About ME!

 



Some years ago,  I decided to learn my way around digital photography so that I could keep pictorial records of the wildlife and nature on my local patch as I began to explore it – an area of  of woodland and farmland near to where I live with a fallow field.  To say I was surprised at the variety of birds, insect life and flora would be an understatement.  

 

When I was considerably younger (a mere Tween!) I had thoroughly enjoyed a bit of birdwatching, so with the interest very much re-awakened, this time with different eyes and taking a very different approach with an appreciation now of seeing the natural world far more, observing and wondering at how, from the soil upwards, through plants and insects to birds, reptiles and mammals, everything fits together in an incredible way with an important place in the huge Nature Jigsaw.  This time around, no tick lists, instead, everything I watched and or photographed I was going to learn something about it – lifecycle, name, habitat and also really watch to learn ‘how’ the creatures behave and interact with their surroundings and neighbours. 

 

I've never been one for notebooks, so the camera has helped me keep a pictorial nature diary of much of what I see and is an essential whenever I'm out having a wander,  be it at home or if we are away.  As I learnt my way around the camera, the end goal was to take photographs that I would not be embarrassed to share, however, many of the images are very personal in that I can recall a particular day or visit somewhere from them as well as the delight in what I was seeing.  Each set of photo’s also meant some degree of rummaging in reference books, even for the familiar, so there has been much delight (felt twice – once at the time, then when reviewing my photo’s) as well as numerous ‘Well I never knew that! Moments.    

 

All of my images are of subjects that are going about their natural business and there are no captive species; beyond observing from a bird hide on a nature reserve or the garden bird feeders, the images are taken 'on the hoof' so to speak.  From time to time, a blog will appear, describing a particular walk, signs of a season or the excitement of seeing something new.  Initially the blogs added are those I originally created on my old website, however as time proceeds, new blogs will be added.

 

 I'm no expert on most of the species I see, learning as I go - the more I see, the more I realise I have to learn, but I am constantly amazed and delighted by the natural world and try to capture all aspects of this with my photography.   I hope you enjoy reading about the moments that led to them and viewing them as much I as enjoyed watching the wildlifemoments and taking them!


Gear, loved and used over the years as follows:

Canon Eos 70D

Canon Eos 80D

Canon Eos 90D

EF 100-400mmL mk1

EF 100-400mmL mk2

Canon Eos R7

RF100-500mmL

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