Hello, I am Drew Davies and I am a self-taught wildlife and landscape photographer based in South West Wales who is just starting out owning my own business.
I will be running wildlife photography workshops at the British Bird of Prey Centre as part of Well-being Garden Weekend, and this is one of my first ventures.
I became involved with the centre through regular visits and getting to know the staff, volunteers and visitors. I contribute work to the centre on a regular basis which have been used for the centres social media, and advertising which is a huge achievement for me.
Photography is something I’ve always had an interest in from a young age. I was always glued to the TV watching films and reading wildlife magazines a lot or just anything that caught my eye. I started getting into photography with my film camera at a time when they were rapidly being taken over by digital.
In terms of well-being I see photography as an eye into world you wouldn’t otherwise notice. It can teach you a lot about yourself and get you outside. In relation to photography, it was something I always wanted to do so I see my path towards it a bit of a crooked path and a resolve of not hitting my potential which otherwise could be just be the way life is rather than something to feel guilty about. It depends how passionate you are about something and what you draw from all your experiences as a whole to implement it into one or a number. Ultimately, photography draws from nature, and there are many that feel disconnected from our environment. Wither that is a fault of technology, evolution or ourselves is under much debate.
I see places like the Botanic Gardens of Wales and the British Bird of Prey Centre as gateways to well-being.
The work they have done over the years to evolve it into what it is today is much like our well-being. It takes time and patience. You’d be surprised what’s actually on your own doorstep
My lessons at The British Bird of Prey Centre hope to bring a dynamic which will help people looking to get more involved in wildlife photography with a more interactive edge which can otherwise be a bit alienating on the internet. It doesn’t look to teach everything in one go but give people a taste of it. I am hoping to develop a full wildlife photographer program as part of centres plans for further learning.
Drew will be running workshops on Sunday 26th of May before the two flying displays at 10:45am and 13:45am to help you get the most out of photographing the displays. Book your place here.