Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen

Sunday morning gear check for our upcoming trip to South Africa! I wouldn’t know a better place to go for wildlife photography in The Netherlands than the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen (Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes that is) in rut season. This is a magical place on a cool autumn morning, with mist hanging over the fields and the sounds of burling deer and rattling antlers in every direction. But do go there on a weekday in the early morning, or the place won’t be just swarming with deer, but with people too!

This was actually my first ever attempt at wildlife photography around here – I usually just lack the patience with animals that a proper wildlife photographer needs. So I’m still a landscape photographer at heart, but luckily this morning some of these deer were kind enough to strike a pose for me.

And what’s more important, my gear has come through the test perfectly. All set for some true wildlife photography action in South Africa. The Canon 100-400mm Mark II is a bit of an investment, but it’s a great piece of equipment. My old Mark I, with it’s faulty motor and a few other quirks, can happily retire now! These photos were shot on a 7D by the way, rather than my usual 5DIII. The 1.6 crop factor of the 7D, which is effectively giving me a 1.6 * 400mm = 640mm lens, can be quite helpful sometimes :).