It may seem odd to group these two categories together, but the technical approach is almost identical for both. They are typically fast moving, sometimes distant subjects. This requires long telephoto lenses with fast apertures. Sadly, very fast long lenses cost an arm and a leg, so this is one area of photography I'll be a bit limited in.
I currently use Canon zooms, a 100-400mm f4L and a 75-200mm f2.8L. They are both fantastic lenses, but the 200mm, while fast, isn't really long enough and although the 400mm is long enough, it isn't fast enough. Much as I'd like a 400mm prime, at over $10,000, that's not likely to happen.
Ireland offers some of the best surfing beaches in Europe and the sport has become extremely popular over the last decade. The surf shots were taken at Inchydoney Strand in Cork.
The beach is divided by a long narrow spit of land jutting out to sea. This is great for the photographer, as it allows you to get right out to the surfers, a view not easily achieved on most beaches.
This is a collection of small native passerines (perching birds) and raptors (birds of prey). I baited an area with seeds, which I pre-focussed on. This made it relatively easy to capture the birds as they came in to feed.
The raptors are part of a captive breeding program in Donegal. The Golden Eagle program has been quite successful with as many as ten breeding pairs, which have produced six wild Irish Golden Eagles.
Some of these shots were taken in the wild (Thailand, Spain), while others were taken in wildlife preserves.
Those taken in the wild are obviously well used to humans, scrabbling through our waste for food. The lizard in image seven was burrowing through some rubbish bags on Ko Pipi.