One project I’ve been working on recently is Pied Flycatchers in the Peak District National Park. These birds are so beautiful and visit our shores during the spring and summer months from their wintering home of West Africa and live manly in woodland habitat. Their numbers are quite low and they are on the “amber” list of species by the RSPB meaning they aren’t rare but not common too.
Dawn and Dusk are your best friends as a wildlife photographer, once you understand this and what happens at these times of the day it will change how you think within your own wildlife photography. It will also improve your own images , fieldcraft and general understanding of our beautiful yet fragile natural world.
Simplicity is often the key to composing a successful photograph, where a well composed image should never look cluttered, and the main focal point or subject should be obvious. When composing an image decide which parts of the scene are most important to you and try hard to exclude any elements that are not, or don’t have a role or detract from the composition you are trying to achieve.
My love of the Dipper started as a small boy, I’d catch two buses from my home with my bag packed with cold toast and a flask to get to Lathkill Dale, in the Peak District. Once I got there I’d sit and watch these incredible birds play out their lives before me. Over the years they’ve always brought a smile to my face with their charismatic bobbing or dipping movements which I’ve always viewed as the bird ‘Curtsying’ for you.
Recently I did a podcast interview with Olly Mann for the Modern Mann series of podcasts. I will let him introduce this interview in his own words.
“My guest on this week’s Modern Mann is ex solider Craig Jones. He escaped a brutal father and found solace in the natural world. Now a distinguished wildlife photographer and conservationist, the aftermath of his traumatic childhood and military training informs his approach. In a candid interview with me, he explains how his kinship with wild creatures has helped him survive, thrive and start afresh.”
Click on the image above to be taken to this interview and fast forward until 19.40 minutes on the slider.
On March 7th 2018, Humane Society International/Europe, Luonto-Liiton susiryhmä and Eurogroup for Animals organised an event at the European Parliament to discuss the various possible solutions and strategies that member states have at their disposal to achieve long term coexistence with large carnivores for the benefit of people and wildlife conservation.
In March’s issue of the BBC Wildlife magazine I have one of my favourite photographs featured as part of their “Inside the image” article. The image was taken on my two week trip to the Falkland Islands last year. In the article I go through camera settings, my vision and thought process to help the readers to understand what was behind the image.
The Cairngorm national park in Scotland is a truly stunning, spectacular landscape with snow capped peaks and breathtaking scenery. Many areas of this pristine environment are untouched by the hand of man giving it that truly wild feel, and its home to some of the UK’s most specialist wildlife.
