Natures Value.

I have been thinking today, thinking about this planet, the world and how we mistreat it. Nature has given us everything, our lives, wealth, everything we have has come from the landscapes around us. Yet the lack of appreciation is truly apparent. It seems most Humans only value something that has a price on it, a financial worth. They miss the ability to appreciate the fascinating complexity and beauty because it does not have a price tag. The reason it has no value is because it is worth more than any person could ever conceive. It has a worth greater in value than EVERY single corporation on the planet. 

Yet still, we will cut it down, burn it, and pollute it.

Humans are supposed to be the most intellectually advanced animals in the world, but isn’t it funny that we are the only ones who are driving ourselves to extinction. Think about what we are doing, because something needs to change and soon.

Tom

Tomorrow.

One should never wish a day away…but right now I can’t wait for tomorrow!

In under 24 hours Ill be on my way to the other side of the world, to a location I have always wanted to visit…The Amazon Rainforest. Into the heart of the Manu national park I will be venturing far from humans into one of the last true wildernesses. I have dreamed of visiting the rainforest since I started out watching wildlife and before my 20th birthday it will be a reality. Excited doesn’t come close!

Hopefully I can keep you all in the loop as it unfolds!

Cheers,

Tom

BIG Weekend…Even Bigger month!

The 16-18 of August. For any birdwatcher, wildlife lover, naturalist they will know that that is the date of the British Birdfair! A huge event bringing together over 15,000 people all in the cause for nature. Its a great time to network, meet friends and build relationships and thats exactly what I shall be doing over the next four days! Not only am I working I am also giving my first ever major lecture that will be seen by over 100 people, a huge opportunity for someone at my age!

If the weekend wasn’t enough excitement fast forward to next week and I shall be flying off to Peru for two weeks awesome wildlife watching in the heart of the amazon rainforest. A life long dream, now a close reality!

I shall keep my blog going as much as possible over the next few months and I might even post a few pictures when I return from the other side of the world! 

Tom

Finding vision.

As a creative person I am always looking for inspiration in order to improve and address my vision as a photographer. My inspiration although often from nature, comes from a variety of locations within my life. Over the past few weeks my vision has been buried under a heap of work, hidden from the forefront of my mind, leaving me feeling stressed and unfulfilled. I have not given over time to the passions in my life that inspire my creativity; running, reading, learning, walking and looking at gorgeous images. 

This week that will change. Its time to get back to what I do best; Being creative.

Tom

Perseverance.

In life one of the most important words we can talk about is perseverance.

No matter who you are, what you do, perseverance is key. Sometimes we all feel like giving up, beneath that mountain of editing, emails, phone calls, work..we can all feel like throwing in the towel but why, whats the point? If we do not persevere with what we started why are we bothering at all? 

The best things in life are those that we have worked hard for, those achievements that took weeks of hard work, many hours of patience and persistence. My best images are produced after many hours of work, not just with the camera in my hand but with the planning and preparation before the camera ever came into play!

Perseverance will make the difference between being good and being great at what you do. Natural skill can only get you so far, the rest is down to hard work and a determination to succeed. 

Perseverance is the only sure way to make you prevail.

Tom

Complex beauty.

Women are complex. A bit if advice I was told when I was younger. But is this not indeed why they are beautiful?

The beauty of Nature is it’s complexity. It’s ability to fill so many variables. So much variety of life that defies the imagination. Nature is beautiful because however deep you delve it is complex. Even the most simple of creatures are in fact a web of microscopic parts that manage to communicate effectively as a whole being.

To comprehend that I am writing this due to millions of years of evolution and developed intelligence is a fact in itself, that sets my mind alive. To understand is not nearly as important as to appreciate. Not everyone will ever understand micro biology. Yet everyone can appreciate the gift we have. Nature, growth and life itself!

Tom

Calling.

It is not often in modern life we hear about peoples callings. people have jobs, passions, hobbies but callings… less so. I have always loved the natural world, ever since I was little. I did not choose to, I mealy could not escape the wonder of it it. The complexity of biology, the integration in ecosystems, the variety of life. Even now after studying it for many years, being able to observe it and even understand it, I’m blown away. Sharing the beauty of the natural world is all I wan’t to do. Be it through my photography, video, writing or word of mouth, I need to inspire others to understand the value of what we have on our planet.

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” ― Albert Einstein

Wise words from a wise man. One day hopefully I too can inspire an generation to protect the value of our planet, not for resources or wealth but just due to the pure beauty of it.

Tom

What a start to the weekend!

After my post about stress the other day I decided to take a short break from work. Two days to get out and enjoy myself!

The first was spent with a good friend, a lazy day in the sun, wild swimming in the local lake, no cares in the world!

The second was given over to my passion for nature. A full day birdwatching, from 05:00 in the morning till 23:10 at night. I met a good friend of mine and we took a trip out to Norfolk. We saw a huge amount and even managed to help locate a rarity for the whole country! Finished off with a great meal and a pint, another brilliantly relaxing day!

Why do my two days off matter to you? Well in those two days, even though I didn’t do any “work” I still managed to accomplish a great deal. My stress levels dropped, my creativity was reignited and my happiness improved. I also had time to evaluate what was being successful in my business at the moment, so I could target my work in the following days.

Having a break was just what I needed and it’s evidently working as I have already written two articles this morning before 10am!

Tom

Creativity needs planning.

Planning is truly an essential element to being creative. As a photographer I spend a great deal of time
planning, sitting at home with a pen and paper producing rough sketches of images. Some of these take moments, others take hours. Having a plan helps me to make sure that when I am in the field, the images I produce are as good as they can be. Planning and preparation prevent piss poor performance!

Tom

Consistency; the Key to success.

In life, many things help you to be successful…Intelligence, resourcefulness, good looks, creative thinking, enterprise…but out of everything, it is consistency that will ultimately define your successfulness. If you look at leading people from present and past, the one thing that sticks out is the fact they never gave up and were consistent with their drive and determination. Steve Jobs didn’t stop after he revolutionised the market of portable technology with the Iphone. He kept pushing, surging forward to make every model better than the last. Albert Einstein created and developed numerous principles in physics, long after his famous theory of relativity.

Being brilliant is great, but being consistently brilliant is far more commendable.

Tom