This stunning male Sparrowhawk visited me in the garden recently. I initially grabbed a shot through the window, but it was not in the least bothered by my presence, allowing me to step outside onto the patio and approach within a few feet of it. Occasionally it shot me a brief steely stare, but it was mostly zoned in on the small birds flitting back and forth from the feeders.
#southdevon #naturephotography #birdphotography #gardenbirds #wildbirds #southhams #britishwildlife #naturallight
Hello friends and followers, today I am launching something new.
Since moving to the South Hams in 2021 I’ve really fallen in love with this little corner of the world. Every time I head out on the coast path, into the meadows, or down to the river, I feel reconnected, grounded, lost again in the wonder of this interconnected web of life that surrounds us, supports us and nurtures us. I hope this new venture - guided nature photography workshops - will enable me to keep exploring, keep learning, and share some of this local beauty and wonder with other people too - both residents and visitors.
I’m not hanging up my boots as a filmmaker - there are still a number of projects I’m pursuing - but as that industry has quietened it has opened up the opportunity for me to explore new possibilities too.
I was a photographer before I was most other things in life. I began taking pictures when I was eight, developing the black and white film with my dad in his darkroom. When I have a camera in my hand, something changes; I slow down, my perception shifts and my senses are sharpened. For me, nature photography isn’t about chasing the rare and exotic, it’s about feeling my way into a deeper appreciation of the world around me - a deeper connection. This is what I hope to share through these workshops, in this place I now call home.
For more info on South Devon Nature Photography, and to book a workshop, see link in bio. Please do share this with anyone you think may be interested. Thank you.
#southhams #devon #naturephotography #southwestcoastpath #britishwildlife #natureexperience #reconnection #slowingdown #observation #areaofoutstandingnaturalbeauty #coastal #meadow #daysoutindevon #visitdevon #wildexperiences #wearenature
A wind-blown Desert wheatear on the cliffs of Bolberry Down on the Southwest coastpath.
This little ball of feathers should be enjoying the warmth and sunshine of northern Africa or the Arabian peninsula at this time of year. Instead it finds itself blown all the way to the shores of South Devon.
Very confiding, it seemed to be happy enough finding bugs and worms in the short turf.
Challenging conditions for photography though - gale-force winds and low, flat, fading light. I rather like the energy in this first photo though - it conveys the conditions quite well.
Last month I had an incredible experience in Brazil, travelling with Chief Álvaro Tukano to his home community in the far northwest of the Amazon region. Álvaro is a spiritual leader and a political giant, with incredible presence and deep humility. It was inspiring and humbling to spend time with Álvaro, his family and community, and an honour to be chosen to help bring his message to the climate COP negotiations last month.
Link to view the short film in bio.
Huge thanks to the teams at @capacity.eco and @openplanetorg for the wonderful collaboration.
I recently met this smiley Grey seal pup just off the #southwestcoastpath and was privileged to spend a bit of time hanging out on the beach in its company, shuffling around on my belly - it seemed to accept me as just another seal.
#justchillin #naturephotography #southdevonnature #naturallight
Photographing a secretive bird like a Reed warbler is all about waiting for those fleeting moments when the bird is in full view; but then on review, the images I like best are the ones that only reveal a glimpse, when the soft foreground vegetation provides a painterly quality.
Image 4 is a decent ID shot but I much prefer image 1.
A few recent pictures from a coastal meadow and a Devonshire rainforest.
I'm loving getting out early to catch the soft morning light.
#naturephotography #southdevonnature #naturallight #southwestcoastpath #dartmoor
A couple more from recent excursions around South Hams. Playing with aspect ratios that aren't so Insta-friendly!
Raven and Wheatear.
#naturephotography #southdevonnature #southwestcoastpath
This past week I've been getting out with my camera a bit more, making some early starts and enjoying this wonderful spring weather on the South Hams coast.
Having a camera in my hand helps me to take the time to notice the details: the beauty in the commonplace.
Here are a few photo highlights from around Bolt Head and Overbecks.
#naturephotography #southdevonnature #naturallight #southwestcoastpath
Well this was fun!
Go to Hawai'i and make a film about the ocean, said Samsung; the catch: it all has to be shot on their new Galaxy S25 Ultra mobile phone!
Challenge accepted! The very open brief meant it was an opportunity for me to reconnect with the wonderful Native Hawaiian wisdom-keepers Puna Kalama Dawson and Tom Pohaku Stone. It was an inspiring collaboration, with the poetic script co-written by the brilliant Hoakalei Sasaoka.
The ocean connects us all. It's where we all came from; it still flows through us. In many ways, we are ocean.
Narrated by
Tom Pohaku Stone
Written by
Hoakalei Sasaoka
Jonathan Clay
Editor
Wendy Broadhurst
Head of Production
Ana Taboada
Additional Photography
Mike Coots
Janghoon Kim
Sanghwi Kim
Minjae Lee
Post Production
Love and Money
Executive Producers
Taesung Kim
Min-Ho Ha
With special thanks to:
Puna Kalama Dawson
SpearfishingBroz
Hoakalei Sasoaka
Prajna & Greg Horn
Reid Yoshida
Kukuiolono Park, Kaua’i
Hawaii Film Office
soonyoung han
Chase Lee
Love and Money
Hana Productions
Samsung
Dive into an ocean documentary by award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Clay, filmed #withGalaxy on #GalaxyS25Ultra. We are all part of this living earth. And the ocean, it’s a part of us.
*Filmed with Galaxy S25 Ultra and post-processed.
*Galaxy smartphones used underwater were placed in a waterproof underwater housing. Galaxy smartphones are not designed to be waterproof against seawater.
*Unauthorized edits or distribution prohibited.
Learn more: samsung.com
