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SINCE THE AGE OF FIVE, when helping raise and release Peacock butterflies at my primary school, I've been enthralled by the natural world. This and the enjoyment of creating images, writing, music and television, has been the driving force in my professional life.
CONSERVATION is a key passion of mine. I led my first guided tour aged 15, showing Bee-eaters to tourists on Mallorca. Now, I specialise in studying Britain's breeding birds. My nest box scheme extends from Felixstowe to Herefordshire, giving homes to species from Black Redstarts to Kingfishers, and I monitor nesting birds under license for the BTO.
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BROADCASTING WILDLIFE to millions of people has been my career ambition since graduating from Oxford University. I've been lucky enough to work under some of the industry's most respected producers and across a range of engaging factual documentaries, learning all the time.
WRITING AND MUSIC have brought me enjoyment since I was very young. i currently write monthly pieces in Birdwatching Magazine, and for other publications like BBC Wildlife. As a keen pianist, I've been fortunate to win two EPTA national competitions for composition, and to play in several regional and two national concert performances.
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CAMERA WORK has been my way into wildlife television. Funds raised stacking shelves bought me a Sony EX-3 and Ronford-Baker tripod. For the next eight months, I filmed elusive British wildlife and my promo, 'Phantoms of the Forest', led to editing work with broadcaster Simon King. I later worked as a cameraman for the Royal Geographical Society in Venezuela, filming a 50-minute documentary - 'The Lost World'.
PHOTOGRAPHY for small galleries and productions has given me a wide portfolio of images. I shoot digital and 35mm SLR, and 4x5 large-format, concentrating on abstracts, landscapes and prioritising highlights and deep colour. Check out the 'Macsnaps' page for my image gallery.
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EDITING with Final Cut Pro has opened up exciting new opportunities to guide the creative direction of a film. Most recently I have worked, over several months, on a voluntary basis, to assist NGO Ibex Earth create a new film about the plight of Mount Roraima in Venezuela, and the precarious future of its native Amerindian peoples in the face of exploitation.
TRAVEL has taken me around the New World, from a Team Challenge expedition in northern Peru, to filming in Alaska and Venezuela. I've also travelled widely across Europe and North Africa - whether seeking Wolverines in Finland or tracking Houbara Bustards with Berbers in the Sahara. Inevitably, the most memorable aspect of these quests are the people.
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