Young Photographers Capture Stunning Photos Of Meon Valley Wildlife

A PAIR of young photographers from the Meon Valley have shared a series of stunning pictures of wildlife taken locally.

Harvey Webb and Alex Grainger, both 15, started their hobby two years ago after spotting a Kingfisher on the River Meon.

“We bought basic level cameras to try and capture it,” said Alex. “I borrowed my grandpa’s camera and sat on the river bank for days on end,” said Harvey.

After this, Alex said their hobby “just grew from there as we found birds like owls to photograph”

The boys learnt their photography skills simply by practising. Harvey said: “I often take inspiration from other photographers and strive to reach similar standards. However, I am mainly self-taught from practising over the last couple of years

But “most of our skills came from us helping each other,” Alex said.

The boys favourite species are owls: “Owls are my favourite subject because we have had amazing opportunities with them,” said Alex.

“Out of all the British owls, I like barn owls the most. I could spend hours watching them quarter over meadows looking for voles,” said Harvey.

The boys say they think the coronavirus lockdown had a positive impact on wildlife. Alex said: “When lockdown was been in place it helped the wildlife a lot especially with nesting birds as they were less likely to be disturbed”.

Harvey added: “The A32 was a lot quieter in the early stages of lockdown and people were going on more bike rides and walks. That means a lot less roadkill and less pollution.”

Alex said the greatest danger to wildlife in the area are main roads. “I’ve seen animals ranging from badgers to sparrowhawks dead in the road which is awful”.

Last year Harvey made and sold his own calendar. He said: “It would be fantastic if I could turn this into a career and I would take the chance in a heartbeat. However, I am keeping it as a hobby for now unless an opportunity arises.” Alex said: “I would love for my photography to become a career but the chances are very slim”.

You can follow their progress by clicking on these links :

Alex’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agraingerphotos/

Alex’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlexGwildlife

Harvey’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hwebbphotography/?hl=en

Harvey’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/hwebbwildlife