Chris Gomersall
A childhood encounter with a waxwing sparked an interest in birdwatching. Every weekend I would cycle to the Lincolnshire marshes and find refuge and inspiration in our most accessible wilderness. I remember the revelation of discovering flocks of knot flying to roost on the Humber estuary and being completely mesmerised by the spectacle. Photography was a natural extension of that interest, but I never dared dream that I’d end up making it my life’s work.
These days I work as a freelance wildlife photographer, combining this with writing, workshops and tour-leading. Career milestones include being appointed as staff photographer to the RSPB, a job I was privileged to hold for 14 years, publishing my first book “Photographing Wild Birds” in 2001 and winning the GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2007.
Having worked for conservation NGO's in nature reserve management and ecological research, I’m well aware of the need for science-based campaigning and political lobbying. However, for the last twenty-five years my career has been devoted to communicating these messages through the medium of photography. This is potentially a far more effective way of reaching a wider audience and touching them emotionally; enabling people to see just what the environment does for them. That’s why I’m so excited about photographers taking a proactive role in 2020VISION. We need to play to our strengths. This project is our call to arms.
