Profile

Even from an early age, Ross had a deep passion and fascination for the natural world. He would spend hours peering into ponds and observing and learning about the wildlife close to his parent’s home in north Cornwall. His parents introduced him to photography when aged 10 - giving him a compact camera as a Christmas present. Ross instinctively photographed wildlife and, while the results were poor to begin with, he was soon hooked. He soon began using his parents SLR – an old, Russian Zenit 11. A year later, in 1990, Ross won BBC Countryfile’s junior flora and fauna category in their annual photo competition – with a photograph of paired dragonflies. Encouraged, Ross continued taking pictures. By the time he won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition a few years later, he had already decided to pursue a career in photography...

Now aged 33, Ross is among the UK’s leading outdoor photographers. A regular contributor to a number of national magazines, including Outdoor Photography and Digital SLR Photography, his work is published widely. Ross is contracted to NaturePL and the RSPCA Photolibrary, while the National Trust is among his list of clients. He has enjoyed multiple successes in the international Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition and in 2008 was on the judging panel for the competition. In 2009 Ross won the British Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition at the annual BWPA awards. He is also the author of five photography books, including The Digital Exposure Handbook and The Landscape Photography Workshop. Ross is also one of the 2020VISION photo-team – the largest, most ambitious multi media conservation project ever staged in the UK.

Ross is best recognised as a close-up photographer, specialising in photography of insects and wild plants. He is also known for capturing evocative landscape images of the South West of England’s stunning landscape and coastline. This region, and its natural history, is a constant inspiration to him. Working close to home allows him to gain an intimate knowledge of the area, while also minimising his carbon footprint. Ross and his wife, Fliss, presently live close to the north Cornwall/Devon border, together with their two beautiful, young daughters...

At the risk of sounding clichéd, Ross simply hopes that his images will help highlight the beauty and importance of our natural history and the environment on which we depend…