When I was approached by the Wild Photos team at BirdFair and asked if I would like to exhibit with Bushnell at the event, I jumped at the chance. Having never been to the event, I was keen to attend as this is a fantastic event for anyone seriously interested in Wildlife and photography.
Held annually , in London at The Royal Geographical Society headquarters, it brings together some of the top wildlife and environmental photographers.
“Packed full of inspirational talks from the very best wildlife and conservation photographers, this is an unmissable opportunity to learn from industry experts, hear the stories behind the awe-inspiring and iconic images, find out about the latest kit and technologies and to join the debate on the hottest topical issues right now.What you’ll hearThe WildPhotos event is always a great chance to hear from some of the world’s leading wildlife photographers, with their insights and tips for capturing great images of the natural world – and also their views on the increasingly vital relationship between their art and the conservation of the natural world.But don’t just take our word for it. Read what last year’s speakers had to say…“If you have a love of nature, you are blessed. Share, encourage, enthuse. Find your niche, but don’t let people pigeonhole you there. And get help with marketing, since most photographers are bad at it.” Paul Harcourt Davies, WildPhotos 2012 speaker“Any investment in nature is an investment in our home.” Peter Cairns, WildPhotos 2012 speaker“Stay with the subject until you’ve exhausted all of your possibilities. There’s no such thing as bad weather for photography – you just need to find a way of holding a camera steady.” Laurie Campbell, WildPhotos 2012 speaker“You need enthusiasm and passion. You might have 19 hours waiting in the hide, then three minutes of action. Persistence leads to luck. And there’s no such thing as bad light. Use the elements to your advantage.” Mark Hamblin, WildPhotos 2012 speaker“Take the risk, attempt to get something special. You constantly have to think of new ways of showing people the same thing from different angles. You can use a mix of artificial light and natural light.” Charlie Hamilton James, WildPhotos 2012 speaker“Plants are cool – they don’t get enough attention.” Christian Ziegler, WildPhotos 2012 speakerWho you’ll meetWildPhotos brings together a mix of the very best professional photographers, keen amateurs, budding enthusiasts, industry experts and those interested in wildlife, environment and conservation in a unique and intimate setting.In addition to being able to rub shoulders with the world’s greatest wildlife and conservation photographers, you’ll also get first-hand technical advice from our host of exhibitors.”This weekend, I travelled down to London to exhibit and attend this great event. With rooms full of exciting exhibitors, from Canon to Paramo (and me and Bushnell of course!) to hours packed with inspirational speakers and workshops, the days are full to the brim!
I was lucky enough to be able to attend Will Burrard-Lucus’s workshop all about DSLR camera trapping and it was fascinating. Many of you may remember that I won an amazing safari to Zambia earlier in the year and it was on Will’s website that I won it! It was great to meet him and to learn a little more about how he achieves some of his amazing images. I will definitely be having a go with some DSLR camera trapping over the winter and Will’s workshop gave me some ideas and inspiration to begin to think about it.
When I wasn’t rushing back to my stand to welcome all the interested folk and discuss the work I do and the Bushnell NatureViews, I was attending as many of the talks as possible in the theatre. Speakers from around the world talked about their work and showcased some of their amazing images and videos. There are way too many to mention here , yet each one I attended left me amazed and humbled by the skill dedication and total commitment some of these photographers and conservationists have for the work they do. Wild Photos introduced me to many new people to follow, from Steve Winter, Michael ‘Nick’ Nichols, Sergey Lesniewski, Emmanuele Biggi to beautiful images and lovely talk from Fabrice Cahez, photographing wildlife in ‘his patch’ in France. Here are a few pics I took as some of the talks displayed image after image that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!! Fantastic!
Everyone there had a tremendous passion for the work they do and an all consuming love of wildlife…. one which I share and it meant that we all had a connection… a connection that made us all appreciate each other’s work all the more.There were a few names I already knew…. Andy Rouse and I have met on numerous occasions and his talk, as ever, was highly entertaining and full of stunning images! (Including his ‘new’ species of Little Owl!)
Danny Green’s stunning puffin images graced the screen for his wonderful talk and Mark Carwardine showed us some of the stunning images he has captured of cetaceans around the world… it was a veritable feast of incredible images and words.It was also great to finally meet Chris Packham, who came and found me on Sunday morning before the show opened. I complained about the colander monstrosity he made and hung from a tree following my piece on Springwatch last year of course! I was also lucky enough to meet a host of other photographers and naturalists over the 2 days and discuss some potentially very exciting partnerships and projects… we’ll have to see how those pan out over the coming year.
A massive thank you to all who organised the event this year! It has been one of the most inspirational and enjoyable weekends I have had and I am sure all the visitors will have similar feelings. You never know… it could be me talking up on that stage next year…..it would be an honour!