An Oxfordshire photographer has shared his favourite image taken in 2021.
Simon Booker, an amateur wildlife photographer from South Stoke, took more than 15,000 images in 2021.
During the course of the year he has shared a number of his images with the Oxford Mail, including a rare photograph of a stoat attacking a rabbit and a festive fox in the snow.
READ ALSO:
- Gorgeous Oxfordshire wildlife captured by amateur photographer
- Oxfordshire photographer snaps festive fox in the snow
- Oxfordshire photographer snaps detailed picture of robin
Mr Booker’s favourite image, however, is a photograph he took of two hares on an summer’s morning stood in near perfect symmetry.
The image called ‘Two of a Perfect Pair’ is currently showing in limited edition at Reeds Gallery in Goring On Thames.
Mr Booker, said: “It is the combination of all the things I have worked on for four years. Patience, quality, preparation and fieldcraft. Visually pin sharp the composition of two hares suddenly giving me this ‘copy and paste’ position in golden dawn sunlight was a gift and a truly stunning moment.
“The second hare is slightly out of focus, and I think it gives it a ‘me and my spirit’ feel. With a lovely washed out green backdrop to complement their orange fur it makes me proud to see it and I love the back-story of how it was ‘created’.
“It is the culmination of so much effort and work it still makes me buzz every time I look at it!”
Mr Booker, 58, vice president of sales and marketing for a global software company, explained that to get the photograph he had to utilise skills built up during the last four years as a photographer.
These included planning, fieldcraft, composition, technical expertise, patience, execution and creation.
In terms of his goals for the new year, Mr Booker said he is “getting better but still has far to go”.
He said: “There are so many amazing photographers out there who consistently produce amazing work. All I want to do is keep getting in the right place at the right time near to nature's finest creations and doing my best.
“I want to take pictures in the wild where the animals is running free and behaving as nature intended."
With practice, and “a little slice of luck”, Mr Booker hopes to snap perfect images of boxing hares, an Oxfordshire otter, a kingfisher in flight, a sparrowhawk, foxes, a short eared owl, a badger and a tawny owl.
More of Mr Booker’s photographs can be viewed and purchased on his website stokerpix.com.
-
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel