ABOUT PAUL
MY STORY
I found photography at the age of 14, as a way of responding to nature's beauty. My first contest win - a photo of my favourite bird, the grey heron - in the WWT Photo Awards gave me the needed boost to pick up a camera for good and go in search of creatures great and small.
Influenced by my time in Edinburgh as a theatre photographer, my photos focus on light and the fleeting essence of each moment I spend with a wild animal. I prefer to shoot at dawn and dusk to find the most emotive and dreamlike atmospheres that stir the imagination.
Photography has taken me from Alaska's cobalt glaciers and Florida's mangroves to the remote caves of Slovenia and the stormy Indian Ocean. I feel creatively most at home at my family's cottage in Normandy, with the familiar animals that I first practised my photography on.
A highly experienced photographer, I love educating and entertaining my tour and lecture guests with different ways of seeing the natural world.
Please get in touch if you'd like to book me for a workshop, talk or commissioned work.
PARTNERSHIPS
In 2025, I became a Sony collaborator, partnering with the brand on product testing.
My work has featured in numerous publications:
AWARDS
I have been fortunate enough to have successes in many prestigious competitions, which include Mammal Photographer Of The Year (Overall Winner 2025), Bird Photographer Of The Year, British Wildlife Photography Awards, and Scottish Nature Photography Awards.
I am also an experienced juror, having been on the judging panel for many national photographic competitions, including the Northern Ireland Ornithological Club Awards.
WHAT'S IN MY CAMERA BAG?
A bit about what I shoot with . . . As a Sony partner, I find myself increasingly shooting with their gear, specifically the A7iv and 200-600mm - two pieces of kit which I've relished including in my image-making process.
I started my journey with Canon, primarily using the R7 plus a 5DMkII as my rugged second camera. I love working with prime lenses for their soft focus and low light capabilities - namely the Canon 400mm f5.6, 100mm f2.8 macro, and 50mm f1.4. A cheap 550D paired with Sigma's 10-20mm for wide-angle shots is great for showing animals in their environment; and my Fujifilm FinePix XP80 accompanies me on rare dips into underwater photography.
Fancy trying these out? Come on one of my tours and test the latest Sony gear out for yourself.