlife in their own backyards.
Tesni also discusses her experience leading photography workshops and the importance of fostering a connection between people and wildlife. She dreams of offering more workshops focused on badgers, a species close to her heart, and hopes to find a landowner willing to collaborate on creating a safe and sustainable environment for these workshops.
Throughout the conversation, Tesni candidly shares the challenges she’s faced, from the difficulties of making a living as a wildlife photographer to dealing with inappropriate behaviour from others in the field. She offers valuable advice on how to approach such situations with patience and a focus on education, rather than confrontation.
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Episode Transcript
Tesni Ward
If you're always seeking the rare and the elusive stuff, everybody else is also doing that, and it's understandable why they're doing that, but it means that common species are overlooked so much that they're forgotten about, and there is so much potential with common species, because everybody ignores them, or most people ignore them, and common species can be five minutes down the road.
Angela Nicholson
Welcome to the SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast. I'm Angela Nicholson, and I'm the founder of SheClicks, which is a community for female photographers. In these podcasts, I talk with women in the photographic industry to hear about their experiences, what drives them and how they got to where they are. Now, this episode is with Tesni Ward, a wildlife photographer who believes that all species have value, so she's as happy photographing a pigeon as she is a lion when she's not capturing her own images. Tesni runs photographic workshops and tours. Hi, Tensi, thank you so much for joining me today on the SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast. It's really great to chat with you.
Tesni Ward
It's a pleasure to see you again.
Angela Nicholson
Thank you. Now, although we've spoken on many occasions in the past, I realised when I was sort of thinking about what I want to talk to you about, I don't actually know how you got into photography, so perhaps you can fill me in and the listeners on how that happened.
Tesni Ward
So I did photography for maybe three or four years, where it would just be on holiday with the family. I had a point and shoot, which was originally actually an Olympus camera that I managed to drown in the sea and then ended up with a Panasonic Lula mates. But I'd take photos once a year on the holiday, and then I wouldn't pick it up again. I wouldn't really take any pictures when I was back home. And then I really started getting into it a little bit more, maybe a year or two before I went full time. So I was driving around the Peak District trying to get landscapes, wildlife, pretty much anything, nature orientated, and then I was made redundant from my job, which was a blessing in disguise, because I had just spent over 10,000 pounds on a photography trip in a big fat Hubble telescope lens. So it was not the best of times to be made redundant, but it gave me the kick up the backside that I needed. And I decided whilst on that trip, why not try and be a photographer full time? And somehow it's still working out alright.
Angela Nicholson
Excellent. So literally, it was just a year from you deciding 'I'm quite interested in photography, I'll get more involved with it', to you actually going full time?
Tesni Ward
Yeah, so I went to, my first solo holiday, was to Alaska, and it was specifically for photography. I had a major lens mishap on the trip, so it was a little bit disastrous, but still an incredible experience. And then I'm pretty sure it was the following year when I did the next trip, made redundant a week before, and then it was like, yeah, do you know what I enjoy this? I kind of know my way around a camera by now, so let's give it a go, see how, see how I get on. Because if it ends up failing, then I can always just go back to a normal job.
Angela Nicholson
Mix blessings with the timing of the message. Because, like, you know, a week before you go on holiday, you kind of think, oh, you know, you could potentially spend the whole time worrying about that, or, because you've got that separation, you can have a bit more of a, maybe a Karma view, look, reflect upon it a bit more. Is that how you found it?
Tesni Ward
I found out, they took me to a holiday in Express so nice and public to try and dampen down my reaction. That failed, and I was pretty upset about it, because I'd taken all of my money out of savings for the trip and the lengths. So I knew somebody who lived in sky at the Isle of Skye, and I ended up just saying, Can I please come up there for a few days? Because I'm a bit of a mess. So I just went up to sky. The weather was glorious, British weather, with sideways rain and very low cloud, and, you know, didn't get anything. It was. It was just a little bit of a break. And then on the trip, it's fair to say, I was probably not in the best mental frame of mind. But anyone who's been on safari anywhere in Africa can attest to the fact that you just you wake up and everything about it, the smells, the sounds, the light, the colors, it just puts a smile on your face. So it was a very useful distraction. And I had equipment that wasn't failing me. I was having an amazing time. I was out there for two weeks, and I just decided, do you know what stuff this I'm gonna I'm gonna give it a go. And I got a little bit of inspiration. One chap who was there for one week and then left, he left a little book outside my tent and a little note, which was basically like, go and do what you want to do. Go and live your. Life. And yeah, it was like, Do you know what? What's the worst that could happen? I fail and I go back to working in a normal job. So I decided to stuff it. Let's go for it. Let's try nice.
Angela Nicholson
Isn't that nice of him to leave that book? Are you still in touch with that chap?
Tesni Ward
He was a hobby photographer. He's now become full time. He runs tours across the world, and He's based in America. He's an absolutely lovely chap, great photography, and I'm really pleased that things are going well for him as well.
Angela Nicholson
Yeah, good. I mean, sometimes you just need that little kind of spark. Don't use something something, you know, especially when something really bad's happened, you kind of just need somebody to drop something in. And you sort of think, yeah, okay. So why wildlife photography?
Tesni Ward
It doesn't talk back. The one thing that I said when I started supposedly doing it full time, albeit, was no plan or idea on how to do it, I said, the day I have to do a wedding to pay my bills is the day I quit. I'm not a people person. I'm not good with people in general. And there's just something about nature and wildlife and being out in the middle of nowhere that's just it's something else. It's an escape, and especially with wildlife, because that's what I did, landscapes and wildlife. But I ended up specializing in wildlife. You do build essentially, relationships with the wildlife that you work with. If you're working with the same location or the same family, time after time you do, you feel a bond with them, and it's so rewarding to be able to watch them go about their day to day lives, especially if you see them when they're young, when they're cubs, and you watch them grow, personality start to shine through. You can't put a price on those kinds of experiences. So there's just something about it that keeps me coming back from off.
Angela Nicholson
Yeah. So what were the first few months like as a full time photographer? You're not calling yourself professional. You talk about being a full time photographer, but that does mean you were trying to earn money from it.
Tesni Ward
I didn't have a plan at all. I didn't understand or have a clue, how on earth you actually make this work. So for the first few months, I just went out with the camera as often as possible, exploring the Peak District, not actually getting as many images as I perhaps have liked, but just, you know, trying to get really involved in it and enjoy it. Not having a job to worry about is obviously useful, because it's just like, you wake up and it's like, what we're doing today, what what we're going to go and photograph. But I was making no money at all. There used to be, or some photographers speak at the golden era, which was maybe 10 or 15 years ago, where you just go out take photos as often as possible, and you could easily earn six figure sums if you were good photographer. Obviously there were, there were unique challenges back then in terms of the equipment that you had, potentially in some regards, wildlife wasn't quite as accessible as it can be now, but it's incredibly hard to make money by just taking photos these days, so I started to realize I need to find other ways where I can still do my photography but still just be able to pay my bills. I'm not bothered about being rich or famous or, you know, being able to afford mansions. I just want to be comfortable and enjoy my life. So I ended up teaching people, workshops, tours, public speaking, writing articles. I work with magazines sometimes, which is quite nice. And I do still sell images as prints or stock images as well, but I find that there's not one source in particular that will cover everything. It's useful to have several sources of income. And you know, some months, there's not much wildlife around September for me as a quieter month, because it's a transition when it comes to British wildlife, but that's when the talk season starts to pick up. So you find yourself visiting more clubs and organizations. Christmas coming up, people are more interested in prints and, you know, get something nice for their wall. So it varies from month to month in terms of what I'm doing, but it took quite a bit of time to figure it out. I was going to lots of craft fairs and markets, hating my life. I was not having fun with them. People were emailing me saying, can you come and photograph the family? And in my head, I'm thinking, really don't want to, but then the bank account screaming at me, you kind of need to. So I did some things that aren't I'm not that good at but luckily, as things started working out and I started finding my feet, I was able to just start doing what I enjoy doing, and not having to do some of the commissions or jobs where it's very much out of my comfort zone, which isn't a bad thing, but it's just I struggled with people.
Angela Nicholson
As much as it is good, t go outside of your comfort zone, sometimes we all need a little bit of comfort as well. So, you know, you like to have your own little area where you feel can feel comfortable, so then you can sort of venture out and do something a bit different every now and again. But was there any particular point, or, you know, a step in your career where you kind of thought, now I'm getting traction this, this is how it's going to work?
Tesni Ward
I think there must have been, but if I'm brutally honest, I can't pinpoint when exactly that happened. I was kind of just fumbling around in the dark, just trying to find my way. And I found that with many professional or full time photographers, everybody has their own way that they make it work. Some people spend a lot of time doing exhibitions and craft fairs and that kind of thing, and they focus on their prints. I found quite early on it just wasn't quite right for me. So I did it, did my time, and decided, oh God, and I may have blabbered on a couple of times, saying, I'm not a people person. I can be a people person. It just takes, I'm introverted, so it takes energy to spend time people. But when people are great, and there are a lot of great people out there and a lot of people that I work with, yeah, I've got so much time for them, once you've developed just that little bit of rapport, it's easy. I may still go home and collapse of the day, but because the battery is drained, but it's it's really nice to be able to show people some of the amazing things in the UK and further afield when it comes to wildlife, and just seeing people's faces light up when they've been desperate to see a certain species of wildlife, or we see something that's just out of the ordinary, and just seeing their face light up and the excitement, and when they're reviewing their images and they realize they've got something really cool, I love that so much. I get so much enjoyment out of other people's enjoyment.
Angela Nicholson
Yeah, I can, I can understand that entirely. I think, yeah, when you have facilitated someone to achieve something that they really want to do, it does make you feel very you know, gives you a special feeling. I think so. At what point did you start offering workshops and one to ones?
Tesni Ward
I'm pretty sure I did it in the first year, but I only offered a couple from day one, I didn't want to be offering anything that I wasn't confident that I could deliver on. And obviously, with wildlife, there is always an element that's out of your control. But I won't take people somewhere where there's a 20% chance of seeing something. I want to go somewhere where there's an 80, 90% chance of seeing something. So I did a handful of smaller workshops where I was just confident I can deliver. I've been to these locations many times before, so I know what I'm doing by now, and it's just been a development over time, finding certain ways of wording things, certain phrases that I use these days that are just that they help people remember, because it's so easy, if you've been doing photography for some time, it's so easy to just think, Oh, why don't you know that? Why don't you know Surely you understand the exposure triangle and why don't you understand aperture? But if people actually think back to when they started photography, these things were alien to us as well, and they were confusing. And I remember aperture and depth of field. I was just so confused. It's important sometimes to remember that everybody started from somewhere, and I always just try and find little phrases that help people to remember things that are otherwise quite complicated. And I really hate some of the technical terms that are often used, stopping down, stopping up, all of this kind of thing. It's just, what does that mean? So I'm always just trying to not dumb it down, but just it. You don't have to sound fancy. You don't you don't have to understand the fancy stuff to a great photographer. So if we can make it simple and accessible for everybody, it should be good all around.
Angela Nicholson
Yeah, what would you say is your favorite wildlife subject?
Tesni Ward
Badgers are number one, still. I've been really unfortunate not being able to work with them for four years.
Angela Nicholson
Oh, really, that long?
Tesni Ward
Which is, is an ongoing frustration. When covid kicked off, all fun and games, they brought the badger cull to Derbyshire, which was really upsetting and disappointing on several fronts, but it was a double whammy, and Derbyshire police were being a little bit heavy handed with the restrictions. There were people getting fined because they were carrying coffee on their 30 minute exercise runs. So I didn't particularly feel comfortable, even though it was about a 20 minute drive, and technically it was work. I didn't feel comfortable going out. I didn't want to risk getting in trouble. And then when the call kicked off that Autumn, it was. Disastrous for the family that I'd worked with for a few years, and finding a good photographic set where your presence there isn't putting the badges at risk, and the light is good and the conditions are good, it can be quite difficult. I have so many sites that I know of that at face value are perfect, but the badgers don't come out until it's 11 o'clock at night, and that's just that's just not going to work type of photography. So I've recently moved about three or four months ago, I've been so busy I've just not had the time. But in September, when it quietens down a bit, I'm going to be out as often as possible, walking all of the local routes, finding a new badger set, hopefully, so that next spring, I can finally work with them again, because I miss them so much.
Angela Nicholson
Yeah, fingers crossed for that. So that must have been absolutely devastating for you, and hope you can discover a new set and a new family that would be great. What about if you haven't been photographing badgers for four years? What has taken their place in front of your camera?
Tesni Ward
So I try not to discriminate against species, but there's definitely ones that stand out more than others. Mountain hares will always have a special place in my heart. They are such special animals, and I'm very fortunate to work with them every winter. The past two winters, there's been a hair called Cami, who I found out this winter is actually a boy, not a girl. And again, being able to go back to that same hair over and over again, seeing the essentially, the trust develop over time. It's such a rewarding thing. People laugh about it. Pigeons, I flippin love pigeons. I love any species that the general public don't look on particularly fondly. And pigeons are one of the public enemies. I would argue people, for the most part, don't like them. They call them flying rats. They look at them as vermin. But if you just step back and actually spend a little bit of time with them. They are such quirky birds. Their personality is incredible. They sometimes look like a dumb bird, but they're genuinely not. They're one of the most intelligent species that we have. They can recognize their own reflection in the mirror, which a cat and dog can't do, but a pigeon can.
Angela Nicholson
I didn't know that.
Tesni Ward
Yeah, there's quite a few things that really do make them stand out. But again, they've got this this stigma. People, people hate them, whereas I look at them and I think they're beautiful, their eyes are striking. They've got little dinosaur feet, the iridescence on their plumage and the variation in the plumage, if you're looking at feral pigeons, that they've just got so much going for them. And it wasn't that long ago in the grand scheme of things, where we relied on pigeons and we loved pigeons, and then all of a sudden, something changed, and now we hate them. So I want to try and change opinions on them. They might inconvenience you. Occasionally. They might poop on your car. And now you might think there's too many of them, but once upon a time, there was too many passenger pigeons, and we shot them to extinction. So we really shouldn't take any species for granted.
Angela Nicholson
And are you photographing them in urban environments or rural?
Tesni Ward
Usually urban, because, again, feral pigeons in an urban environment, that's where you get the conflict with people. But I you know, things like wood pigeons. Any opportunity I get to photograph a pigeon or a dove, I'm going to take advantage of it. So sadly, because I've moved, I've moved quite far from the spot where I had been working with them for some time. So I need to find a new location, and I might have found one, but I need to actually try out a few more times and see if there's potential.
Angela Nicholson
How much of your time do you spend researching locations or species?
Tesni Ward
Not enough. The One of the frustrations when you become a so called full time photographer is in order to make it work financially, your personal photography sometimes has to step to the side. And this is something I've really been trying to address over the past couple of years, because I don't, I don't want to be a photographer who never takes her own images. That's that you're not a photographer then. So, you know, typically, I'm working so much that I don't have time to go and research locations when I'd go out finding new locations, I'd be out all day, walking down various tracks, and I'd be researching on Google Maps, on OS maps. So it takes time to do this, and unfortunately, at the moment, I haven't had the time. But again, I'm looking, looking at September, and I'm thinking, I've got, I've got some good free time here. I can, I can work with this. So I'm hoping, fingers crossed, that I'll get plenty of time and I'll be able to search around and find some Badgers, foxes, if I'm lucky, there's plenty of species i really want to work with, so I'm not going to say no if I find something amazing, regardless of. How rare or sought after the species is. If it's a good location, it's a good location.
Angela Nicholson
Yeah, a great image is a great image, like you're saying, you know, looking for the right light and the location, all of those things. It doesn't really matter the species. If it's a great photo,
Tesni Ward
I think it's one of the things that really limits photographers, is there's nothing wrong with having target species or species you're really passionate about. I find that everybody they will go out and photograph a certain species. Sometimes it's foxes. It can be pine martens, red squirrels. And there's something about the encounter that it's just different. There's something about it that just draws you to them, and then all of a sudden, that is your favorite species. But if you're always seeking the rare and the elusive stuff, everybody else is also doing that, and it's understandable why they're doing that, but it means that common species are overlooked so much that they're forgotten about, and there is so much potential with common species, because everybody ignores them, or most people ignore them, and common species can be five minutes down the road from you. Arguably it's harder to get an impactful image of a pigeon if you put it side by side with a puffin, if you put a very average puffin and a crack in pigeon, the puffins probably still going to do better in terms of the general public, what they're looking for. You're popping it on social media, Puffin will do better. But you should do your photography not to please others, but to please yourself. And part of photography is developing and growing your skill set and how you approach photography, you will grow a lot faster if you work with the common species and the time you spend with them, you'll actually realize that you've been missing a trick all along because mallards, pigeons, Coots, whatever it is, they are actually pretty quirky animals in their own right. They all have their own personalities, and they're a joy to work with. So don't feel like you have to just pardon the pun, pigeonhole yourself into a small number of species. Look at everything. Everything has potential.
Angela Nicholson
I think that's a very compelling argument. Personally, I love a mallard. I think they're great. They're so much more accessible. So, you know, so you think I'm going to photograph puffins, and you've automatically got to go to a point on the coast at the right time of year if you want to, you know, photograph Golden Eagles or something. They're even harder to find. So if you decide I'm going to document mallards and their life cycle or something like that, then you can probably a pond nearby. There's a river, you know, there's going to be loads around, so you have much more opportunity. So, yeah, I can see it's a very and you'll learn a lot more in the process, because you're shooting more, yep.
Tesni Ward
And just because it's common today does not mean it's common tomorrow, next year, the next 10 years, water voles used to be common as muck. They were everywhere. And I guarantee if back in those days they had the camera equipment we have today, people would not have been photographing that them that much, because in the grand scheme of things, they are a chubby brown rat, a very cute, chubby brown rat. But that's essentially what they are. But all of a sudden, because they are now incredibly difficult to find, and the population is still, for the most part, declining. All of a sudden, people are really eager to photograph them. They see the potential in the species that was already there, just because it's now rare, a bit more elusive. Yes, a mallard is the most common duck in the world, and a lot of people are often surprised to find out that on the RSPB list, they're actually Amber listed in the UK. Well, so just because they are everywhere at the moment does not mean that they're going to be around forever. There are plenty of things that put them at risk and just just don't overlook them. Ignore the public opinion. Ignore the rarity. Just see them for what they are, and you can take an amazing photo of literally anything, anything with a heartbeat, with fur or feathers. I'm game for it. I'll photograph it.
Angela Nicholson
What about scales?
Tesni Ward
Yeah, I love common lizards as well. So, yeah.
Angela Nicholson
Okay, just to be clear. You're an OM System Ambassador, formerly Olympus. How did that come about, and what kind of impact has that had on your career?
Tesni Ward
So I was incredibly lucky when I was made redundant, and I loosely just decided I'm a photographer now. About two weeks later, somebody at Olympus contacted me and said, Are you interested in trying our gear? We'll be at the photography show. We call to meet you. So I thought, You know what? You don't turn down a free trial.
Angela Nicholson
No.
Tesni Ward
It never hurts to know what else is out there. And I often find. People stick with what they originally got, whether it was a hand me down camera or they knew somebody with that brand, so they just ended up with it as well. You end up in one camp. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have the best system for you. So I thought give it a go. At the time, I was starting to get a little bit more interested in video as well. And well. And the system I had was not suitable for video, so gave it a go. Met them, lovely team, really enthusiastic. It took me a few months to get into it, if I'm honest. It was such a big jump from the system that I had using, moving over to what at the time was the EM-1 Mark I. Yeah. So I had a few issues that I was struggling with, and lo and behold, a few months later, they brought out the EM-1 Mark II, which dealt with the issues I had. So it all of a sudden became a lot easier to justify using it. And then over the course of a few more months, I just gradually used the Olympus system more, use mile system less, and it got to the point where it was just like mile system was redundant, and I was just using Olympus all the time.
Angela Nicholson
Which camera do you use now?
Tesni Ward
So I use the OM-1 Mark II. I've ended up with two of them just because it's nice to have. I always like to have a second shooter when it's when it's suitable with a shorter lens and a longer lens on. So just having them as a mirror image of one another is really, really useful. But I must have been working with them for eight or nine years now, and it's been great. They are such a wonderful team. They are so friendly and open. They do so much with the community. They want to engage with the community. They want to help communities. So all of their online videos, their live videos, coffee with the Cla(i)res, which,
Angela Nicholson
Oh, yeah.
Tesni Ward
they still do occasionally. You know that it becomes a family. It's not just a brand that you are a customer with. It's a bit of family.
Angela Nicholson
I know what you mean. They're real people. They don't feel very corporate, if you know what I mean. So yeah, it's good. What sort of impact would you say it's had on your career?
Tesni Ward
I would definitely say it's helped in in a few regards. So obviously, getting a little bit more exposure is always very useful. And they would also essentially hire me to work with them, so doing talks and events and workshops for them. Probably most of all, it's just been nice to have their support when it's been needed. And that doesn't just necessarily mean I need this fixing. Can you fix my lens? Or, you know, I want, I want to try and get this lens on low. It's also that just the emotional support. I guess I can't think of another word for it, just knowing that they're always there, like you say that they're people, they're real people. And you know, you'll go to bird fair, you'll work with them at bird fair, and then after, you'll go for a beer, and you'll have a meal together, and you'll have a laugh. And also the bonds you create with the other ambassadors.
Angela Nicholson
Yeah, that sort of sense of belonging, I think sometimes is really nice. Now, you've been published in National Geographic, haven't you? That's no small achievement.
Tesni Ward
I know that they've used some of my images in some articles. I'm not sure if I've actually had anything proper as of yet. I would love to write an article for them. That would be great.
Angela Nicholson
I thought they'd published some of your images. I think that counts.
Tesni Ward
They've definitely used some of my images and some articles. Think, some abroad. They've done Nat Geo kids, but I've not had the real big one yet. I aspire for that.
Angela Nicholson
I'm waiting for the pigeon front cover.
Tesni Ward
Oh! Wouldn't that be a dream?
Angela Nicholson
That'll be it the pigeons on the front cover.
Tesni Ward
Yes.
Angela Nicholson
Or Mallards.
Okay, well, I think it's a great time to go to Six from SheClicks. So I've got 10 questions from SheClickers. I would like you to answer six of them please by picking numbers from one to 10. So could I have your first number please?
Tesni Ward
Yeah, let's go with one.
Angela Nicholson
Number one. Okay, so when photographing wildlife like badgers and hares in winter, do you think it's necessary to have a f/2.8 aperture lens to really nail the photo? that's from Penny.
Tesni Ward
Hi, Penny. So not necessarily. Typically, when I'm working with the Badgers, I don't work with them in winter, they don't hibernate, but they go into something called torpor, which is a lot lower level of activity. Couldn't get that out a lower level of activity, but because they're nocturnal, you're still working with them in quite low light conditions, typically around sunset, and then with the hairs, the light can still be challenging, but that is during the day, and given the fact that they have the white coat or whitish it helps a bit on the exposure. So with the badges, I used to use a 2.8 lens. I used the Olympus 40-150 F/2.8 just because I had a good. Relationship with them, so they would just walk right up to me. So I didn't need a super long lens, typically with the mountain hairs I'm using the 150 to 400 so the widest aperture that I can use is 4.5 and I still think that's absolutely fine. So I wouldn't say it's essential. Depending on the camera and the sensor size that you're using, a 2.8 will typically give you a shallower depth of field, so you can isolate your subjects a little bit better, but that's more of a an artistic approach, rather than the light. I find that if I'm really struggling with the light, I will opt to put my ISO up and drop my shutter speed, knowing I might risk a little bit of motion blur, so I don't worry too much about my aperture.
Angela Nicholson
Okay, Penny was saying she's been using a 500mm lens with an extender, and that means she could only get F/14. So her ISO has to go up quite a bit, and she gets a lot of noise. So that I think F/14 is getting a bit challenging, isn't it?
Tesni Ward
F/14 is, in my opinion, a little bit too far. So typically, if I'm using converters, and I will use converters, sometimes I even double them up. I can be pushed to f/8, and f8, I really don't want to go any higher than that.
Angela Nicholson
Rightght.
Tesni Ward
And I will only use them if the light permits. So if the light's not good, I will sacrifice focal length in order to get a better aperture, get a little bit more light reaching that sensor.
Angela Nicholson
Yeah, I think there's something about recognizing the situation for what it is and adapting rather than sort of plowing on regardless, isn't it? You kind of try and make the best of what you've got, rather than try to continue to do what you had in your head.
Tesni Ward
Yeah, typically, I will try and get the keepers first. So I don't like to call them the safe images, but if it's my first encounter, I'll get some images letting as much light in as possible with the most optimal settings that I can achieve. And then, if it's a mountain hair, I've got a general portrait, but I want to get a really close detail shot. If I know I already have the initial images in the bag, it's very difficult to tell on a camera screen, but you know, you'll have a reasonable idea. So once I know I've got it in the bag, if I'm wanting to then start using a load of converters. Get a lot closer knowing that my settings aren't optimal. I'll do it because I know at least I have something. And then I can start being a bit more risky trying some I call it 'Arty Farty', intentional camera movement. So get your keepers first with your optimal, or as optimal as possible, settings. And then if you want to start pushing it a little bit, pop your converters on, change your aperture and see what you need to work with.
Okay, so that was question number one. Could I have your second number please?
I'll do two.
Angela Nicholson
Okay, what is the longest time you've had to wait on location to get a picture? That question is from Marie-Ange.
Tesni Ward
Can I cop out a bit and say years because there's still images I don't have. There's genuinely images that I have in my mind, that I've had in my mind for years and years and years where the conditions or the light or the behavior just haven't lined up. So I might have left the location, gone home and then gone back, but that there's still stuff that years on, I don't have it yet.
Angela Nicholson
Okay.
Tesni Ward
With wildlife, you need to have a certain level of reactivity, because behavior can happen that you don't anticipate, an opportunity can appear out of nowhere that you didn't expect, and you just have to catch it there and then. But I always have specific images in mind as well, which will influence Where do I sit? What light angle am I working with? What's the background like? So with those in mind, I'm still waiting for so many, so many of them, but it's worth it when you get them, and you will still get reactive images along the way, as you aspire for those ones that you've planned.
Angela Nicholson
Okay, so your third number, then, please?
Tesni Ward
Let's go for three.
Angela Nicholson
This is a very good one. You're very clear about the welfare of wildlife coming first. How do you deal with instances when you see inappropriate behavior from humans? That question is from Liz,
Tesni Ward
Right. This is a difficult one. So historically, I have been very anti confrontation, and I'm a complete and utter people pleaser. But when I see behavior that's just unacceptable, I can't stop myself anymore. My brain mouth filter is gone, and my mouth will start before my brain engages now it's so easy if we see something truly atrocious, it's so easy to let anger take over and just to snap at those people. But you're not going to influence or change behaviors in a positive way if you approach it in that way. People. Just going to be defensive as you would be, and you're just going to end up in a non productive argument. So I always try to, depending on the situation, if it's a group, I'll try and pull that person to the side so I don't essentially embarrass them in front of their friends. I try to go from the apologetic, educational approach. So I usually, I'm so sorry to have to do this or have to say this, but are you aware, for example, that your dog has just attacked a water vole, which is a protected sheet. I'd be super appreciative. If you would mind popping your dog on a lease on this, on this section, or, you know, if it's on farmland, you know, pointing out farmers got guns. If your dog worries those that livestock, your your dog could end up in in a bit of a sticky situation. So I always try and do it in a friendly way, and I always try and find a way to word it so that it looks like it's benefiting them to behave in a better way. It's not always easy. Quite often, no matter how you word it, some people will just snap back at you and they'll swear at you, and sometimes they get aggressive with you. Yeah, so if you're on your own and you're uncomfortable, don't put yourself in a situation that's not safe for you, but if you feel like you can, and if you feel like it's safe, just try and put the anger to one side. And I know how hard that is. I've seen some truly appalling stuff in the past, but try and put it to one side, because you'll get nothing productive from it. And just try and approach it in a polite, educational way. And if, if it's possible, try and spin it so that you're actually doing them a favor. Now, pop your dog on a lead, or the farmer's gonna have him. You know that nobody wants to lose their dog. Just keep it safe. Keep it friendly. Swear about them after.
Angela Nicholson
Good advice. Thank you. Could I have your fourth number please?
Tesni Ward
Let's go for five.
Angela Nicholson
Five. Okay, is there a species that you'd like to lead workshops on the most, and is it the same species that you enjoy photographing the most? So I think that's probably a question about badgers. Would you like to lead workshops on badgers the most? Or is it something else you enjoy workshops on?
Tesni Ward
Yes, I would. For a brief spell, I did some badger workshops, but because of the location, and one of the people looking after the land told the wrong person, and all of a sudden, swarms of people were visiting. So I had to basically say, I'm not doing it anymore, because the Badgers are being negatively impacted by the number of people coming. So my ideal scenario is, I would love to meet a landowner who likes wildlife, who would like to make some money from them, because at the end of the day, if you if you think about landowners and farmers, sometimes the conflict with wildlife is there because the wildlife costs them money through damage. Or, you know, some will argue sea spread, for example. So if you can turn it on its side and say, Well, look after the wildlife. Let me build a hide, and then you'll make money from the wildlife. That can be quite you know, everybody's happy then. So I would love to find a wildlife friendly landowner with badgers who would let me build a hide, and then they can have a chunk of money every time I take someone there, and it means that I can show people the badges in a safe and secure environment where there's no risk of the location ending up in the wrong hands. There's no risk of swarms of people going because it would be private land. So that is what I would love to do, because I want more people to be able to see and experience badgers. They have such a negative wrath in general, and the media don't like them particularly, and every single person who actually has an experience with a live badger ends up loving them. So to be able to do that be brilliant. And I get inquiries all the time, and it's so frustrating to have to say, sorry, no, even I'm not photographing them at the moment. And there was a there was a landowner who'd bought a farm, and they were rewilding it, and they had all sorts going on, and they wanted me to work there, and I wanted to work there, but it was over an hour's drive each way, so it just wasn't going to work. The amount of time that you have to spend developing the site and all of the fuel it just it wasn't going to work. So I need to find somewhere local. I would love to do it. I'd absolutely love to do it.
Angela Nicholson
Oh well, you never know there might be someone local listening. Who knows they've got a badger of set on their land? That would be good.
Tesni Ward
That'd be great.
Angela Nicholson
All right, so your penultimate number, then please?
Tesni Ward
Oh, seven.
Angela Nicholson
Of all of the places you've visited. What is your favorite location for wildlife photography? And that question's from Rachel.
Tesni Ward
Hate that question. Ha-ha. I hate that question, because it's so hard. The problem is everywhere that I've been, and I am fortunate, I've been to some amazing places. They all shine in their own way. And it's so, so, so, so difficult for me to pick just one place I loved, Alaska for the just vast, untouched wilderness and the experience, yes, the photographer was disastrous, but the experience, I'll never forget it. The Masai Mara photographically incredible. The light stunning, the wildlife, you're just amazing. I loved everything about it. Uganda, with everybody goes to Uganda and Rwanda for the mountain gorillas, and they were spectacular. But the chimpanzees were better, in my opinion, and spending two days following them through the forest was amazing. Beyond words, I'm forgetting where I've been, Canada. Canada's. There's too many places I honestly can't pick. If you had a gun to my head, I would just fumble. And just, I can't do this it. They all just have their own unique charm, and I can't pick,
Angela Nicholson
Well say, imagine OM System has got a new lens coming out, and they want you to go and test it. And they say we will pay for you to go on a trip. Where would you go?
Tesni Ward
I would like to go to the Falklands and South Georgia, please.
Angela Nicholson
There we go. Have you been?
Tesni Ward
I haven't been there because it could cost up to 20,000 pounds for a trip, which I don't casually have lying around.
Angela Nicholson
No, not so many people do, I suppose. But I'd love to, okay, all right, well, we'll see what we can do. Your last number then, please. Better late than never.
Tesni Ward
Let's go for 10.
Angela Nicholson
Number 10, when you did a webinar for SheClicks a few years ago, you were photographing swans on a local lake or a reservoir, Philippa remembers you used to fish out debris and rubbish early in the morning to improve the scene. She's wondering, if you've been doing anything with those images, are you still continuing with that project?
Tesni Ward
I loved that spot where I used to live. It was five minute drive away. It was very urban, as mentioned. It was full of rubbish and a little bit of a mess. That pair of swans was actually a male gay pair. There's there's a lot of homosexuality in swans that people aren't always aware of. And what will happen is, if you have two males, a surrogate female will come in, lay some eggs, leave, and then the males rear the young as if they were their own, which is really sweet. So I lived in hope for a few years that that would happen, and it never did. And it was around covid times. We don't know if the swans just left or possibly passed away, but they disappeared, never came back, and I kept going back time and time again. It was right around the garage from where I get my car done. So I kept going and checking, and the swans just never came back. So I still worked with some of the Coots and the mallards, and there were plenty of Canada geese there as well. So I did still pop and see them occasionally and try and photograph them. But now that I've moved, it's not as disastrous distance away, but there's another location I can go that's slightly closer now, and it does have swans, and it's got grebes, and it's got various bits and bobs. So I think moving forward, the plan will be to try and work there. I'm not opposed to traveling, but I think it's better overall, if you're not traveling huge distances every day for photography from a fuel perspective, from a time perspective, so I prefer to work locally, and I'm hoping this new site will pay dividends, but the light is not as good as that site. The this rise lined up beautifully there. So I'm kind of a little bit sad still to have lost that one.
Angela Nicholson
Hmmm. Well, thank you so much for answering all those questions. Tesni, it's been really lovely to hear from you.
Tesni Ward
Pleasure. I'm always happy to come back again.
Angela Nicholson
Thank you.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoyed it. Special. Thanks to everybody who sent in a question. You'll find links to Tesni's social media channels and website in the show notes. I'll be back with another episode soon, so please subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform and tell all your friends and followers about it. You'll also find SheClicks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, if you search for SheClicks net. So until next time, enjoy your photography.
