Photography 

For many people, the smartphone is sufficient to take lovely photos of the outdoors.  Most compact and bridge cameras provide loads of settings and a wide range of focal lengths to cater for the photographer's every need. They can be very convenient for macro photography..  However, for owners of interchangeable lens cameras,fixed or zoom lenses with telephoto, wide angle and macro capability are able to deal with deal almost any situation.  Telephoto for birds and shy animals like deer, wide angle for landscapes and macro for flowers and insects (OK and arachnids and other creepy-crawlies too).  Interchangeable lens cameras can be DSLR (or even SLR film) cameras, However, the modern trend is now the mirrorless camera and many take not only still shots but also have superb video capability.  But this is not a photography website, either advising on buying photographic equipment or taking photos or displaying them.  There are just so many websites, blogs, magazines and books out there, you can find something just for you.  These include specialised media focusing on nature and wildlife photography.

However, there are some wonderful photo opportunities for photography on open land in Surrey.  So get out there and create images.  Two wonderful websites/blogs featuring photographs of birds, insects and other wildlife in the Ashtead and Epsom areas, produced by Frank Boxell, can be found HERE and HERE

Riding 

Generally speaking, riders are amongst the best behaved of all users of open land in Surrey.  They constitute a community of their own and there is no need to go into detail here.  Some fairly common sense rules are for walkers to stick to footpaths and riders, to bridleways.  When it is necessary for both to share the same stretch of ground, then riders should give walkers a wide berth and walkers should make sure that nothing they do would scare horses.  Here is but one Link

Dogs 

For many people, walking on open land in a rural spot is synonymous with dog walking.  Indeed, I was once asked why I was walking on a local common when I didn't have a dog.  Now it is said that some people enjoy an activity in such locations, that activity having  'dog' in the name but if that is your predilection, doubtless there are other websites which will address your needs.  This is about four legged friends with a cold wet nose and a waggy tail.  Open land, away from roads, allows the possibility of letting your dog or dogs off the leash to run free.  And why not.  However, there are two negative aspects to dogs which in some cases can be aggravated by the dog not being constrained (see below).  There are, though, 'safe spaces' for exercising dogs where unwanted interactions with humans can be avoided, as shown on The Dog Walking Fields website.  There are several sites in Surrey.

1. Poo

The word 'poo' has a somewhat childish, not to say overly squeamish connotation.  However, modern sensibilities seem to dictate that is the only one acceptable in polite circles, so it is used here.  A dog has a front end and a back end and it is the output from the rear which concerns us here.  Nowadays, it is generally accepted that the hygienic and socially acceptable thing is to carry a 'poo bag' to scoop-up your pet's waste and dispose of it in one of the bins provided in many areas, specifically for that purpose.  Whilst many people execute the first of those processes successfully, many fail at the second stage.  The bags are often hung from low branches or kicked into the undergrowth or even carried out into the road and disposed of there.   I have seen a poo bag hung from the tailgate windscreen wiper of a parked car.  So if you can manage the scooping part, why not complete the exercise and dispose of the bag in the accepted manner?

2. Aggression

It is said that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners and doubtless, there is some truth in that.  However, it is also well-known that some breeds are naturally more aggressive than others.  Many dog owners who exercise dogs on open land in Surrey live in urban or semi-urban environments and the dog is a pet.  In some cases, the dog is the alpha or dominant creature in the household because it has been allowed to adopt that role.  As a consequence, it can exhibit an intimidating, if not dangerous, manner when allowed to run free.  That can be directed towards people, including children, as well as farm stock.  This is in contrast to dogs, especially working dogs, in more remote areas of the hills, mountains and dales in Britain where dogs, on the whole, are better trained and better behaved. So if you know your dog is like this and you are out walking on open land in Surrey, please do not adopt a hostile attitude, defensive of the dog, if it starts to exhibit aggression towards others who feel intimidated.  Kindly keep it on a lead or better still, take it to one of the many dog trainers who can guide both dog and owner towards publicly acceptable behaviour.