OLIVER’S
BIRDS
Photographs by Oliver Hellowell Forewords by Iolo Williams and Ken Jenkins
CONTENTS Oliver Hellowell – Photographer 7 Notes from Iolo Williams and Ken Jenkins 15-17 Oliver’s Favourites 18 Out on the Levels and Inland Water Birds 54 Sea Birds 76 Birds of Prey 94 Garden Birds 114 Everyone Loves a Robin 138 Tricks of the Trade 146
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CONTENTS Oliver Hellowell – Photographer 7 Notes from Iolo Williams and Ken Jenkins 15-17 Oliver’s Favourites 18 Out on the Levels and Inland Water Birds 54 Sea Birds 76 Birds of Prey 94 Garden Birds 114 Everyone Loves a Robin 138 Tricks of the Trade 146
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OLIVER HELLOWELL PHOTOGRAPHER Photography allows a person to communicate what they see and how they see it, in a way which does not require clever professional language or description, and which reaches out quite directly to the eye of the beholder. How wonderful then, that a young man, for whom communication brings with it quite specific challenges, is able to use photography to interact with people all over our planet, thus showing them his own unique view of wildlife and the natural world around him which he so loves. Oliver Hellowell, born in July 1996, is a young man fast achieving his dream of being a professional landscape and wildlife photographer. Nothing too unusual about that you might think, until you realise that Oliver happens to have Down Syndrome. As you might imagine, the journey travelled by this remarkable young man to get where he is today has certainly encountered challenges. At 3 months old he had open heart surgery to repair three serious cardiac defects, after which his mother discovered that medics had feared he would not survive long enough to reach surgery. By the time he was 3 years old, predictions by speech and language therapists and physiotherapists had pronounced him so severely delayed and affected by his Down Syndrome and additional diagnoses, that it was believed he would never be able to produce speech which could be
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OLIVER HELLOWELL PHOTOGRAPHER Photography allows a person to communicate what they see and how they see it, in a way which does not require clever professional language or description, and which reaches out quite directly to the eye of the beholder. How wonderful then, that a young man, for whom communication brings with it quite specific challenges, is able to use photography to interact with people all over our planet, thus showing them his own unique view of wildlife and the natural world around him which he so loves. Oliver Hellowell, born in July 1996, is a young man fast achieving his dream of being a professional landscape and wildlife photographer. Nothing too unusual about that you might think, until you realise that Oliver happens to have Down Syndrome. As you might imagine, the journey travelled by this remarkable young man to get where he is today has certainly encountered challenges. At 3 months old he had open heart surgery to repair three serious cardiac defects, after which his mother discovered that medics had feared he would not survive long enough to reach surgery. By the time he was 3 years old, predictions by speech and language therapists and physiotherapists had pronounced him so severely delayed and affected by his Down Syndrome and additional diagnoses, that it was believed he would never be able to produce speech which could be
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OLIVER’S FAVOURITES As the title suggests, the following images are some of Oliver’s favourite shots. This might be because of the bird he’s captured on camera, or due to a particular aspect of the photograph, such as the crisp water droplets or ruffled feathers. Oliver explains his choices in his own words.
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OLIVER’S FAVOURITES As the title suggests, the following images are some of Oliver’s favourite shots. This might be because of the bird he’s captured on camera, or due to a particular aspect of the photograph, such as the crisp water droplets or ruffled feathers. Oliver explains his choices in his own words.
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PUFFIN Farne Islands, Northumberland Above: I was pleased to get this shot with the wings open. I really like this one. He’s saying ‘Look at me!’
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Right: For some reason this puffin reminds me of my cat – and I love my cat!
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PUFFIN Farne Islands, Northumberland Above: I was pleased to get this shot with the wings open. I really like this one. He’s saying ‘Look at me!’
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Right: For some reason this puffin reminds me of my cat – and I love my cat!
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BALD EAGLE Majesty, AEF I like bald eagles, they are really big birds. I took this in America. This picture is so amazing – you can even see the veins in the eagle’s eye!
GOSHAWK Jess, LLBOPC I went to Scotland with my best mate, Ken Jenkins from Tennessee, to do some filming. We went to the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre and Stewart Robertson told us all about the birds. I got this fabulous closeup of the head of the goshawk – I’m really pleased with it. 32
BALD EAGLE Majesty, AEF I like bald eagles, they are really big birds. I took this in America. This picture is so amazing – you can even see the veins in the eagle’s eye!
GOSHAWK Jess, LLBOPC I went to Scotland with my best mate, Ken Jenkins from Tennessee, to do some filming. We went to the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre and Stewart Robertson told us all about the birds. I got this fabulous closeup of the head of the goshawk – I’m really pleased with it. 32
“Cracking birds, wrens! I like wrens! I gave a print of this picture to my mate Iolo Williams because he likes wrens too.�
WREN Blackdown Hills, Somerset 48
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“Cracking birds, wrens! I like wrens! I gave a print of this picture to my mate Iolo Williams because he likes wrens too.�
WREN Blackdown Hills, Somerset 48
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G R E AT E R F L A M I N G O Slimbridge Left: ‘Wing Feathers’ Often focussed on the fabulous plumage of so many birds, it’s common for Oliver’s images to show only wings or feathers and no head at all! 59
G R E AT E R F L A M I N G O Slimbridge Left: ‘Wing Feathers’ Often focussed on the fabulous plumage of so many birds, it’s common for Oliver’s images to show only wings or feathers and no head at all! 59
MALLARD The Sedges Fishery, Nr Bridgwater, Somerset
MALLARD Chard Reservoir, Somerset ‘Wind in your Feathers’
MALLARD Slimbridge ‘Having a Splash’ 69
MALLARD The Sedges Fishery, Nr Bridgwater, Somerset
MALLARD Chard Reservoir, Somerset ‘Wind in your Feathers’
MALLARD Slimbridge ‘Having a Splash’ 69
SEA BIRDS Almost all these images were captured on the Farne Islands off the Northumberland Coast. Joy Pettifer from Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips, Seahouses, very kindly organised two complimentary boat trips for Oliver and Mike to get out to the islands to capture puffins for the first time. Mike captured Oliver and his new friend Jim Bennett (whom he met on the boat) getting attacked by Terns, as is the norm during the breeding season – all part of the difficulties a wildlife photographer has to put up with! The sheer numbers of birds seen from the boat, nesting on the rocks and cliffs, is spectacular – an experience to be recommended whether you are a photographer or not.
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SEA BIRDS Almost all these images were captured on the Farne Islands off the Northumberland Coast. Joy Pettifer from Billy Shiel’s Boat Trips, Seahouses, very kindly organised two complimentary boat trips for Oliver and Mike to get out to the islands to capture puffins for the first time. Mike captured Oliver and his new friend Jim Bennett (whom he met on the boat) getting attacked by Terns, as is the norm during the breeding season – all part of the difficulties a wildlife photographer has to put up with! The sheer numbers of birds seen from the boat, nesting on the rocks and cliffs, is spectacular – an experience to be recommended whether you are a photographer or not.
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N U T H ATC H
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N U T H ATC H
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“Every photograph jumps out of the page in an explosion of colour and detail.” Iolo Williams Naturalist, TV presenter, conservationist and writer
Meet Oliver: A young man with a brilliant eye for bird photography. Inventive, intuitive, Oliver’s work offers a deeply personal impression of the natural world. His images are sold around the globe, and have brought awards, plaudits and numerous appearances on TV and in the media. Oliver also happens to have Down Syndrome. At every stage of his life, he has surpassed expectations, developing his speech, motor skills and knowledge beyond all predictions. He sees no limitations. Oliver’s irrepressible determination and enthusiasm find expression in his remarkable photographs of birds. From the bald eagles of North America to the guillemots of Northumberland and the robins in his own back garden, Oliver’s insightful images present us with a unique portrayal of birds and the world they inhabit.
ISBN: 978-1-78884-010-1
ËxHSLHSIy840101zv&:-:&:!:+ £17.99/$25.00
www.accartbooks.com