Profile – Peter Hanscomb

Name. Peter Hanscomb

Location. Swindon , Wiltshire , UK.

Age. 55

Occupation Blogger at Wildonline.blog

Taking a well deserved rest , canoeing on Lake Louise , Alberta , Canada.

First Camera . Canon 550d DSLR ( I still own this camera and use it with a trigger trap in the garden ) I purchased the camera as part of a started kit with a 55mm & 75-300mm lenses.

Current Camera. Canon 5ds , Canon R5

Favorite Subject. Any British Mammal, if I had to pick one it would definitely be a Fox

Favorite Location. My local Woodland Trust , Purton Woods. It’s taken me some time to get to know the woods , where are the best spots for photography but it’s worth the effort.

Top Three Shots

Flou , the Fox . Taken at the British Wildlife Centre. Flou was the perfect model , and the inspiration for this blog. Still one of my favourite photo’s.

Oscar the Otter. Another of my favourite photos. This photo was taken in Devon at the West Country Wildlife Photography Centre.

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This cheeky chap was the subject of my One challenge in September, after waiting for so long it was a pleasure and privilege to spend 10 minutes photographing this handsome young man.

How long have you been interested in photography ? Photography is a relatively new thing for me ,I have always been interested in taking pictures and had many different point and shoot cameras over the years . I purchased my first “proper” DSLR camera in 2014 so only really three years. Originally this was a retirement project , something to keep me busy after my working days are over but the photography bug has me in its grip.

Why wildlife ? Like most new photographers, I started taking pictures of anything that moved or didn’t move. Quite quickly I realised that people didn’t interested me , so definitely no weddings or portrait photography. I have experimented with landscape and macro photography in the past and while I enjoy both , it doesn’t get me excited. There has always been a love of nature , animals and the outdoors. So about a year ago I decided to concentrate on Local wildlife.

Why start a blog ? The blog came about by chance really, my wife had started a totally unrelated blog , and at the time it seemed like a good idea……time will tell ? A chance meeting with Bob ( Bob’s Blog ) and a cheeky request asking Bob to guest write on the blog seem’s to point to a longer lifespan for the blog than I originally planned. Plus the blog’s now being followed in over 40 countries…….

Top Tips –

Ask…….There’s no such thing as a stupid question , ask and most people you’ll meet will be pleased to help or explain and point you in the right direction.

Experiment……. With today’s digital cameras it’s now cheap and easy to take risks with your camera settings . Take the time to get use to your cameras creative capabilities and have fun.

Be honest…… It doesn’t bother me where you capture your image , just be true full about the origins. My favourite photo , Flo the fox was taken at the British Wildlife Centre. The only editing or post production I use is the occasional cropping of an image.

Critique…… I photograph wildlife for my own personal pleasure. I don’t enter photographic competitions as a rule , so I can’t claim to be an award winning photographer, only a happy photographer. I guess the message here is we are all at different stages of our photographic journey.

Respect your subject………Never compromise your subjects right to live free of interference. No live baits or trying to manufacture a shot. There’s no substitute or shortcut , learn about your subject , and perfect your field craft.

What are your future plans ? It has always been a dream of mine to own my own small patch of land . Fast forward to January 2021 and the dream is now a reality. Together with my wife and fellow photographer Graham I’m now the proud owner of the Wild flower meadow . Nearly two acres of wildflower meadow , surrounded bu mature trees in the glorious North Wiltshire Countryside. The meadow is also the home of our new base , the Meadow Hide. A purpose build ( by hand in our own workshop ) wildlife photography hide. Here are a few images from the hide……