Sunday 23 February 2014

Rockpool Project

Over the weekend I had a great opotunity to get my hands on one of the Panasonic GX-1 cameras with it's underwater housing. This gave me a great chance to start my latest project into the rockpools around Cornwall, with main focus on Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth. Although the weather above the water hasn't been great this weekend, life underwater has gone on unchanged. Below is one of my first images towards the project, showing a Hermit crab in its underwater habitat and also showing that it is in a rockpool.


Monday 17 February 2014

Porpoise & Seal pup Autopsy

Today I got the chance to film and photograph a autopsy that Exeter University had arrange in their science lab. Throughout the process they talked everyone through what they were doing and how the two species had specially adapted to life under the sea, from their eyes to how the insides of the porpoise is design to lower nitrogen getting into the blood stream that if it did would have the same affect that divers experience if they spend too long at depths underwater.

The porpoise had died from a head on collision with a bottle nose dolphin. which was most likely started because of territory although they can not be certain as they found it strained on the beach. Below I have put some of my favourite images from the process, I am back there tomorrow where they will be carrying out a similar process on a Bottle nose dolphin and a porpoise fetus that they came across today.



WARNING THESE ARE NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED 

















Friday 7 February 2014

Screech Owl Sanctuary

Spent today at the Screech Owl Sanctuary with a few course mates and David Chapman. They trip was organised through the university and was discounted for us. The Screech Owl Sanctuary itself is run by the Screech family, ironic and shows the family was destined to look after owls. For those of you who don't know a Barn Owls other name is Screech Owl.

During the day David setup a verity of different sets where the birds were placed, which allowed us to capture some amazing images that we would have never been about to do if we tried to photograph these birds in the wild. Each set was put together to allow us to capture the best images but still look natural so that the viewer could mistake the image for one taken in the wild. Below I have included my favourites from the day, I hope you like them and let me know what you think!



Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus


Great Grey Owl - Strix nebulosa


Barn Owl (Screech Owl) - Tyto alba


Barn Owl (Screech Owl) - Tyto alba


Burrowing Owl - Athene cunicularia


Tawny Owl - Strix aluco


Tawny Owl - Strix aluco


Long-eared Owl - Asio otus