Who I Am
My name is Tom or Thomas to my family
I could say I’m a full-time photographer, who jets off to far-flung corners of the world to capture the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles
I could say I’m retired, and spend all of my time out in nature, sitting for hours in one spot waiting for my subject to appear in a particular spot
I could say I’m a World Leading Conservationist & Zoologist, and know everything there is to know about my subjects
But I’m none of those and I’m still happy to be who I am; I’m a 27-year-old animal enthusiast with a 9-5 office job, a loving Wife, a Black Labrador & a plan to expand my family in the near future. With all that, it means my time out in the wild is limited and diminishing & my gear isn't top of the line either. But, it makes it all the sweeter when I do get out with my camera, be it before anyone in the house has risen (hard having an alarm clock set for dawn in the shape of a dog) or on an evening walk with them.
My favourite animals to photograph are, by far, birds. Even in the UK, where numbers have sadly been declining all too rapidly, there are plenty of species to keep the photography game fresh and exciting, even if the majority are “little-brown-jobs”. My favourite bird is the Peregrine Falcon, a bird that I've admittedly only just had the joy of seeing in the wild on the Spire of my local town Church in 2022.
Why I Love Nature
Years spent watching the ever-present Sir David Attenborough moulded me into the animal enthusiast I am today. He is the epitome of Nature Documentary Narration and the sad reality of it is that his legacy will probably outlast some of the wondrous creatures he’s seen and narrated over during his illustrious career.
Steve Irwin was also regularly on the TV as a kid, perhaps the one person who could rival Sir David Attenborough for my favourite TV personality. Truly a man ahead of the times in his love & respect of animals and now it's fantastic to see his Son & Daughter are starting to fill those shoes.
Other favourites are; Bill Oddie, specifically his time on BBC's Springwatch, the person who is probably responsible for my love of birds, Jonathan Scott & Simon King from their time on the Big Cat Diaries, where my love of the African wildlife, specifically my favourite animal of all, Cheetah’s, stems from.
My biggest role models though, have to be my parents & my Grandad. Many visits to zoos and falconry’s, lots of UK holidays and walks in the countryside as a child have raised me to appreciate both the fauna of the far corners of the earth and the beauty on this tiny little rock we call home.
“It’s surely our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth.” - Sir David Attenborough
Helping The Environment
For me, it’s not just all about the shot. Where I can I like to leave the animal the same way it was before I was there. That’s why I am a proud member of the #NatureFirst movement. There’s no better feeling than coming across an animal, spending a few intimate moments with it, and then leaving as if I've not been there at all.
I am also a firm believer that every bit of environmental awareness that is acted upon, by a single household, makes a difference globally, especially if every household does the same. Be that recycling, volunteering for a wildlife conservation charity or donating to a worthy cause.
As individuals & as a household, we try to be as supportive to the wild world as we can; My Wife, Amy, and I both have adopted a Cheetah Family & a Bengal Tiger through the Born Free organisation in the past, We are members of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, RSPB & the Woodland Trust. We both take care to check and sort through our food waste to recycle packaging, have compostable food waste & dog waste bags, try to shop for responsibly sourced goods, feed our garden birds regularly, have sowed a small wildflower patch in our garden, mow our lawn less frequently and leave it on the highest setting. We try to plant native flowers and shrubs in our garden that are pollinator friendly. We even buy responsibly sourced treats for our Labrador!
As mentioned above, I’m a proud member of Nature First: The Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography, and I’m dedicated to the following Nature First Principles:
- Prioritize the well-being of nature over photography.
- Educate yourself about the places you photograph.
- Reflect on the possible impact of your actions.
- Use discretion if sharing locations.
- Know and follow rules and regulations.
- Always follow Leave No Trace principles and strive to leave places better than you found them.
- Actively promote and educate others about these principles
