About Me

Since I was a young boy I have always been excited by the outdoors. When I was 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 a passion and 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 2011, I now have as much kit as I'm ever likely to need. 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 high quality, visually inspiring images representing the endless wonder of wildlife together with the beauty of our natural environment.

I now live in a small village in North Yorkshire with my soon to be wife and an unrelenting but interminably loveable hound. To keep track of my regular photographic excursions, both home and away, I keep a (fairly) regular blog. When I have time I also try to create photo stories to give you a better understanding of some of the places I visit.

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

Up until 2010 I used a Nikon D70 and the standard kit lenses (18-70mm and 70-300mm) and an Ikelite housing underwater. After 6 years using this set up I finally upgraded to the the following:

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.