Find all about the man behind the lens Adam Masterton
I’m a UK based photographer that is passionate about capturing the beauty of the natural world.
From a young age, I've had an affinity with nature, being lucky enough to be surrounded by it.
Growing up in a small, rural community, in West Sussex he could always be found wandering through the woods and fields, searching for all manner of life.
When not outside he would be reading and dreaming about far-off places that fired my imagination.
Adam’s passion for nature is infectious, whether scaling mountains in Norway searching for the elusive Musk Oxen or bouncing around on dusty trails photographing the majestic Royal Bengal tiger.
Closer to home, Adam is a regular visitor to Richmond Park, where he has gained invaluable field experience in understanding deer behaviours and habits
What Wildlife & Nature Photography means to me
Wildlife / Nature photography in my mind is one of the hardest genres to pursue, but also the most rewarding. Just being in nature and capturing these unique moments in time is my biggest incentive.
I use the following guiding principles:
- Pre-planning and envisioning the end result in your mind on what you are trying to achieve, will give you purpose and a clear goal.
- Spending as much time in the field as possible observing and understanding the subjects getting real-world exposure is invaluable
- Being patient, accepting and grateful as sometimes, more often than it will take a long time to achieve that dream shot. Once you take away the pressure you will be calm and appreciate your photography more.
Keeping everything simple is key, don’t overcomplicate the shot, using your eyes and creativity is more important than stressing about the composition rules.
Ethics & Beliefs
Our wonderful planet is filled with so many amazing species and special places. As a wildlife photographer, I do my utmost, to be honest, and true and ensure the welfare of the subjects' needs are met before my own in the pursuit of capturing an image.
This is something I feel deeply about and whilst our little blue planet is getting more accessible by the day I never forget that we have to share this space with the other creatures in the natural world.
These are some of the principles I uphold:
- The subject's welfare outweighs the image you are trying to capture.
- Follow the law that's governing the species or location
- Being honest & transparent how the image was achieved
- No live bait
- Respect others but be true your your ethics and beliefs
Be present in the moment, respect nature and you will be rewarded.
Proficiency in photography techniques & composition will yield you just a good image. but, true passion & love for Wildlife will make you a better Wildlife Photographer. – Alvis Lazarus
Your specialties / skills?
I would consider myself an all-rounder, with wildlife/nature photography, enjoying all aspects, from the macro, behavioural, portrait and more recently the camera trapping.
I enjoy both fauna & flora but would consider my specialities in capturing Europe's large mammals, with a penchant for Wolves & Bears
Having an in-depth knowledge of your equipment is essential but more importantly, I'd say understanding animal behaviour and thinking creatively will yield better results than worrying about how many FPS or megapixels your camera has. This is another area where I like to think I have an area of specialism
