With the live music scene starting to make a recovery and the end of lockdown in our sights could this be an end to my beloved nature photography? If I’m working a show or nightclub will I be able to get up first thing the next morning to catch the wildlife while it’s most active? Will I even have the time to spend all day in a field waiting for animals to show up?
Will I ever click-bait a blog as hard as this ever again?… I’m not making any promises.
The truth is, of course this isn’t the end!
Before lockdown I never realised how much I enjoyed this form of photography and don’t get me wrong, it can be real frustrating at times. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spent eight hours in the rain to come home with absolutely zero images. Over the last year however it’s almost become an essential part of my routine; work the day job all week, lose all faith in humanity, day off spent at the nature reserve, finally relax. It really allows me to unwind and reset myself at the end of the week as ultimately, it’s impossible to feel angry when looking at a duck.
Excluding the photography aspect, I’ve gained a real appreciation for the wildlife itself, more so than simply ‘that’s a nice looking bird’. It can be a real nightmare and I often still find myself struggling but it can be a real fun challenge trying to work out what species a certain bird is, I actually own several books to help me identify birds and even one for British Insects. Despite my books, the various apps I’ve downloaded and the internet I still often end up asking someone with a whole lot more experience than me and that’s the thing. The people I’ve met who all really care for our wildlife, they’re in it for life.
I may not be able to spend as much time down my local nature reserve but it’s certainly not the end for me. This is going to be another aspect of my work now which I get to hone and improve over the coming years because like my fellow birdwatchers and nature fanatics, I’m in this for life.
