Office worker by day but a passionate wildlife photographer in his spare time, Dave Newman has found himself surrounded by fans and media attention after sharing his shots of local wildlife, many of which were captured during his lunch breaks.
Based in Sleaford, a small market town in Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, Newman works for a building, plumbing, and heating company. As a full-time office worker, being out in nature and enjoying wildlife is something that helps Newman relax and recharge, especially during work breaks with his camera in hand.
He says that during his lunch breaks, he often makes the short trip from his office in the center of town to a river nearby where he has been able to capture incredible photos of the local wildlife.
“For me, it’s all about not knowing what is around the corner as you walk the rivers, fields, woodlands, etc. — myself, my camera and wildlife, no bustle of people, just peace, quiet with the sounds of nature,” Newman says.
Obviously, though, some were not captured during the day but were part of more dedicated photo excursions.
“Whether it is sunny or winter cold, I love the outside world and what it can bring. Stressful working days, wildlife gives me a 30-minute breath and recharge during my lunch breaks, it’s a blessing.”
Newman tells PetaPixel that when he was younger, he had a Nikon P900 which had great optical zoom capabilities at the time and fulfilled his fascination with photographing the Moon.
He soon figured that for wildlife it “didn’t cut the mustard” and after a few Nikon models he upgraded to a D500, which he used for two years. However, now his latest wildlife setup includes Sony A9 and Sony a7R III with Sony 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 and Sony 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lenses, as well as the Sony 1.4x Teleconverter.
When asked about memorable experiences in his wildlife journey so far, Newman’s favorite moment is when he captured a diving kingfisher on his first attempt, pictured below. This is not an easy feat and other photographers, professionals, and amateurs alike, have spent years and numerous shots to get an image of the fast bird in action.
Although Newman has pursued wildlife photography for just over three years, he has already received local, national, and international attention including BBC UK, BBC Worldwide, and BBC TV features. Within 16 months of starting his social media pages to showcase his images, he has amassed a huge social following from around the world.
“At the moment, I am just a normal guy with a camera who loves his wildlife,” says Newman.
He has been overwhelmed with kind messages received from people who have shared that they have been inspired by him which has also given Newman a glimmer of hope to make this a full-time profession in the future.
More of Newman’s wildlife photography can be seen on his Facebook and Instagram.
Image credits: All images by Dave Newman and used with permission.
Author: Anete Lusina
Source: Petapixel
