Coast
19,000 miles of coast.
As an island nation, the UK has an intrinsic link with the sea, with thousands of miles of diverse coastline bringing life to our shores. Year round, wildlife is found up and down our country, from internationally important winter feeding grounds on The Wash, to the many key breeding sites for seabirds on the dramatic cliffs and offshore islands. Our rugged coastline provides a haven for life, with an estimated eight million seabirds relying on our shores to feed and breed.
Our seabirds are in trouble however, with alarming declines in populations being recorded year on year. Many of our seabirds are placed on the IUCN Red List, highlighting the importance and urgency of conservation. Bird flu, overfishing and climate change are all having an effect on our seabirds, and with the British Isles supporting vast majorities of certain species, it’s imperative we keep these areas protected and safe for future generations. I truly believe every person in Britain needs to experience a seabird colony - an experience without doubt that will connect them more firmly to our natural world.
My work on coastal birds has been conducted around the UK and Ireland, with images in the following portfolio made from the north coast of Scotland, out to the Atlantic west coast of the Emerald Isle.
Over the last decade I have spent countless hours enjoying the dramatic landscapes and sensory overload of these wonderful places, returning to locations for multiple years to build on images. I have worked with intentional camera movement frequently to capture the dynamism of seabird colonies, looking to give an impression of the feel of the environment as well as capture the mood, something I feel can be lost in perfectly static images. Multiple of my shoots have been conducted whilst assisting my partner with her research on Northern gannets of the Saltee Islands (ROI). Her resulting scientific paper advised on disturbance distances for visiting tourists. Since publication, this has helped see new signage and a warden put in place during the breeding season to help protect the birds.
