Pheasants and Festive Pleasantries

By Jennifer Harnden December 2023

What a wonderful year of photography and sharing some pleasant moments of some of my time in the great outdoors with my camera. Thank you to everyone who have shown your ongoing support and appreciation for my work, either through contacting me via my website www.jenniferharnden.com or on social media, or simply by the interesting conversations I’ve had with people visiting me who also enjoy a shared passion for wildlife and nature.

Putting my best foot forward

Over the last few months, I’ve actually been recovering from a long overdue foot operation, so I have been keeping any photography work nice and local, on my own doorstep so to speak.  It’s always great to enjoy the charismatic robins in the garden, and pheasants wandering around the local area filling the air with their distinct croaking sounds.   The pheasants I’ve come across these last few weeks as we approach the festive season, funnily enough I’ve found are not keen to be in a photo shoot!

Wildlife photography ethics

I know that I try my best not to be seen, trying not to disturb any wildlife or cause any unnecessary stress to the animal or bird.  My ethic around this is that my aim is to simply appreciate and capture photographs quietly, so that I am blended into the background, so that they are behaving naturally and are simply going about their day to day life.   Sometimes you do get spotted and they fly away or creep into the shadows for a feeling of safety and security. I will always try my best to have the utmost respect for nature by not being seen or heard, before, during or after the photo shoot. 

Mindful moments

I feel it is an honour to witness such beautiful creatures throughout the year not only in the UK but much further afield also, owls, red squirrels, kites, hares, bears, lynx, wolves to name just a few. Sometimes, not all the time and after many hours, I am lucky enough to be rewarded with what I feel are stunning images as seen through the lens of the camera. Being in nature and taking photographs really is such a lovely mindful and pleasing activity, where you can fully be at one with nature and appreciate the animal or bird, and witness some breath taking natural scenes.

2023 Highlights

I think the highlights and best photography for me over this year have to be some of my Red Squirrel images found on this website, in addition to a 'Watership Down' moment of seeing the wild hare on the hill.

Then there's the time I saw the wild white stag! This is possibly a once in a lifetime sort of magic, unless you are even luckier to see it twice. Although the white stag photo I took was out of focus, the wonderful memory of seeing this rare beauty, having been caught completely by surprise as I was driving home one evening, will remain with me for a very long time.

I would like to wish family, friends and supporters, a very happy Christmas and New Year.   Here’s to enjoying some more wildlife and nature through some of the photos I take, and to soaking up some more magical natural mindful moments.

Thanks again, let's see what 2024 will bring!

Please contact me if you are interested in framed prints, cards, my 'Appreciating Wildlife & Nature 2024' desktop calendar, and other gifts.