About

Kiri is a keen naturalist and nature photographer living in Norfolk. She is passionate about conservation and blogs about wildlife gardening, her local wildlife sightings as well as broader conservation or ecological themes. She has a particular interest in butterflies, which are a “canary” species indicating the health of our environment.

In her spare time Kiri enjoys watching nature in her own wildlife garden, nature journalling her wildlife encounters and spending time with her famioy and Kokoni rescue dog Rosa.

Biography

Kiri and kit in the field © John Stuart-Clarke

Kiri and kit in the field © John Stuart-Clarke

Kiri was born in East Anglia in 1975. She grew up on the Essex coast spending a lot of time in local nature reserves, much of it in wellies pond-dipping in the rain, exploring the natural beauty of the region's countryside that has become her inspiration. She also frequently visited the north Norfolk coast, which remains one of her favourite places to this day.

Her longstanding passion for nature and wildlife was reawakened when she moved to a small South Oxfordshire village near the historic Ridgeway national trail. She discovered digital photography after receiving a Canon DSLR as a birthday present from her husband. The medium proved to be the perfect outlet for her creative streak and she has been combining her love of the natural world with a passion for photography ever since.

Kiri's photography combines a eye for colour and form with a love of unpretentious, "real" natural history and telling a story through reportage. She has a fascination for oft overlooked little details that evoke the genuine beauty of the world around us. Most of her images are photographed in local lanes, footpaths and nature reserves where she lives. She has also travelled further afield, most notably visiting Finland to photograph European Grey Wolves and Brown Bears in the wild.

Kiri volunteered for a branch of Butterfly Conservation in the capacity of PR Officer for around ten years. Her photography ethics follow the principle of non-interference and “first do no harm”. The safety and well-being of wildlife, even insects, always comes first. 

In 2012 Kiri returned to East Anglia and settled in a small mid-Norfolk village, where she continues to explore the everyday natural world around us through photography her photo blog and her nature journal.

Media

Interviews

During her time volunteering for Butterfly Conservation, Kiri has appeared on ITV news and BBC OneShow highlighting and advocating the need to protect butterflies and the beautiful Norfolk Swallowtail in particular. She also appeared on an  ITV Anglia News item about the decline in butterfly numbers filmed during the Big Butterfly Count 2016

Nature Conservation and Photography Magazine Articles

Kiri has written numerous articles on nature and wildlife gardening themes, illustrated with her own photography in a range of magazines and publications. If you would like to commission a feature article or use any of my images please contact me.

Photography Features with BBC Radio Norfolk

As well as writing magazine articles illustrated with her own photography, Kiri featured in a series of photography spots on BBC Radio Norfolk's morning show discussing current photography-related topics and offering photography hints and tips to listeners. You can listen to Kiri's appearances on the Nick Conrad Show below:

Norfolk Suffolk Life Magazine - Feb 2013 - Page 20-21

Norfolk Suffolk Life Magazine - Feb 2013 - Page 20-21

Butterfly Article
Winter Wonderland Article

Kiri's Photography Kit

When out and about with my camera and lenses I’ve often been asked what photography equipment I use.

Two old adages hold true; the most important piece of kit is first and foremost "the photographer's eye" and much can be achieved with modest equipment used within its constraints, especially with today's technological advances. Truest of all is the saying that "the best camera is the one you have with you" when the opportunity suddenly appears and you really need it! Rare is the photographer who doesn't have at least one tale to tell of "the image that got away".

For those who love this stuff, Kiri has been moving over to the Olympus EM micro four-thirds system and currently shoots using:

Bodies

  • Olympus EM-5 Mk II

  • Canon EOS 5D Mark III body (previously Canon 7D)

Lenses

  • Olympus 60mm Macro lens (a longer one is needed please Olympus!)

  • Olympus 300mm f5.6 prime

  • Olympus 1.4x teleconverter

  • Canon L 24-70mm F2.8

  • Canon L 180mm F3.5 Macro 

  • Canon L 70-200 F2.8 Mark II

  • Canon L 400mm F5.6

  • Canon EF 1.4 Mark III Extender / Teleconverter

  • Sigma 14-28mm F4.5-5.6mm Wideangle

Accessories

  • L-plate

  • Lee Filters and Polarising filter 

  • Hoya screw in polarising filter

  • Canon Speedlite 580 flashgun

  • Feisol Tournament Tripod

  • Really Right Stuff ball head