Alan Mackenzie Photography

After twice borrowing the Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS USM, I can now count myself as the proud owner of my very own copy. Owners can save a lot of money through non-renewal of gym memberships, as heavyweight lenses paired with camera bodies help build muscle strength and aid cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, high quality professional telephoto lenses cost a lot of money, due to expensive materials and lengthy production . With UK interest rates being so low, having the odd £5000 knocking about in a shoebox can be put to better use by purchasing an L-series telephoto lens. In three years, if looked after well, it will be worth £6000.  All lenses I use front-focus on my Canon EOS-1Ds MKIII body. The 500mm lens had to be set forward by +7 points to achieve correct focus. Stability and manoeuvrability is provided by a Gimbal head mounted on a professional monopod. I need a lens capable of achieving sharp focus first time, because shy wild animals do not allow second chances. The...

Southern England is currently enjoying a heatwave, thanks to an area of high pressure to the north of Britain, bringing very warm air over the country. Temperatures in parts of inland Sussex have basked in daily maximum temperatures of 30 °C, while Brighton has reached 28 °C on successive days. We very seldom enjoy prolonged spells of warm weather in the British Isles, which experiences a changeable, maritime temperate climate. Although there's a place for fun and games during hot weather, it's not here on alanmackenziephotography.com, as I've been hard at work in the meadows and fields with my camera. After the dismal, wet summer of 2012, butterfly numbers have recovered significantly. Windy conditions in previous years have frustrated my attempts at butterfly photography. Thanks to stable weather systems in July 2013, winds have been almost non-existent. I've spotted large numbers of Small Tortoiseshells, Meadow Browns, Marbled Whites, Common Blues and in small...

The time has come to return the Canon 500mm lens to Alex and to look back at my favourite photographs of my favourite land mammal — the Roe deer. With just one day remaining, I took the lens up to the West Sussex/Surrey border, hoping to see territorial bucks roaming the meadows. It was not long, before I spotted a pair of long ears protruding through the grass — a yearling doe — ruminating until grazing time. It would be at least an hour before she woke up, so I approached a mature buck grazing in an adjacent field carpeted with buttercups. In a show of mutually beneficial tolerance, the buck allowed Magpies to sit on his back, plucking ticks and mosquitoes. When the buck eventually detected my presence, he at first made a tentative approach, before gaining confidence and strutting back and forth. When the buck disappeared, I turned my attention back towards the neighbouring doe. I carefully selected a secluded thicket on the corner of an oak lined field to quietly observe the ani...

The South Downs is one of the more underrated landscapes in the British Isles. In places, where the land is given over to crops, the Downs is a wildlife desert and very dull to look at. Fortunately, the landscape between Lewes and Brighton features attractive, well-managed mixed farmland and woodland. The South Downs in early summer is a patchwork of lush fields and hedgerows, which seem to glow in the evening light. During the 'Golden Hour', it is a landscape photographer's paradise. The abundance of trees and sparing use of pesticides makes the area a wildlife photographer's paradise as well. Roe deer are a common sight, as are buzzards, bats, foxes and hares. Roe deer Kids, born this month, are kept well-hidden in daytime, usually in long grass, while Bucks are waiting out June in preparation for the rutting season next month. The rutting season is a good time to photograph Roe deer, owing to the powerful changes in their behaviour caused by libidinal forces. B...

This is a showcase of my finest spring images, taken over the course of one week in East and West Sussex. Many thanks, once again, to Alex Lawrence for lending me the Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS USM lens, without which, many of the following images would never have existed. A crate of real ale is heading in the direction of his fridge. I took the first image on the High Weald. I caught the attention of a curious Roe buck when he heard my camera shutter. Since I did not exhibit any alarming behaviour, the deer had few reservations about coming over to investigate. I prefer to visit woodlands with few human visitors; the natural curiosity of Roe deer comes to the fore, when the only humans they encounter are quiet people, out to enjoy the peace of the countryside. Bluebells are easy to photograph, but difficult to photograph well. These spring flowers carpet forests in northwestern Europe during spring. They are so overwhelmingly beautiful, that photographers can lose sight of the art...

I had toyed with the idea of having a lazy Sunday indoors. The weather forecast was uninspiring; I hadn't slept very well. I was soon to discover I had made the right decision. St. Leonard's Forest is situated to the east of Horsham and marks the westernmost extent of the High Weald Forest Ridge. Set in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the forest is comprised of mainly coniferous trees, although there are birches, mature beeches and grand oaks, which are mostly found in the southern end. Two very pretty streams called Inholms Gill and Sheepwash Gill flow across exposed Wealden Ironstone and merge into a lovely pond adjacent to Roosthole Hill. I was surprised by the low numbers of Fallow deer in comparison to Roe deer. Fallow deer seemed confined to the periphery of St. Leonard's Forest.  Late in the evening, I spotted a pair of Roe deer along a glade at the foot of Race Hill. Provided I kept my distance, the buck and doe were content with my presen...