Highly Commended, GDT European Photographer of the Year 2014.

As a professional photographer I have to think hard about how and why I photograph wildlife. I do need to earn an income and in part that drives some of my work. However, I also like to spend at least half my time working on projects which help develop my style in ways that are totally free from any financial considerations. It is these images that I get my biggest buzz from and that give me the greatest satisfaction. Over the last 5 years I have also started to let my imagination roam far wider and I have tried to create a far more evocative body of work. Some of these images I really love but often get heavily criticised, others sometimes receive a bit more of an endorsement. In years past I might have taken this negativity to heart a bit but now I am older and far more convinced of the direction I wish to move in I use them as spurs rather than barriers.

It therefore follows that if one or two of these images can be successful in international competitions, not only do I feel great but I also believe that I am following a direction that others like and that also helps drive me on.

So it is with great pleasure that I learnt that I had received two Highly Commended Images in this years GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year - a competition that I respect immensely for breaking moulds and following amazing paths of wildlife photographic creativity.