First of all let me apologise for being so late with this review. Keeping up with the blog is definitely not one my strongest points, something I hope to improve on in 2017!

2016 has been a great year for my photography with a massive expansion in my portfolio, lots of new clients and success in 3 major competitions! 

The competition success has definitely been the biggest achievement for me this year. As my own harshest critic I never think my work is good enough, so it’s a real confidence booster to do well in these prestigious competitions. This year I have been highly commended in the BWPA, won an award in LPOTY and finally won another award in IGPOTY,  the final results of which I will find out on the opening night at Kew Gardens on the 3rd Feb 2017.

Looking back at images from over the year I can once again see how my tastes have changed, and the quality has progressed. I’m now much more focused on specific genres and the style of images that I create.

Anyway without further ado, on to the images. I’ve put together a selection, split between landscape and wildlife. I hope you enjoy looking back through at some of my favourites. Here are my top 16 for 2016!

Landscape

One of the first sunrises of the year for me. The forecast hadn’t looked especially great but I had promised a friend we would head out, so we decided to risk it anyway and boy am I glad we did. The clouds lit up with an incredible red glow.

In contrast to the striking colours of the first image, I like this one because of the stillness of the reservoir and the muted colours. After a disappointing sunrise on Mam Tor, I decided to head back home via Ladybower Reservoir to capture some reflections in the fog.

I had been searching for a few years now for a photogenic bluebell wood near me to no avail. Eventually it began to seem like a lost cause and I was beginning to think that I would have to go down south to get the images I was after. So you can imagine my excitement when a friend tipped me off to this stunning patch of carpeted woodland just 30 minutes from home! I spent an afternoon wandering the paths of this beautiful forest carpeted with fragrant bluebells. Pure bliss! 

Another floral image. This time a few weeks later with the flowering early purple orchids. Cressbrook Dale is one of my all time favourite locations in the Peak District.

Although this isn’t the most dramatic of images, it still remains one of my firm favourites. The combination of the movement in the bright fresh foliage, smooth flowing water and mossy rocks really bring back memories of summer days spent on the riverbank.

Another waterfall, this time Roughting Linn in Northumberland. This was such a magical place, relatively unknown to most and tricky to find, hidden away in a deep valley. I spent a few hours here trying out various compositions, this being my favourite for the day. 

This image for me is an reminder to always keep persevering even if things don’t look promising. I stood for an hour an a half in this spot under dull grey cloud hoping the sun would find a gap to break through. Unlike so many other times this was my lucky day and I got a minute of this incredible light. 

My final landscape is another image where perseverance really paid off. The sun managed to break through the tiniest gap in the clouds, creating this well defined beam of light and illuminating the clumps of vibrant bell heather on the edge.

Wildlife

After having been out countless times to photograph short eared owls in the Peak District in early 2016, I hadn’t managed to capture any of the images I’d been aiming for. After weeks of unsuccessful trips, my luck finally changed and I got some up close views of this stunning bird. Yet another example of when persistence pays.

The kingfisher is one of the most vibrant and well loved of all British wildlife. Every wildlife photographer has or aims to have kingfishers in their portfolio. After almost giving up searching for them and booking a hide day (not an idea I was overly keen on as you end up with the same images as everyone else who uses the hide!) you can imagine my excitement when a pair turned up to feed over winter in my local park!

Red squirrels are another iconic British species that I was desperate to add to my portfolio. Their decline is well documented and publicised but thanks to an exciting new development, they are actually starting to make a steady comeback helped by the resurgence of the pine marten. This image makes me smile every time remembering my time spent in the forest photographing them.

This image is an example of the advantages of digital photography for wildlife. This Guillemot kept periodically displaying on the chalk cliffs of Bempton cliffs but I couldn’t quite manage to frame it perfectly. It took nearly 100 attempts to get it spot on, something that wouldn’t have been possible with film.

During the spring months I visited a local brown hare site daily. Typically brown hares are incredibly shy and cautious animals but this curious little leveret actually came right over to sniff my boots as I lay waiting for hares to pass through the field. An amazing encounter.  

Although this image has been done many times, it really resonated with me because of the incredible detail. It’s not often you get to photograph at f/11 for optimum DOF and still achieve a smooth background blur. 

Over the summer months I spent several weeks photographing both barn and little owls in the Peak District. This image was achieved using my car as a moving hide. I slowly pulled up to this little owl at dusk scanning the field for bugs and managed to capture this detailed portrait as it turned its stunning yellow eyes to face me.

During my time spent working with owls over the summer, this was one of the most amazing moments. This beautiful barn owl took off in search of prey, passing just feet over my head. An incredible moment.

Finally a classic image of a bellowing stag silhouetted against the setting sun. Red deer are one of my favourite British mammals, so to have them so close to home roaming wild on the moors of the Peak District is a real privilege. 

I hope you enjoyed looking back at my favourite images of 2016. I want to thank you all for the amazing support you’ve shown over the past year and look forward to what 2017 brings.

2015 has been a great year for me photographically, I’ve ticked lots of species off my target list and experienced some truly amazing conditions for landscape photography. This year I’ve specifically focused on expanding my landscape and wildlife portfolio, spending every free day exploring the beauty of the Peak District National Park.

In 2015 I started entering various photography competitions and I have been thrilled with the responses. I was a finalist in the Guardian Travel competition, a finalist in a PhaseOne macro competition, shortlisted for Landscape Photographer of the Year (LPOTY) and commended in this year’s British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA), with an image published in the official 2015 book.

When I look back at images from previous years, I can see just how far I’ve progressed and how much my tastes have changed. To express this progression I’ve put together a a selection of my top 10 wildlife photos and top 10 landscapes. The images I’ve chosen are not necessarily the best images technically, but those that I have the strongest personal connections with.

First up are the wildlife images:

This image was a huge achievement for me, I spent weeks trying to photograph these charismatic animals in the Peak District, but up to this point all I had managed was photographs of their fluffy tails disappearing into the distance. It was an incredible experience being so close to such an elusive animal. The only thing I found myself wishing was that I had a wider lens as I actually had to back well away to fit the head in with my 500mm!

The Peak District is actually the only place in the UK they’re found outside of the Scottish Highlands, so I feel extremely fortunate to be able to photograph these beautiful animals so close to home!

The water vole is another subject I put in countless hours trying to locate. I travelled all over Derbyshire and the Peak District with no success only to find a healthy population in a small upland stream just 10 minutes from home!

Weighing around just 25g, wheatears make a round trip of up 18,640 miles to breed in countries such as the UK over summer, before heading back to Sub-Saharan Africa to winter! It never ceases to amaze me the lengths wildlife goes to in order to survive throughout the year.

The curlew is another subject I had wanted to add to my portfolio for some time and when I came across this one perched on a drystone wall in the Derbyshire Peak District I couldn’t believe my luck. Using the car as a hide, I captured this silhouette to emphasise the strong profile of the curlew on the jagged edge of the drystone wall and the warm light coming through the long grass.

This image evokes happy memories of evenings spent on the chalk cliffs of Bempton, watching throngs of circling seabirds and being immersed in the sights and sounds of the colony.

This striking portrait of a swan was taken on a gorgeous spring afternoon in the Peak District. By exposing for the bright whites of the plumage, the background appears black, isolating the subject.

This image of a female red grouse amongst the heather on Derwent Edge really symbolises summer in the Peak District for me. Although it took a while to find the right subject, eventually this one let me get really close for some nice portraits.

Like the majority of the wildlife in this selection, the red fox was another big one to tick off my species list and I was thrilled when I finally managed some images whilst down in London for the BWPA awards.

The Autumn red deer rut is always one of my favourite events of the year and a major event in every wildlife photographers’ calendar. By concentrating almost solely on silhouettes and environmental portraits this year, I’ve really expanded my portfolio of deer images, this being one of my favourites.

The arrival of the seal colonies to our shores is another of my favourite events of the year and although I only managed one proper trip this year, my time spent on the marshes was as special as always.

This year has been a great year for landscape photography for me, I’ve massively expanded my portfolio, making the landscape selection very hard to make.

This is an image I’d failed to capture several times. It’s incredibly rare to have all the elements to come together at once. So I was thrilled to get the plughole in full flow with a decent sky, and some gorgeous evening light shining on Bamford Edge to top it off.

These abandoned millstones below Burbage Edge are another location I had visited many times hoping for the right conditions but never had all the elements come together.  I knew that in midwinter the sun sets directly behind the stones, so one winters day I set off in a mixture of hail, sleet, sunshine and gale force gusts of wind, conditions which often provide the most dramatic skies and best light for landscape photography. Although, it was absolutely freezing waiting for the light to reach it’s best in the changeable conditions, it was well worth it to finally get the image I had envisaged.

This view of the gate on Mam Tor is one of the most iconic views of the Peak District and as clichéd as it has become, it is still a must have for any Peak District landscape photographers collection. Upon reaching the summit that morning, I remember being absolutely blown away by the beauty of the Peak district with the heavy ground frost and mist in the valley below, truly an affirmation I was on the right track.

 

A very photogenic dilapidated barn above Winnats Pass in the Peak District National Park. I came across this barn on my way to Cave Dale and immediately knew it would make a great image. As I haven’t seen any photos of this barn before in any other photographers’ portfolios, it makes the image even more special as it is completely my own rather than being influenced by the compositions of others.

Sunset at Monsal Head in the Peak District National Park. I used a long exposure to streak the gorgeous colours across the sky and create a sense of movement in the foreground vegetation. This image really captures the essence of the lush green dales in spring.

I could hardly believe it was June when I visited the moors for this image, wrapped up in all my layers to shelter from the blisteringly cold winds. After choosing a composition it took two full hours for the sun to make a brief appearance, but when it finally did I was treated to some dramatic skies and great light. It’s always great when things come together, even if you have to wait hours for something that only lasts five minutes, that’s just nature photography; patience really does pay!

The Perseid meteor shower this year was a fantastic event for astrophotography as it coincided with a new moon, meaning the stars appeared extra bright. I had a great night under the stars watching the meteors shooting across, more than worth the lack of sleep.

Bamford Edge is widely regarded to have some of the best views in the Peak District and I can’t find reason to disagree. From this viewpoint, known as Great Tor, you can see right round from Derwent edge, across Bleaklow and the Kinder Plateau, past Win Hill and the Hope Valley, all the way round to Chatsworth House. I’ve been up Bamford Edge several times before but never coincided my trips with the heather bloom and such great conditions, the perfect summer evening.

This colourful fern was positioned perfectly for some foreground interest at Wyming Brook in the Peak District National Park. I even had the place completely to myself for the afternoon, an extremely rare pleasure!

A winter sunrise at the KitKat stones on Higger Tor, looking towards the iron age hill fort of Carl Wark. After weeks of high winds and driving rain it was an incredible feeling to get out for such a gorgeous sunrise at one of my favourite Peak District locations.

I hope you enjoyed taking a look back at my favourite images from the year. I would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support, it really is appreciated. Now to see what adventures 2016 brings!

With winter now well upon us (although it doesn’t feel like with all this unseasonably warm weather!) I thought I’d share some of my favourite images from this Autumn in the Peak District with you.

Autumn this year was been great for photography and although the colours have arrived much later than previous years, I’ve still had plenty of great opportunities to capture the misty mornings and explosions of colour.

 

I’m now looking forward to seeing what the rest of the winter will bring and like many other photographers out there, I’m really hoping we get plenty of snow and not just the rain we Brits are so used to! Thanks for looking, feel free to share.

The Autumn red deer rut has always been one of my favourite events of the year and a major event in every wildlife photographers calendar. It’s is the best time of year to watch our British deer as they participate in the rut, with the stags engaging in fierce and often fatal battles to exert their right to mate with the hinds.

I’ve really focused on doing something a bit different this year, capturing mainly silhouettes and environmental images rather than simple portraits.

These images were taken just after the sun had set, with the afterglow creating a great backdrop to silhouette the stags against.

During the rutting season most people concentrate on photographing the biggest stags they can find, myself included, but I also like to capture the much more understated beauty of the females.

If the opportunity for a portrait arises however I’m not one to miss a chance!

One of the most recognisable sounds whilst out on the moors with the deer is the bellowing so I had to capture a couple of images of this phenomenon.

I’ve also been experimenting with a couple of panoramic images this year.

The deer rut is now drawing to a close and although I’ve not seen much sparring action between stags here in Derbyshire, I’ve still enjoyed some really special moments.

The only action I managed to capture this year was in late September whilst I was down in London.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the images, thanks for looking feel free to share!

Whilst I was down in London for the BWPA awards I decided to run a mini project on the urban wildlife around the city, my main focus for the week being the urban fox. The area around my sister’s flat in Camberwell has a large population of foxes and with a wide view over the nearby park from the balcony, it seemed like a great place to start. I focused my efforts between 12-3 AM, as whilst some of the foxes are active earlier the area is very busy, increasing the chances of outside disturbance. A hunting fox never stays in one place for long and typically follows a set route, so once I had established where and when the foxes were most active, I started capturing some images.

This type of photography at night is extremely demanding on the camera’s sensor. The action comes and goes very quickly so there’s no option of a long exposure. I often found myself having to shoot at minimum aperture (f/4) and around 1/60 sec to maximise light, even still I was having to use upwards of ISO 8000, producing a lot of grain in the images.

This is one of the first close portraits I captured. A passing car had chucked the remnants of a takeaway out the window, so whilst the fox was preoccupied sniffing around I snuck around the corner crouching low and grabbed a couple of shots.

Alongside a series of portraits I also like to show some of the behavioural aspects and traits of the foxes for a more complete look into their lives.

The reflection in the fox’s eyes is caused by light from the street lamps bouncing off the tapetum lucidum, an extra layer of tissue in the eye. Located immediately behind the retina it reflects visible light back through the eye, increasing the light available to the photoreceptors and contributing to the superior night vision of the animal. Many of the animals with this extra layer of tissue are either nocturnal or cathemeral, making it an extremely useful adaptation, particularly for carnivores that hunt their prey at night.

Urban foxes are not picky, and whilst perfectly capable of catching small mammals and birds for themselves, they are lazy by nature and household leftovers contribute to large portion of their diet. This fox was rooting around in the bag for some scraps when it heard something in the shadows and froze to assess the threat.

After finding its prize, a fox will often take the food somewhere quieter to finish off, sometimes even burying leftover scraps for harsher times.

Foxes will often scent mark areas where they find food to warn rivals away and establish territorial boundaries.

Whilst challenging, I thoroughly enjoyed my week photographing urban foxes and hope to continue the project back in Sheffield. As I have a bit more space here, I can hopefully try out some new techniques to capture a different view of the life of the urban fox. Thanks for looking, feel free to share.

I recently had one of my images of the Ribblehead Viaduct purchased by online puzzle website JSPuzzles, who offer free to play jigsaw puzzles. The number of pieces per puzzle can be changed from 9 to 225 making it as easy or hard as you like. It’s good fun and definitely worth a go, I’ve tried a couple and they can be pretty tricky! If you would like to have a go at completing the puzzle of my photo you can find it at:

http://www.jspuzzles.com/puzzle.php?lang=en&puzzle=317056&share

Good luck!