About Me

Since I was very young I've always been excited by the outdoors. When I got a little older this excitement turned to admiration and curiosity leading me to broaden my horizons and travel the world. My first real encounter with photography was on a visit to New Zealand in 1996 where, armed with a cheap compact film camera, I began what was to quickly become an obsession.

In 1999 I moved to North Wales where I was introduced to a number of talented, inspiring photographers and the world of underwater photography. Unaware of what UK seas had to offer I was astounded at the diversity of life and colour that hides beneath our waves. Without much money I slogged on first with an old Minolta then a Nikon F60 which I'd acquired from a friend a few years earlier, selectively photographing as much as I dared for fear of the dreaded developing costs. In 2005 I was finally able to afford my own digital setup, and thus began a new era in my photography.

Fast foward to 2012, I now have as much kit as I'm ever likely to need (well, that's never really true). Since leaving Wales in 2005 I've had the opportunity to travel to some beautfiul parts of the world, hauling my camera kit around with me in an attempt to produce inspiring images representing the endless wonder of wildlife together with the beauty of our natural environment.

I currently live in North Yorkshire, the landscapes and wildlife of which have been the main focus of my photography for the last few months. I'm constantly surprised at the variety of unexpected photographic opportunities practically on my doorstep. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking where you live doesn't have much to offer photographically, but this is almost certainly not the case - you just have to get out and look about.

I am also a photographer for the Earth in Focus project, a niche stock library and gallery featuring images purely relating to ecology, conservation and the environment.

Equipment

Land: Nikon D700 with 16-35mm f4, 50mm f1.4, 70-200mm f2.8VRII, 500mm f4 VRII, 1.4x, 1.7x, 2x teleconverters, Lee filters, Gitzo tripod, Wimberley & Kirk heads.

Underwater: Nikon D700 with 105mm VR Macro, Sigma 15mm FE, Nauticam Housing, 2x Inon Z240 strobes, dioptres/teleconverters.