It was a school trip to The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre at Martin Mere in Lancashire that initially fuelled my appreciation for nature. I clearly remember arriving by coach one winter and being amazed by the grassy rooftop of the main building, put in place to hide it from the descending birds as they come down to feed. Seated inside one of the many hides, the overwhelming sound of chanting greylag geese and squabbling whooper swans filled me with excitement that I still to this day enjoy. Although the seed was planted at this early age, it wasn’t until I picked up my first camera, which was given to me as a gift did I realise how much nature was to become part of my adult life.
Photographing the natural world is a real passion. My attention to detail is what I can only describe as obsessive, and many of my friends would agree! I still, in my mind have yet to produce an image that I cannot find fault with and now, after almost 30 years behind the camera, I’m beginning to wonder if I ever will pat myself on the back for my efforts. Being hard on myself in photography comes naturally to me and I’m sure many other photographers out there would agree with this notion. It's taken a while to come to this conclusion, but I now firmly believe that this is the stuff of good consistant results, so bear that in mind when things don't go your way! My philosophy therefore is to do your best with whatever the weather presents you with on the day, and don’t beat yourself up when things go wrong. Failure is an opportunity to learn, not to feel down about. The best advice is not to get wrapped up with what other photographers are producing, as it always seems that they have only good days, when nothing could be further from the truth. Good images come along infrequently and so the answer to this is, the more time you spend trying , the more often sucess comes your way.
In the grand scheme of things, my first aim is that my pictures are considered to be both technically perfect and consistently so. In doing this I am given the opportunity by those who publish them, a chance to fulfil my second aim. This is to strive to make pictures that are memorable, not only to inspire other photographers or nature lovers, but to provoke those who have no real interest in nature to be moved by it. My third aim is probably the most challenging of all - and certainly the most important one. To instil an emotional response with each and every edited frame; a response that will leave a lasting impression - good or bad - that may bring changes, which will ultimately benefit the longevity of that we so desperately need to preserve - Our Natural Heritage.
About the site:
In brief, the site is divided up into two sections. A public area where I showcase the images that are personal favorites of mine and will probably appeal to all the photography enthusiasts out there. And then there's a private area where picture buyers can peruse or search for stock related images that are more targeted at image professionals. The development of the public area has been delayed but will be be added to in due course, so please call back.
All the very best
Simon
The photograph above of a kingfisher flying to the nest was taken by Simon from his hide whilst working under license by Natural England. The Kingfisher is a Scedule 1 species, protected at all times.
