Behind the Lens with Andrew Holloway

Andrew Holloway and his wife Isobel live in Haywards Heath and have been members of Sussex Wildlife Trust for over ten years. They recently joined Surrey Wildlife Trust as well. 

Andrew regularly shares wildlife photos on Sussex Wildlife Trust's Facebook Nature Table group. We caught up with him over the phone to ask him about photography and lockdown 

How are you finding lockdown?

The key thing is that it forces you to focus on your garden, or whatever outdoor space you have near you. Normally most us us miss much of what is out there, even if we've gone to the trouble of making our gardens are wildlife friendly. So much of wildlife is transient - so you only notice if you're paying close attention. 

We've had lots of 'firsts' in our garden over the last year, but they aren't really 'firsts' - it's just that we've been looking more so we've seen them. Siskins, for example, or a pair of Bullfinches. We've also enjoyed noticing a lot of Starlings, and their young. 

My favourite place to go, when we're not in lockdown is Old Lodge. 

Common Lizard at Old Lodge

Tell us about your wildlife photography

The power of the camera is both that you record things, and that you see things you don't normally

I picked up photography again when the kids finished university and I had more time. I like all types of photography - architectural, landscapes, macro. Portraits, not so much. 

I joined the Mid Sussex Camera Club, and found it useful to see other people's work and get feedback.

What's your favourite subject matter?

In the main, dragonflies. Trying to get good flight shots is very difficult and frustrating. They don't take a predictable path.  . 

Sometimes other people see you waiting to take a photograph and wonder what you're doing.

What equipment do you use, in short?

Began with a Pentax, now use Olympus and Panasonic mirrorless. I use manual because I like to feel it's me that's taken the photo. 

Any tips?

It's a balance of getting in the right place to take a good photograph without disturbing the wildlife in the process. 

I like a technical challenge, and in terms of technique I'd say - persevere. All of us have many photos that didn't work. We just select carefully the ones to share!

For more of Andrew's photos see: Andrew Holloway’s albums | Flickr)