In the final chapter of his Canon Series of articles, shark and nature photographer, Chris Fallows shares some cheap photography solutions and also provides good advice for those looking to shoot animals. 

TechSmart: Is there a cheap piece of equipment/tool/solution that you use on a regular basis? 

Chris Fallows: When I’m in the bush I often walk in slops, so rather than carrying a bean bag which requires an extra hand and becomes tiresome on long treks, I will often use two slops on top of each other to give me a little platform to balance my lens on when shooting off the ground.

When photographing on the boat I have in the past used gaffer tape to tape up my lens (obviously not the zoom and focus rings), to keep salt off it. I also always leave a towel over my gear when not in use on the boat as the air contains a lot of saltines and I try to avoid this when I can.

Has your photography ever placed you in a dangerous position? 

When shooting underwater I often use my housing as a fending object to gently push sharks away. Having said that, most of the time the sharks are just curious and merely inspecting the strange object in their world.

Finally, what piece of advice do you have to offer other photographers that is perhaps not commonly talked about?

As a wildlife photographer really get to know your subject. This knowledge based on an animals’ behaviour gives you a huge advantage when being able to predict where and when to position yourself to get the best opportunities.

For more of Fallows' work, visit his art store.