Part A - Earlier work

My earlier work includes examples from my wildlife portfolio, family life, environmental portraiture, events and wedding photography. Despite this broad range of subjects, I tend to follow a documentary approach to all my work. When photographing wildlife this might involve using my field-craft to identify a location just to sit, watch and wait, often for hours, under a scrim net! However, as my understanding of each animal’s behaviour has improved, this deepening knowledge of my subject has allowed me to work with more purpose, for example, to set up with a specific composition in mind. I think this way of working is also evident in my portraits of people, events, street photography and weddings when I will often “shoot through the moment” in anticipation of the shot that I am really hoping for.

My wildlife photography is born from a deep love of the natural world. When I first started sharing my images on social media I was struck by how many people told me they had never seen these animals in the wild. This made me think about the paradox that for many wild creatures, living on the periphery of the human gaze, both their visibility and invisibility are important for their continuing survival and protection within a curated landscape. This feedback about my work has led me to consider my ethics and impact as a photographer and the importance of photography as a medium for reframing the relationship between the human and natural world. This is a line of analysis I am keen to explore more.

I am a self taught photographer who started out photographing my children, family, friends and dogs! Although they still feature highly in my portfolio, I think now even my personal photography is made with a lot more awareness of the influence of other photographers and visual traditions on my work. Beyond my home life, I especially enjoy environmental portraiture as I often find that people are more comfortable in front of the camera when in “role” and that such roles often reveal much about them as a subject. Over recent years, I have taken on a number of professional commissions for weddings, festivals and specific work-based projects.