Behind the Lens with Bob Eade

Tell us a bit about yourself, your love of wildlife and wildlife photography 

I was born and bred in Lewes, and now live in Seaford. 

It was living in the Pells area of Lewes that got me interested in wildlife, I was an obsessive fisherman, so I would sit around and look at the wildlife around me. 

Badgers were my first love. The first one I ever saw was in 1974 in Offham. At school, I was called Badger Bob. When I was about 13, my brother and sister went on the SS Uganda school cruises, and I didn't want to, so my parents bought me my first camera instead. It was a way of recording what I saw. 

My first job was working in the photography department at HA Baker in Lewes from the age of 16, and I ran it soon afterwards, for 13 years. Then I became a sales rep for one of the suppliers. I got involved with Lewes Camera Club. But I consider myself more of a naturalist and wildlife enthusiast rather than a photographer. 

I didn't really have time for photography whilst Pen and I were raising our two boys, Matt and Chris (Matt is a well known bird fanatic by the way). But 15 years or so ago I got back into it. 

What qualities do you need to be a good wildlife photographer?

Butterflies are my main subject, and species behave in different ways so you have to learn about their habits. Some you need to get up at 6am to see them roosting, when they are not too active to photograph.

What equipment do you use, in brief?

Two cameras - both Nikon DSLRs. I use mainly a macro lens for close-up work. For bird photography I've got two different telephoto lenses, one lightweight one for walking around and one that's much heavier for working in the hide.

What's your favourite shot?

One of a Barn Owl out hunting (above), because of the positive memories involved with when I took it. It took three hours of field-craft and I captured it just after it caught a vole. I don't do much bird photography and normally I'm assisted by a friend who has a bird hide. 

What are you trying to communicate with your photographs?

The beauty of wildlife and the natural world that is worth preserving. We might not get the same species you get in Africa, but we still have a lot of beauty on our doorsteps. 

What do you find most challenging to photograph and why?

Birds in flight are difficult. Auto-focus struggles and you need to practice to get it right. 

Where would you most like to be with a camera?

I'd love to go to Scotland a bit more in future, in different seasons. 

What's the most unexpected thing that's happened with your photography? 

At Deep Dene in 2019 I came across a very rare form of the Chalk Hill Blue, a bilateral-gynandromorph (below). It's half male, half female, and occurs due to an imperfection in the egg.  

Got a top tip?

Get down to the level of whatever you're photographing. 

For more of Bob's work, see his website