Fine Art Pet and Animal Photography Surrey Maned Goose

Over the years I’ve been a regular entrant into some of the professional industry competitions, most notably The Societies print competition and the BIPP competition. My principal discipline is portraiture but over the years I’ve broadened my repertoire for a number of reasons. I feel diversity helps to alleviate the risk of becoming jaded or burned out, which is all too easy when photography becomes your occupation rather than your hobby. Entering some of the toughest competitions out there forces you to elevate your game and to keep your work a step ahead of your competition. There are many photographers who’ll pooh-pooh those of us who take this view, they’ll argue that success at competitions and distinctions is the mark of elitism. Well, you can interpret that in a variety of ways, but anything which keeps you sharp (and in the industry spotlight) can only be a good thing for both your business and your confidence.

After a hiatus of several months, I finally broke my absence by entering The Societies print competition this month and I’m so pleased that my portrait of a small Maned Goose gained a Gold medal in the Monochrome category.

Water birds can be so beautiful, and so photogenic. Nothing beats the natural colour combinations chosen by mother nature. There are certain techniques we need to understand in order to gain technically successful, and creatively sound photographs of animals. The basic disciplines involved in portraiture are the same. But with animals we have less control so we need to work quickly and intuitively. That comes with practice, so my advice is to get out as much as you can with your camera, and keep shooting. Getting down to their level makes a huge difference (though getting up again isn’t always quite so easy).