Why wildlife photography?

Tom Mason  is a photographer and journalist based in the UK, with a passion for nature, conservation and wild places. Tom’s stunning images captured the interest of all of us here at Fotospeed and like us, Tom shares a passion for turning his images into something tangible. That final print which turns the photo into that permanent memory which makes people stop and look.

You can find out more about Tom, at www.tommasonphoto.com

As photographers, we all have a tendency to a genre. We lean towards what we’re passionate about, because often that is where we find the most inspiration. For me, that passion lies with wildlife.

Why wildlife photography? Well, it’s because of the way it makes me feel. When I lift my camera to my eye and focus on my subject, whether it’s a penguin or a blue tit, I feel a huge amount of excitement, a feeling that hasn’t changed since the day that I took my first real wildlife photograph. A feeling, I hope, that never goes away. I’m sure that many of you also feel similar when you’re working with your chosen genre, whether you shoot people, landscapes, food, or even inanimate objects. You probably also know that trying to explain that feeling of passion for creating images is incredibly difficult.

To me, wildlife has always provided intrigue, and posed questions that left me wanting more. The moments you get with subjects are often fleeting. You’re shown a brief glimpse into another species’ world. Often, I’m treated to views and sights that I alone will only ever see. Some people have suggested that looking through the viewfinder narrows your view from the wider world, but I think it just encourages us to look more closely. The ability to capture these moments, and freeze them permanently in a print that I can share with others is very exciting. The fact that I can experience a whole other existence and share it with the world drives my passion to continue shooting and is why I love wildlife photography so much.

Having started printing over the last year I have once again been enjoying so many of these special moments. Holding the solid medium in my hands really brings back the memories. If you’re just starting out, and searching for your passion in photography, printing out your images is a great way to find it. Invest in a good printer and some good paper that’ll bring out the best in your shots, and you’ll soon find out which images you’d be proud to hang on your wall and share with everyone who comes into your home. For me, looking at the physical copies of my images of foxes, bears and so many other creatures, reminds me how lucky I am to have spent so many magical moments with subjects I am passionate about.

Why wildlife photography? It makes me happy. It excites me and gets me out of bed at 3am in the morning. It drives me to create and learn and it constantly provides me with moments that I shall never forget. Choosing a subject as a photographer is often simple. Follow your lens to a subject you love – one that you would want to hang on a wall for the whole world to see.

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