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Lessons From a Fungi Part 1
I first started dabbling in mycology in 2020, and became more serious a year or so later when I chose to write my dissertation about fungi. Jumping ahead nearly five years and I can honestly say that I have learned many lessons from these overlooked magicians of the natural world.
Doing Things For You
In an age dominated by social media likes and follows, many creatives find themselves chasing approval rather than pursuing authentic expression. Photographers, for instance, often measure the worth of their work by the number of likes or comments it receives.
Ethical Captioning
A case for ethical captioning in photography.
Photographic Authenticity
I began exploring the topic of authenticity while thinking about what it means to be an ethical photographer, and what us photographers should push for if we were to improve wildlife photography ethics across the community.
Acceptable Use of AI
*In this post I use the term AI often. Unless stated this term refers to LLMs, GPTs, and similar generative AI tools*
Try Cloudspotting
Cloudspotting, despite what my autocorrect thinks, is a real thing, and I'm here to talk about why I think everybody should try to become just a little bit obsessed with clouds.
Knowledge Should Be Free
Scientific knowledge should be free for all. What does this mean?
April Showers
Why do April showers happen? A short explainer on the meteorology behind the UK's famous spring rainfall — from warming sun angles and rising air pockets to the unstable atmosphere that makes spring so unpredictable.
Brief Review of The Zeiss DiaScope 65T* FL (Green - Straight Tube)
Online information about the older green-bodied Zeiss DiaScope 65T* FL is almost non-existent. Having bought one for C$1,480, here are my thoughts on its optics, build, and whether it's worth picking up second-hand.
Ethical Wildlife Photography: Where I Stand
I've been circling this topic for a few years now, writing about bits of it here and there, commercial hides in one post, ethical captioning in another. But I think it's time to pull it all together, because the more I sit with it, the more I realise these aren't separate issues. They're two symptoms of the same disease.
Squamish eBird Data
I built a data portal to make the Nature Squamish Monthly Bird Count data — spanning over 400 months of community observations — accessible and explorable by anyone.
Nature Photography and its Impact on Engagement in Pro-environmental Behaviour in Adults
This is the report I authored for my master's degree dissertation. I'm sharing here for those interested in this area of research.
How to Buy a Car In British Columbia, Canada
A step-by-step guide to buying a used car in British Columbia — from searching Facebook Marketplace to completing the ICBC transfer, paying tax, and driving away with plates.
How to get a Phone Contract in Canada
Navigating Canadian phone contracts as a new arrival from the UK — from a temporary Saily eSIM and a Chatr talk-and-text SIM to eventually landing on Freedom Mobile once we had our bank account sorted.
How To Tell The Age of a Bald Eagle
Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) gradually move into their full plumage over several years, in this post I explore these ages through photographs I've taken.
Getting an SIN and Bank Account
A practical walkthrough of getting your Social Insurance Number and opening a Canadian bank account as a UK national on an IEC work permit — including what documents to bring and what to expect.
Arriving In Canada
A brief note on my arrival into Canada.
Travelling To Canada
The story of how Claudia and I planned and prepared an eight-year-in-the-making move to Canada on the International Experience Canada work permit — two degrees, tonnes of work experience, and a lot of patience later.
Doncaster's Hoopoe
It's been a good year for birding in the UK, and there seems to have been no shortage of rarities.
Custom Siril Scripts for Astrophotography
Here is how I use custom Siril Scripts for Astrophotography.
Social Media Dilemma
An essay on my thoughts about social media with the hope of understanding the problems and solutions better.
International Tiger Day 2024
July the 29th marks International Tiger Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the amazing big cat which has captured the imagination of human for millennia.
Black Winged Pratincole Doncaster 2024
Read about my experience seeing Doncaster's Black Winged Pratincole!
How I Process My Photographs
A transparent look at my wildlife photography workflow and editing philosophy — from RAW import through to final export, with thoughts on what it means to process photographs ethically.
An Open Letter to YWP
An open letter to Yorkshire Wildlife Park responding to my membership cancellation. I set out my side of the story, the concerns I've been raising for years about the park's practices, and why I believe YWP has an untapped potential to genuinely change how people connect with wildlife.
Analogue Photography
What draws me to analogue photography in 2024?
Birds Were the First Musicians
Who were the first musicians? Do birds make music? When was music created? What is music?
Photographic Life List
Here is my photographic life list, where I keep track of all the species I've photographed well. It's constantly being updated so check back!
Symphony No. 2 IV Op 36
The fourth movement of Beethoven’s second symphony.
Are Commercial Photography Hides Acceptable?
A candid look at the ethics of commercial photography hides — are they acceptable practice for wildlife photographers? I work through the facts and share my personal view on a topic that divides the wildlife photography community.
Misierere Mei, Deus
Even to those who don’t frequent classical music circles let alone those of sacred choral music from the 1600’s, will have heard this music sung in one way or another. Incredibly, this piece was perfo
Cloudspotting
Have you ever wondered where the idiom "to be on cloud 9" came from? Well, you've got the folks at the Cloud Atlas to thank for that. Cumulonimbus was number 9 on their list of 10 main clouds. The cumulonimbus cloud is the largest riser cloud something reaching from its home as a low cloud all the way up to the high clouds! To be on cloud 9 would to be on top of the world!
Canon R6 Crashing - Fixed!
During shooting in mechanical shutter, in H and H+, the camera would appear to continue shooting when you stop shooting. The screen/EVF keeps flickering with a frozen image visible. This doesn’t stop, it will keep going. The only way to fix it is to remove the battery from the camera.
Canada Travel FAQ
I set up this FAQ to track all the frequently asked questions posed in the Alliance Visa group chat.
EcoTalk: A Greener Phone Network
EcoTalk: A Greener Phone Network. Ever wondered about the carbon impact of your phone contract? There is more to it than you think.
How to Build a Wildlife Pond
In spring 2022 I built a wildlife pond for under £50. Two years on I'm sharing the full process — from planning and digging to lining, planting, and the lessons I learned along the way.
Brief Review of The Canon EF 500mm f/4.5 L USM
The Canon EF 500mm f/4.5 L USM is one of Canon's most overlooked wildlife lenses. There's almost nothing written about it online — here are my honest thoughts after using this 1990s prime extensively in the field.
Camera Recommendations
Over the years I've used a whole range of camera gear from beginner kits to expensive professional grade gear. Many people who are wanting to get a start in photography, or upgrade their existing gear
Film Photography
In 2022, a family member very kindly handed me a camera bag filed with camera gear from a past era. This was aZenit-11, a chunky SLR produced in the USSR. This is a reflection on my personal adventure into film photography.
Northern Lights in Doncaster!
n the early hours, 11th May 2024, the Northern Hemisphere was treated to a Northern Lights bonanza! I’m fortunate enough to have seen the Northern Lights in Iceland but seeing it on my doorstep was special. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen the Aurora at home, but it’s definitely the most prominent!
The Waste Hierarchy
The waste hierarchy underpins what most of us know about waste processing, but there is more to it than you might think.