WILDLIFE IN THE U.K.
Garry Simmonds
I’m lucky enough to live in the green city of Cardiff, never too far away from parks packed with wildlife. Whilst exotic destinations and big game animals come to mind when you hear ‘wildlife photography’, I’ve found great joy in showcasing the best of British! This has taken me around the United Kingdom, from capturing red deer in London’s Bush Park, to the far west coast of Pembrokeshire visiting the sea birds of Skomer Island.
When trying to capture that perfect image, every new location and animal has its challenges and requires me to research before I head out. I have therefore learned so much from my hobby. I grew up fascinated by nature documentaries on TV, especially how they capture such incredible moments of wildlife and bring that to the screen. From the second I picked up my first DSLR I was addicted to wildlife photography. I love being outdoors and trying to capture these secret moments in nature. I have a busy full-time job, and this is my release from the real world. Being able to go out for a few hours with my camera and hear nothing but the sound of the birds is my happy place, where I can really unwind and slow down.
In a city like Cardiff (and most others around the UK) humans and nature are closely intertwined, it’s so important to take care of what we have. I figure, the more I can get people interested in their local wildlife the more likely they’ll want to go out and see it for themselves. Hopefully, this will inspire people to take good care of those green spaces that we share.
This article first appeared in PRISMA, Issue 12.