Volunteering in photography

We asked Sarah Freeman, a volunteer photographer at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust a few questions for International Volunteer Day

Do you volunteer with many organisations or just WWT? Just WWT consistently, although I have done some one-off smaller projects.

A robin holds insects in it's beak whilst perching on a branch. — Robin (Sarah Freeman)

How long have you been taking photos, how did your interest start?

I've been taking photos more seriously for about 15 years, although I have always been interested in photography. I needed a hobby to help me get outside when I was studying for my PhD, so I bought a bridge camera. I already enjoyed nature and the two hobbies go well together! I started volunteering at WWT Martin Mere as I lived in Manchester at the time and when I moved south I switched to WWT Slimbridge.

Preferred equipment and medium?

Any digital camera really, although I do like to use a very long lens for wildlife (600mm). I use Nikon, Fuji and Tamron equipment and prefer digital as I enjoy the editing process.

Your favourite subjects to photograph, and why?

Birds - they are naturally very photogenic, there are so many different types, even here in the UK, and lots of behaviours to photograph. I find they make a lovely portrait photo as well as action shots. It's always exciting to photograph a new bird for the first time. I enjoy taking photos at Slimbridge in particular as there are so many hides where you can see the wild birds but you can also take more intimate portraits of the captive collection, and this is great for practicing different settings and techniques too.

A duck takes off from the water. — Red breasted merganser (Sarah Freeman)

Best photography project you’ve had:

Travelling around Japan, inspiration everywhere - it wasn't so much a pre-thought out project as it was technically my honeymoon! But it gave me a new genre of travel photography to explore, as well as trying to capture my own memories of the trip.

And the one you dread / hated and for what reason:

School visits - consent forms are sometimes needed, and data privacy can be stressful, as well as trying to capture action shots of children when they're not sure of the camera! When it all works out though I do enjoy it, as long as the children are having fun. Weddings are stressful for me as I worry that's the one time my memory card will corrupt or my camera will break!

Anything especially memorable, either because of the ease / problems of obtaining the photo or what it’s been used for?

Photographing the visiting waxwings in 2024 - they don't often migrate as far as the South West, so to get up really early and drive quite far in the hope of seeing them - to then see and photograph them was very memorable. It was so rewarding, as there are plenty of times I've sat waiting for hours on end for a particular bird with no luck!

They say a picture tells a thousand words, how do you think a picture can tell a story or make an impact on the reader / viewer?

I think visualisation is important, if you're talking about conservation it can be difficult for people to connect to projects in different settings or environments without a photo. It's also important to document moments in time, especially past conservation efforts and interesting people, how much do we all love seeing old photos of Peter Scott with nenes for example. The natural world is also very beautiful, photos of plants and animals can be very calming and soothing, and sometimes that's needed.

A duck sits in a lake. — Pintail (Sarah Freeman)

What do you think makes a good picture and what advice would you give to get a great image?

Right place, right time. But this often involves putting in a lot of time beforehand to know when and where the right place and time will be! The equipment doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but plenty of practice will ensure you're ready and well equipped to capture a great image when the opportunity presents itself. For birds this includes taking the time to learn their behaviour and patterns - although I've found many transferable skills between wildlife photography and sport for example, so I was able to start taking successful photos of my husband’s rugby games without additional practice!

Few of our readers will have “proper SLR cameras” and many will be using their phones, are there any tips on how to get the best photos?

Composition is key - adjust the settings to have guidelines on the screen and experiment with the different lenses on your phone, some are better wide angles than DSLRs in my opinion, others have a good digital zoom option, x2 or x3 for example, and don't forget about macro - insects, flowers, and details on a wall etc! Most phones now allow you to control the settings such as shutter speed and aperture, which is how many people were able to take fantastic photos of the recent aurora on their phones. There are also a lot of great apps for editing your phone photos and you can set phones to capture RAW files so you have more data to play with when editing.

How would you say your volunteering has benefitted you?

It makes me go outside more, and gives me something to do with all the photographs that I would be taking anyway! It can also be a nice challenge if I'm asked to photograph a specific subject or event, without too much pressure. It's also nice to be able to give back, if any of my photos help with the conservations efforts of WWT, I'd be very happy.

Find out more about volunteering with WWT at www.wwt.org.uk/join-and-support/volunteering