Behind the Lens: The Big Catch

Patience, patience and more patience. Pro wildlife photographer Max Rinaldi reveals what it took to capture an incredible moment with pinpoint sharpness.

It can take months to set up and catch a moment like this. I stay on location lurking in a camouflaged shed, waiting for the right moment to happen. When I took this photo, it was summer and I was near Lecco lake, Northern Italy. At this time of year it's scorching hot and there's lots of mosquitoes.

My idea with this photo was to take the picture at the same height as the kingfisher. To make it work, I laid my lens down in the mud at water level, then set up, focussed on the location and had everything ready to go. I then stood nearby with a remote shutter, waiting for the decisive moment.

The kingfisher really is one of my favourite birds to photograph. It's impressive to see it in action, especially when it bursts out of the water in an explosion of colour and movement.

Max Rinaldi is a wildlife photographer based in Italy. Check out more of his work at maxrinaldiphotography.com.