ABOUT ME

As a passionate nature photographer, I have gained a lot of experience since the 80s and at the beginning of my careerI still worked with an Agfa small picture film in black and white and color on 36 rolls, and then as a photographer to develop the pictures in the hope of some good pictures to have caught. Then, in the 2000s, the first digital SLR camera came out from Canon. And in 2003 the first APS-C format of the 300D which I also bought with an EF 70-300 USM. With that I really got off to a good start in wildlife photography.

In addition to a lot of photographic and technical understanding, wildlife photography usually also requires a lot of patience and background knowledge of the different habitats and behavior of animals in order to achieve good pictures. Please always have one thing in mind: nature always comes first! For a good photo, it is definitely not worth disturbing or endangering any kind.

Vandermeerfotografie adheres to the following rules of conduct and personal experience:

- to take photos in nature reserves I always adhere to the written rules of conduct. So eg. never leave the existing path, do not enter any forbidden area

-you will never find pictures of bird nests during the breeding season with vandermeerfotografie

- calm behavior as a nature photographer that has a very large influence on the escape distance.

The distance to escape depends on the time of year and the age of the animal. During the rutting season, for example, deer are so busy reproducing that they temporarily give up some of their shyness. And where people don't hunt, the animals are less shy.

The cycle of nature, the balance, the action and counteraction is so complex and sensitive that no scientist can research it in depth. Every disturbance can have extreme effects.

Make sure that the human figure is not visible. It is therefore important that I make myself as small as possible or (even better) hide / camouflage.

Many animal species recognize people by their faces from a distance. The shape of the face (eyes, nose, ears and mouth) and that of the hands, as well as light skin color, trigger escape reactions. It is therefore important to cover a light color as well as possible or to make it unrecognizable with a head covering or even better with a camouflage suit. The color of the clothing must be low in contrast, dark and blend in with the surroundings. Mammals don't see colors well, but contrasts do. Birds can distinguish colors well. Brown and green are the best colors because these colors are the most common in nature. In addition to the color, the pattern is also important.

My clothes (or those of the camouflage tent) must "shrink" in the natural pattern of the vegetation. Example: hidden in the reeds or along the pond, it is best to wear clothing with a vertical structure that merges with the stems.

My equipment

Canon Equipment:

  • Canon EOS R7 since 12.2021
  • Canon EOS R since 07.2020
  • Canon EOS 7D Mark II since 2015
  • Canon EOS 700D (for landscape photography) since 2013
  • Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
  • Canon RF 800mm f11 IS USM
  • Canon RF Converter 1.4
  • Canon Extender EF 1.4x III
  • Canon Extender EF 2x III
  • Canon Macroobjektiv EF 100mm 1:2.8L IS USM
  • Canon zoom lens EF-S 15-85mm f4:5.6 USM

Sigma Equipment:

  • Sigma DC 8-16.mm 4.5-5.6 HSM

Three pods:

  • Rollei bis 22kg 

Gimbal:

Filter Equipment:

  • Haida
  • Cokin

Photo editing program:

  • Adobe Lightroom CC
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Photoshop Express
  • Adobe Cloud

Of course, a suitable motorhome should not be missing either.

I quickly converted my Peugeot Traveler into a camper van using a Tripnuts kit.

The package comes ready to go. It only needs to be placed in the back and fixed, done.