conversations with creation

Since I was a child I have always loved getting out into the ‘natural’ world. This is largely thanks to my mother, who was a keen gardener, a sharp observer of the wildlife that either visited or lived in our large country garden and who most Sunday afternoons took me for nature walks along a disused railway line or the lanes around our home. She especially loved the song birds that thronged the hedgerows around us and delighted in her ‘pet’ robin that accompanied her everywhere in the garden and fed from her hand.

In recent years this too long dormant interest reawakened in me, especially since I began to experiment with photography in the landscape and the desire for a telephoto lens grew to the point where I gave in and purchased a 100-400 lens for my Sony camera. It is excellent for isolating smaller details in a grand landscape, but it comes into its own for wildlife. During the infamous lockdown, confined to the area around the house, I started a project photographing the birds I was able to attract into the garden by means of a bird feeder.

To people burdened and weary with life’s worries no lesser a person than Jesus invited people to consider the birds. What a calming and enriching experience I have found it to be.

As a result, I spent many hours, in the shelter of our small summer house, attempting to photograph our garden birds, especially on the wing. Despite a hit rate of about 1% (most of these birds are small and don’t always fly on a predictable line!) I managed to capture many moments that bring me great joy. With lockdown over I began to venture further afield, even borrowing an even longer lens (200-600) as I discovered that 400mm often isn’t enough.

Birds are not the only creatures to fill my lens. Butterflies, rabbits, deer, flying insects and even fish! And on some of my travels I’ve been gifted to meet more exotic animals as you will see in this gallery which I offer simply for your enjoyment. I have attempted to include the story behind each photograph in the hope that it will bring the photos to life as I know that many of us have had similar encounters which we have perhaps not been able to capture in a photo.