I am an award winning photographer based in North Yorkshire. My photos have been featured across a range of competitions and publications, including category winner of the British Photography Awards in 2020, featured in the British Wildlife Photography Awards, Bird Photographer of the Year, Zoological Society of London (both category winner and highly commended in 2016), Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, Africa Geographic, Wildlife Trust, and the Woodland Trust. I post on my blog page about images in competitions if you're interested in having a look.
I have always had a passion for wildlife from as early as I can remember. Photography came much later. A lot of my childhood was spent crawling around in the undergrowth on the lookout for pretty much whatever I could find, including searching for snakes in Australia on a family holiday when I was 8 years old much to my parents’ concern! As a child I was mesmerised by wildlife documentaries, in particular the Trials of Life series, and now I try to spend as much time experiencing this wildlife with my own eyes.
I was very fortunate to go to South Africa when I turned 21 to realise a lifelong dream of diving with Great White Sharks. To me they’re the most awe-inspiring animals I have ever encountered. It was this trip that started my interest in photography. I was impressed with the photos my dad took during the holiday and decided I wanted to get a camera myself in the hope I could take similar images. So in 2009 I bought my first DSLR; an entry level Canon camera.
After finishing university in 2009 I went back South Africa after deciding to volunteer with White Shark Projects, an ethical shark diving company based in Gansbaai offering trips to dive with Great White Sharks as well as educating guests on the truth about these animals. I took my new Canon DSLR with me. Of course, being new to photography, my photos weren’t exactly competition winners but I was happy having learnt some of the basics and in one of my favourite places on earth.
My interest in photography grew from this point but it wasn’t until 2013 that the interest became an obsession. I wanted to try and take my photography to the next level and learn how to take photos that would challenge my current skills and impress others. Now I am constantly in competition with myself, trying to better my photography and all the while in search of wildlife experiences. I try to spend as much time as possible travelling the country, both locally and afar, watching and photographing wildlife and the landscapes they call home.
Ultimately the main reason I enjoy photography so much is the way it has encouraged me to learn so much more about the natural world, its geography and the wildlife we share it with. I have learnt how rewarding it is to stop and appreciate things we’re often too busy to notice. I hope you enjoy looking at my website and please do get in touch. I welcome any feedback you’d like to give.
Please do link in with me via my social media accounts; Facebook, Instagram and Flickr.