My fine-art nature photography includes wildlife, landscapes and small natural details. I'm drawn to simple compositions: an animal surrounded by open space, a silhouette against the light, or a flock forming one huge mass. The subject matters, but so does everything around it. My essay on minimalist wildlife photography shows what draws me to these images.
I go out with a purpose, whether it's an animal I want to find or an abstract image I have in mind. I often return to the same place, waiting for the light and conditions to come together. Each visit helps me get to know the place. At the same time, I stay open to something unexpected. Some of my favourite photographs came from moments I hadn't planned.
I try to get the photograph right in camera. Waiting, choosing my position and catching a small movement are a big part of the challenge. Afterwards, I usually make only small adjustments to contrast, colour and sharpness. The final image stays close to what I captured. Sometimes the scene already feels black and white; sometimes removing a little colour makes the shapes clearer. I explore those choices in my black and white nature photography essay.
Every photograph carries a memory. Flock of Gold takes me back to tens of thousands of red knots in Norfolk, the golden morning light and waiting for one bird to open its wings. I'm proud of the recognition it has received, but being there matters just as much.
I keep experimenting and following what interests me. Making photographs I enjoy is how I have found my own style. My book From nature to art brings that development together, from recording what I saw to finding my own way of seeing it.
