17th DECEMBER 2019 - WILDLIFE PHOTORAPHY by DAVID BAILEY
For our last event before Christmas we were given a very entertaining talk by the wildlife photographer David Bailey, richly illustrated with his amazing images of British wild animals and birds. David had travelled from his base in mid-Wales where he has been instrumental in supporting the Welsh Beaver Project, a cause for which his photography and talks help raise awareness and funding.
David told us that although he had a background in engineering he had always been an enthusiastic photographer of wildlife from his young days growing up in the Forest of Dean. A move to rural Wales meant that he could continue his hobby which was becoming a passion. His photographs were widely admired by many and he was encouraged to become professional. Since then he has won the 2011 Welsh Wildlife Photographic Award and the 2016 Brand Laureate International Personality Award for world class wildlife photography. He has appeared in several wildlife television programmes including BBC’s “Wildlife Patrol” and “Springwatch” and ITV’s “Coast and Country”; he has written for Countryman Magazine; he has published his first book “Wildlife Wanderer” and is currently writing a second.
We were shown many of his delightful wildlife pictures as David explained how he had learned the habits and movements of his subjects and gradually come to know how best to capture their images. This would inevitably involve time and patience and an occasional commando-like approach. To photograph hares, one of his favourite subjects, he would crawl through low-growing vegetation to get to their level. He found that, with time, the animals would become accustomed to and tolerant of his presence.
David has photographed most of our rich fauna including otter, pine marten, water vole and many, many more and much of our birdlife, owls being a personal favourite. He has seen and photographed deer rutting which could be one of the rare occasions when recording British wildlife might present a danger. Rutting deer can be aggressive to dogs if they are not controlled when close to deer herds. In pursuing his work David has become acutely aware of the increased threat to the survival of much of our wildlife often as a result of the actions of man. In purveying his wonderful images he hopes to raise awareness of the importance of our rich fauna to the survival of our valuable ecosystem.
Margaret Wakefield
For our last event before Christmas we were given a very entertaining talk by the wildlife photographer David Bailey, richly illustrated with his amazing images of British wild animals and birds. David had travelled from his base in mid-Wales where he has been instrumental in supporting the Welsh Beaver Project, a cause for which his photography and talks help raise awareness and funding.
David told us that although he had a background in engineering he had always been an enthusiastic photographer of wildlife from his young days growing up in the Forest of Dean. A move to rural Wales meant that he could continue his hobby which was becoming a passion. His photographs were widely admired by many and he was encouraged to become professional. Since then he has won the 2011 Welsh Wildlife Photographic Award and the 2016 Brand Laureate International Personality Award for world class wildlife photography. He has appeared in several wildlife television programmes including BBC’s “Wildlife Patrol” and “Springwatch” and ITV’s “Coast and Country”; he has written for Countryman Magazine; he has published his first book “Wildlife Wanderer” and is currently writing a second.
We were shown many of his delightful wildlife pictures as David explained how he had learned the habits and movements of his subjects and gradually come to know how best to capture their images. This would inevitably involve time and patience and an occasional commando-like approach. To photograph hares, one of his favourite subjects, he would crawl through low-growing vegetation to get to their level. He found that, with time, the animals would become accustomed to and tolerant of his presence.
David has photographed most of our rich fauna including otter, pine marten, water vole and many, many more and much of our birdlife, owls being a personal favourite. He has seen and photographed deer rutting which could be one of the rare occasions when recording British wildlife might present a danger. Rutting deer can be aggressive to dogs if they are not controlled when close to deer herds. In pursuing his work David has become acutely aware of the increased threat to the survival of much of our wildlife often as a result of the actions of man. In purveying his wonderful images he hopes to raise awareness of the importance of our rich fauna to the survival of our valuable ecosystem.
Margaret Wakefield
