Club Meeting "From Robins to Rainforests" 6th October 2026
On 6th October 2026 Ali Marley told us the story of her photographic journey from her back garden to the wildlife of the world and her personal journey after having to give up her hairdressing career. Findng an unusual white robin in her garden, she honed her camera skills, initially at the zoo, and then with the gannets on Bempton cliffs. After lockdown enabled her to concentrate on the tits and goldfinches in the garden, she could widen her scope to many species by travelling abroad.
Ali recommended fast shutter speeds to capture birds in flight or behaving dramatically. In some cases of watching shy animals from a hide, silent shutter was vital. She has a particular interest in habitat loss and conservation, and has been monitoring Janet the black eyed gannet that survived avian flu and returns to the Farnes instead of Bass Rock. She believes practice should always be ethical.
Patience is one of Ali’s tips for this type of photography, such waiting for a prize shot such as a gannet flying through a rainbow. She will travel for a good hide and wait many hours, as she did for brown bears in Finland. No bears were seen in Alaska, but she found the sight of an Orca overwhelming. Close ups of South African elephants and lions contrasted with zoomed out shots at scale in Tanzania. The rainforest in Borneo had its lighting and condensation challenges with the orang-utans and proboscis monkeys.
We were treated to a trip through the seasons, with video footage of the animal sounds added, as we saw a courting dance of black grouse in spring, sea birds and squirrels in summer, rutting deers in autumn and seal pups in winter light.
Club vice-chair thanked Ali for showing her stunning images.
Ali recommended fast shutter speeds to capture birds in flight or behaving dramatically. In some cases of watching shy animals from a hide, silent shutter was vital. She has a particular interest in habitat loss and conservation, and has been monitoring Janet the black eyed gannet that survived avian flu and returns to the Farnes instead of Bass Rock. She believes practice should always be ethical.
Patience is one of Ali’s tips for this type of photography, such waiting for a prize shot such as a gannet flying through a rainbow. She will travel for a good hide and wait many hours, as she did for brown bears in Finland. No bears were seen in Alaska, but she found the sight of an Orca overwhelming. Close ups of South African elephants and lions contrasted with zoomed out shots at scale in Tanzania. The rainforest in Borneo had its lighting and condensation challenges with the orang-utans and proboscis monkeys.
We were treated to a trip through the seasons, with video footage of the animal sounds added, as we saw a courting dance of black grouse in spring, sea birds and squirrels in summer, rutting deers in autumn and seal pups in winter light.
Club vice-chair thanked Ali for showing her stunning images.