I'm interested to know...

[ian_g]

... what you all do for a living, not because I'm nosey or anything, more the fact that I imagine most of you are arty in some way, for wildlife is art is some respects, particularly wildflowers. It just amazes me how many different colours, shapes and sizes there are out there to see. The same can be said for the colouration of birds and insects.

Is it a love of art and beauty that we all possess, and is this reflected in the work we do, or is it more of an escape from everyday mundane life?

I'm a graphic designer for a living and I look upon wildlife as an extension of this, particularly when it comes to photographing it. I want to emphasise the beauty of what I'm seeing so that others can appreciate it and enjoy it.

What are your views on this, or is it a totally stupid question?

Ian G

[Willow]

Hello Ian,

No - it's not a stupid question at all...but a really interesting (and lovely!) one to ponder....

I would definitely call myself an arty person. I do some freelance writing (fictional stories for children's magazines), fitted around being a busy mum - and I have a degree in English Literature. My two passions - Literature and Nature are, for me, totally linked. I'm in such awe of the poets...Shakespeare, Keats, Wordsworth, Coleridge, John Clare, Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney...etc..and nature writers such as my long time favourite, the great Richard Mabey - and the poet/essayist I've just begun reading, Kathleen Jamie....who all capture the beauty and detail of the flowers, animals, birds, wild scenes they see; and above all give us a real jolt of recognition in their ability to capture their responses to nature. Hey, yes!..we think...That's it; that's just how I feel!

Maybe all this writing and reading gets me closer to Nature ...or it clarifys what I already feel close to (I'm not sure which comes first!) It's all about connection for me I think. The way we connect with nature and how we express it to ourselves and share it with others....And, for me, it's about learning about all the connections that exist between everything that lives...A big amazing, ecological pattern! Like you, my arty outlets are part of wanting other people to love it all too!

I'm really interested in what you say about the visual art connection to nature...I'm just getting into nature photography - and find myself looking at everything - a Jackdaw on a chimney, a flower's petals in sunlight, a bright yellow snail shell against a wall... as if I'm composing a picture...wanting to capture what's so special about each of those little glimpses of the natural world...

I've always loved trying to draw nature too, and love poring over artists' paintings of flowers, birds etc. It gets you so close to the detail - really makes you look and see. And I love how music connects us to nature too (both man-made music and, say, the songs of birds...or of whales...etc)

I once did an adult education Botany course at Bristol University - and I found the scientific approach of looking down microscopes at petals, stigmas, pollen etc, along with the careful field work of the naturalist I've tried to train into myself over all the years...all underpinned by arty appreciation - just combines perfectly into an insight to blow my mind at the amazing beauty and detail of natural things...

Well - hope that wasn't too waffly!

Willow

[ian_g]

No, wasn't waffly at all, it's great to have an insight as to what makes us tick and what generates our fascination towards wildlife. It also helps to get to 'know' a person (as much as you can get to know a person on a forum!) Saying that though, I met my partner on a forum for she's a fellow-photographer too, yes in internet romance

I also forgot to add that I was also a night-school teacher of Adobe Photoshop for beginners at a college in Warrington. That was very rewarding, and nervewracking, but it's strange, for once you get into the swing of it, your confidence in a subject far outweighs the nerves.

Thanks for replying Willow, it was very interesting indeed

Another reason I asked this question is because it's often surprising to find what walks of life find wildlife a comforting retreat, for example (not entirely wildlife-related), I once saw a juggernaut with a windowsticker that read, "I love poodles". It humoured me an awful lot because the general stereotype of a truckdriver is a big, burly kind of guy, not someone who you'd particularly relate to loving poodles!

Ian G

[Zeb]

Hi Ian,

I work with computers, mainly repairing & upgrades but I also take on new builds now and then. I started off programming but later went down the engineering road after dabbling in the "tech-help" side and realising that I preferred to get my hands dirty with the insides.

I grew up on the edge of Dartmoor close to many fields and woodland and have always had a keen interest in nature since I can remember. I used to spend a lot of time around the River Lemon in Newton Abbot while staying with my grandma and Stover Lake when at home. Stover is a man-made lake/nature reserve and well worth visiting.

[UB4 gardener]

I work in an office but before that warehouse work. my wildlife links go back to pre 10 years old. A local lad probably 6 or 7 years older than me used to take me birdwatching at Perivale Wood in West London, which is looked after by the Selborne Society, (inspired by Gilbert White). I was blinkered for many years just looking at birds (and dare i say fishing) and then about 7/8 years ago it all changed, I got my first ever garden (used to live above shops). I planted most of it with native plants and this in turn bought in butterflies, but then i saw them just as butterflies. then one day out walking I saw a butterfly i didn't remember seeing, i bought Collins guide to british wildlife, found that it was a comma and not looked back since. now i look at everything, moths, sawflies, spiders, dragonflies etc etc. Walks seem to take so much longer now And boooks???? Don't get me started........

[jezlee]

Interesting question, this one, Ian .... I shall be interested in the replies also ....

Me, I'm a freelance graphic designer, so I work on an Apple Mac all day long, colouring in and playing with pretty pictures ....

I'm in a fortunate position too, in that I love my work (most of the time!) and also, being self-employed, it gives me the freedom to occasionally do whatever I want to. If the day is slow and I find myself waiting for that phone to ring or an email to arrive, I very often jump in the car and drive out to a local country park with my camera. I'm lucky in having the Shropshire countryside literally minutes away from where I work .... there's a lake, a country park, and the famous Ironbridge Gorge within 15 minutes drive.

I've always been keen on the outdoors, and, with regard to an earlier thread on these forums, I honestly think it all started when my Dad took me fishing - when I were just a lad (said in Yorkshire accent!). I used to sit there with my little rod and soon became aware of the masses of wildlife all around me and became fascinated by the various animals, birds and insects I would encounter ....

As I grew older, and gave up on the fishing, I got into birdwatching as my way of experiencing the outdoor life, and of course, being out watching birds allowed me to maintain my interest in all other wildlife at the same time. I think the advent of digital photography rekindled my slightly slumbering wildlife fascination and has encouraged me to go out more, but this time being able to record my finds has fired my enthusiasm again, and being able to download the pics onto my computer as soon as I get back to the office is so exciting - wondering if the pics have come out okay - of course, a lot haven't, but that's the joy of digital - somewhere in amongst the rejects you come across THE shot .... and makes it all worthwhile!

I look forward to reading other people's stories on here ....

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by UB4 gardener

And boooks???? Don't get me started........

I know the feeling .... my wife is always on about the money I spend on books ....

And photographic equipment ...

And .... no, I'd better stop now before the divorce papers arrive ....

[Alan]

As a child I first got interested in wildlife from my interest in drawing it, and I first got interested in drawing it through my interest in wildlife! The two have always gone hand-in-hand for me. I still have many drawings from childhood – mostly copied from books such as the Readers Digest Book of British Birds (Ray Harris-Ching illustrations).

Although I have always painted, I only became more serious about it after watching a program about a guy who painted Birds of Paradise. The program was presented/narrated by David Attenborough – I think around 1990.

Photography was just another extension to this and after being trained in it, I worked as a technician for a while in the photography/darkroom and digital imaging department of a local uni/college.

At present my main income comes from my art - paintings, illustrations, graphic work and photography (almost all wildlife based). But I also make extra money carrying out restoration to antiques, picture framing and carpentry work.

The biggest benefit of this is my time is my own, so I can devote a large proportion of it to studying nature – and being logged on to WAB for all hours God sends while I’m working away! Oh the glories of self-employment!

I do think this kind of site attracts the arty kind, as I think wildlife appreciation in general often does. You can also detect the sort of people WAB attracts because unlike a lot of forums, the discussions usually are very polite. Again due to the nature of the members the subject attracts

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Alan

I still have many drawings from childhood – mostly copied from books such as the Readers Digest Book of British Birds (Ray Harris-Ching illustrations).

I used to do this too!!

[ian_g]

This is fantastic, and thanks to all who have replied! I guess I was right in my assumptions that it is mainly the arty types who follow this wonderful (and often mysterious) pastime That of course is no disrespect to anyone who isn't arty!

It's also surprising just how many of us are self-employed (myself being one of them) and how we devote our quiet periods to getting out and about and appreciating what is around us.

Having only moved down to Hampshire within the last couple of months, I feel I am exploring a 'new country' in some respects, and being based in Havant means that there is a plethora of different habitats to explore. Within half an hour or less, I can either be on a coastline or be in the midst of the countryside. I still do have an awful lot of time for busy town/city centres for my interest in photography branches out within many different fields. A good people-watch whilst taking inconspicuous photos within a city or town centre can often be equally rewarding, as can finding abstract photos within modern-day structures.

I am originally from the North West, born in Bolton and then lived in Warrington for eight years or so. There is fantastic scenery in and around that area too, which I have to say, I do miss at times. Just up the road from the village I lived in was the beautifuil village and surrounding areas of Rivington. There was also the fact that The Peak District, Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales were only an hour's drive away or so.

During this fantastic weather we're having though, I would far rather go out and get away from it all and have a good old explore

I am also in total agreement with your comment about how poilte and friendly this forum is Alan, I have gained nothing but enjoyment and fascination with it since joining in May

Ian G

[May]

I'm a housewife myself but I adore the arty side of life most definitely.

I suppose I'm a frustrated arty type. I'm not so good at drawing and what have you but I do have a good eye which is why I love to take photographs .. due to limitations camera wise I quench my need to take oodles of shots by using architecture as my model! I need a good lense on my SLR to get any good wildlife shots. I also write fiction and dabble in making my own clothes .. I also love cooking from rationed recipes, hehe, but that's neither here nor there, just a small snippit of information for you! So yes, I'm a housewife who should be doing house-wifely things and not sitting here but who's going to tell

[ian_g]

You say you're a frustrated arty type but I disagree! You've confirmed that you have an interest in photography, write fiction, make your own clothes and cook. All of those are art in one form or another

Ian G

P.S. Mum's the word, I won't tell

[Kev Lewis]

I've lived in the Cotswolds all my life so have always been close to nature. Interests are Photography, Computers (making and breaking them), all gadgets and gizmos. I love reading but mainly as a way of unwinding rather than learning anything and I've dipped my toes into the world of poetry once or twice lol

I work for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) as an inspection and repair engineer. Currently I'm at Wylfa on Anglesey carrying out some remote repairs to the reactor before it goes back to power. I design the remote inspection and repair systems, get them built and then deploy them so cradle to grave engineering .

The photography was also a way of unwinding but it has become a real passion and I love the challenge of getting "The image" lol

[Wolfhill]

I would certainly call myself quite an arty person, yes I am only 14 and still at school but outside school I do a lot of drawing and painting. And Most importantly to me Nature Photography which I have been doing since I was 8 years old. More recently I have been trying a bit of Wildlife filming which has become yet another passion lol.
Fergus

[ian_g]

I'm going to report you for truancy Fergus Only joking, it's even more fantastic that someone of your age has such a passion for wildlife as well

Ian G

[Wolfhill]

Ian G I've just uploaded a couple of pictures I've taken in the last couple of months, that I have taken AFTER school lol.

[jezlee]

Originally Posted by ian_g

Only joking, it's even more fantastic that someone of your age has such a passion for wildlife as well

Ian G

Can only agree with that, Ian .... you see a lot of younger children (say under 10) getting a lot of enjoyment from visiting wildlife centres and parks etc, but by the time they are in their teens, it's not that 'cool' any more to do stuff like that .... and then it's more difficult to get them back into the fold, so to speak, later in life. I always think your home life and your upbringing has a lot to do with it, as in so many areas of a child's formative years. My own three children are all grown up now, and all have more than a passing interest in wildlife and the natural world, which I hope is because they have been surrounded by a family that all enjoy these sorts of things and manage to convey this passion to them ....

[ian_g]

Originally Posted by Wolfhill

Ian G I've just uploaded a couple of pictures I've taken in the last couple of months, that I have taken AFTER school lol.

Glad you can take a joke mate Shall have a peek at them then, if they've been passed already

Ian G

[Gill Catton]

I definately had an interest in nature and wildlife as a child and indeed during my teens this dropped off a bit partially because i was young enough to believe that I was filling my brain up with things that may not be that useful later in life - I really thought you only had a certain amount of capacity to know things and this worried me so I slowed down a bit and then discovered the wildlife that is boys for quite sometime and although acedemically I've always followed ecology and biology right up through to uni my passion to get really into outside field learning only kicked back in part way through uni, I'd always known I wanted to work with animals and conservation so after leavng uni and networking like mad I got a job as an ecological consultant. Birds is my specialist area really but still learning in all fields of ecology and a recent (last couple of years) passion for plans and insects has suddenly appeared and it's a joy to induldge it!!

I am fairly creative but not nearly on a level with people like Alan, and i tend to like to produce stuff that is a take or a different view on a subject rather than an accurate representation. And I love the honest beauty of nature where even the harsh reality can be truly exquisite in it's own way.

[May]

Originally Posted by ian_g

You say you're a frustrated arty type but I disagree! You've confirmed that you have an interest in photography, write fiction, make your own clothes and cook. All of those are art in one form or another

Ian G

P.S. Mum's the word, I won't tell

Well when you put it like that!

[nightshade]

I maintain machinery but am definitely left side,I can see beauty in almost anything

[henrya]

Arty? I can't draw a straight line.

But I do take photographs, and cook (seventeenth century recipes sometimes!).

henrya

[Jonny]

Builder..........More farty than arty.
I build mainly patio's these days and have come up with some great designs, even if I do say so myself...............Jon

[glsammy]

When It comes to being Arty, I'm afraid that's definitely not me. I couldn't draw a matchstick man, never mind paint anything, other than the walls and doors!
I came to photography late in life, and to photographing wildlife even later.(About 13 months months ago and even more so a few months later when I noticed a certain little web site...)

I used to run my own engineering supply business before bad health forced me to sell it, I now devote as much time as possible to going out photographing anything that takes my fancy.