Born in Berwick-upon-Tweed in 1958 and with a life-long interest in natural history, Laurie Campbell began photographing wildlife in the early 1970’s while still at school.   In the beginning his aim was simple, to show what he had witnessed to others who might have neither the time nor the inclination to go out into the field and experience nature in as much detail for themselves. 

On leaving school he spent two years working as a keeper at Edinburgh Zoo before embarking upon a four year degree course in photography at Napier University.  After graduating he continued accumulating stocks of photographs of wildlife and became Scotland’s first full-time professional nature photographer in 1985.  His photographs have since been published worldwide across a range of media from books and magazines to postage stamps and fine art prints.   They are widely recognised for their distinctive style and for his preference for using natural light and belief in photographing subjects which are neither captive or manipulated but simply as he finds them in the field.  

Being a generalist makes him receptive to a wide range of subjects from lichens to golden eagles and it is this which has helped him appreciate how different habitats work and with it, the interdependence between species.   His archive of over 140,000 images is the largest of any single photographer specialising in recording Scottish flora, fauna and landscape and in recognition of the effect that his photography has had, he was recently voted to be included in ‘Highland Naturalists’ an exhibition staged at Great Glen House, Scottish Natural Heritage’s headquarters in Inverness.   The exhibition features thirty people from the past 300 years whose work have significantly contributed to the understanding and enjoyment of the natural history in the Scottish Highlands (www.highlandnaturalists.com )   

As well as contributing to various television and radio programmes, Laurie has also authored two books ‘The Wildlife Photographs of Laurie Campbell’ and the bestselling ‘RSPB Guide to Bird & Nature Photography’    He has also received commissions to illustrate several more including, ‘Golden Eagles’, ‘The Great Wood of Caledon’, ‘Badgers’, ‘Wild Scotland’, ‘The Cairngorm Reindeer’ and ‘Highlanders’ featuring Scotland’s ancient breed of long-haired cattle.  

More recent commissions include projects from Scottish Natural Heritage to extensively photograph the National Nature Reserves of Beinn Eighe in Wester Ross and the Island of Rum in the Hebrides together with the reintroduction of white-tailed sea eagles and red kites in Scotland.   His experience in photography means that he is in constant demand as a lecturer and photographic workshop leader, both in the UK and throughout Europe.  

He is also valued as a photographic judge and has been invited onto the panel for the prestigious ‘BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year’, a competition in which he has previously won twenty three awards.  Looking toward the future, Laurie is content to continue working in Scotland re-visiting sites he knows well and documenting their natural history.    

Website: http://www.lauriecampbell.com/