News

Exhibition and lecture events

July 2008

I shall be exhibiting at the British Birdwatching Fair at Rutland Water, from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th August 2008. There will be limited edition canvases and framed prints for sale, or you can just come and chat about future photography tours and workshops. Please find me in the Art Marquee.

In the autumn, I have been booked as a speaker at two major international wildlife photography conferences. Firstly, at the GDT International Nature Photography Festival in Lünen, Germany, from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th October 2008. Then the following weekend, Friday 31st October to Saturday 1st November, at WildPhotos 2008 at the Royal Geographical Society in London. It's an honour to be involved with these prestigious events, and both should prove very entertaining and inspirational. Come if you can.

"The Wild East" revisited

January 2008

There is a second chance to see my exhibition "The Wild East" at Cambridge University's Museum of Zoology on Downing Street, from 7th February to 17th March 2008, open weekdays between 10.00 and 16.45. Free admission. Content as described below, but reduced to the Fenland subjects - there will still be at least twenty exhibition prints on show.

This links in with the museum sponsored photographic competition "Fens through a Lens" which I will be judging later in the year. There will also be a number of field workshops associated with the competition - more details.

Go Wild with your Camera

November 2007

This month sees the release of a fantastic new educational DVD "Go Wild with your Camera" in which I appear as a co-presenter together with fellow professional wildlife photographers Peter Cairns and Mark Hamblin. With more than two and a half hours of video content, and dealing with subjects as diverse as birds, mammals, amphibians, invertebrates and landscapes, this makes a very comprehensive tutorial for the aspiring wildlife photographer. All of the case studies feature native British species photographed in the wild, and there are additional special features such as a Jargon Buster and a Pixel to Print section to help you through the basics of digital photography. This two DVD set is filmed and produced by Andy Langley of Go Wild TV, and retails at £19.95 plus P&P. You can learn more, view a trailer, and pre-order your copy now from Go Wild TV, ready for shipping from 3rd December.

Top awards!

October 2007

I am thrilled to have been selected as the overall winner in the GDT's European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for 2007. My photograph titled "Fluidity" of a knot roost at RSPB's Snettisham reserve in Norfolk was chosen from nearly 9000 photographs by 573 photographers from 26 European countries. Results were announced at the International Nature Photography Festival in Lünen, Germany, on Saturday 27th October and I was very happy to attend to collect this prestigious award in person. More information and a gallery of all the winning photographs can be found here.

"Fluidity"

This photograph is offered for sale as one of a limited edition of only 50 canvas wrap archival prints, A1 size (594 x 841mm), at £345 including VAT and delivery. Available exclusively from ACTPIX Ltd.

"Chinstrap slide"

In addition, I also had another photograph of a chinstrap penguin "highly commended" in the "Animal Behaviour: Birds" category of the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007, representing my sixth award in this contest since 1989.

Further details here.

Nikon training courses

August 2007

Nikon Solutions have asked me to act as a wildlife photography tutor in their expanding training programme, starting in autumn 2007. This represents a significant increase in my teaching workload, and I'm very proud to have been selected for this rôle. Initially there will be one-day workshops at Nikon UK's Kingston headquarters, aimed at novice wildlife photographers, but we are hopeful that these can be rolled out to other regional venues in due course. You don't have to own a Nikon to attend - Canon and other camera users are very welcome! First date will be Tuesday 16th October 2007, in Kingston-on-Thames.

More details and booking information here.

"The Wild East" exhibition

August 2007

There will be a major exhibition of my photography at Brancaster Staithe Village Hall in Norfolk, from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th October 2007, 10.00 to 17.00 daily (FREE ADMISSION). The show will be a personal account of wildest East Anglia, depicting birds and wildlife from the murkiest mudflats of the Wash to the manicured fields of cereal city. Archival, limited edition giclée prints and canvases will be available for purchase.

I'm delighted that the talented and BAFTA award-winning sound recordist Chris Watson has agreed to enhance the show with his superb ambient and wildlife sound recordings.

ACTPIX Ltd have kindly agreed to sponsor the exhibition and will be printing and framing the images. This is a company I have used for many years, for reproduction quality duplicate transparencies and professional drum scanning, so I know they operate a rigorous colour-managed workflow to the highest archival standards. I am indebted to Andrew Jackson and his staff for their valuable support.

I will be present at the exhibition on Friday only.

I am proud to have acted as art editor and photographer-in-chief on this exciting new book by Mark Cocker. Published by Chatto & Windus of London in September 2005, this comprehensive publication is a long-awaited, worthy stablemate to Richard Mabey’s “Flora Britannica.” The book explores how birds have penetrated British culture, with examples from literature and the arts, folklore, traditions and our everyday lives. A staggering 27,000 copies were sold in the first month of publication! Available now, for £35 or less.

A sample of new photographs shot specially for this project can be seen here.

The book's photographs are amazing - the picture of an eider resting in a bubbling surf is worth the cover price alone. (Daily Express)

The great delight of my year; the book that made me feel I'd waiting for it all my life, is the magnificently produced and completely enthralling Birds Britannica. (Andrew Motion, in The Guardian)

“Photographing Wild Birds”
October 2005

Photographing Wild Birds continues to sell well at home and abroad, drawing favourable comments and enquiries from as far afield as India, Sri Lanka and South Africa. A Spanish language edition was published recently by Náyade Producciones SL. A paperback edition was released in the UK in May 2005, at £14.99.