George McCarthy is recognised as one of the UK's leading professional nature photographers. He is also an author and a consultant specialising in British wildlife and the countryside.

Since turning professional in 1986 his photographs have appeared regularly in leading magazines and books both in this country and abroad. They are also in demand for calendars, 20 plus posters (have you seen the "Tawny Owl and the Moon" or the "Three Barn Owls" for instance)? Currently 100 plus postcards carry his picture credits and one major calendar company have just chosen his work to appear exclusively in their 2002 British Wildlife calendar.

Not surprisingly his photography has also featured in advertising and has been used by such prestigious companies over the years as Kodak, RSPB and Canon.

To give an example of the diversity and quality of his work in 1995, with pictures of barn owls, George won the professional division of the Hawk & Owl Trust's silver jubilee international competition beating off other photographers from 13 different countries. It was George's lucky day because, not only did he win, he was also second winning prizes in excess of £3000.00. A few years later he was commissioned to produce a book on fungi that became a best seller. It was entitled "The Wild Mushroom" and is regarded by many as the finest collection of fungi photography currently available in a book form.

Today, from his home in West Sussex, he travels widely in his pursuit of new pictures and subjects. The first six months of this Millennium year, for example, saw him in January flying out to New Mexico to photograph the thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese that winter on the famous Bosque del Apache refuge. From there it was on to Florida to run a tour for Nature Photography Pro-Tours, his own company. This was actually George's seventeenth tour of Florida and consequently he has such an intimate knowledge of this part of the USA that many American pro's seek him out for information if they know he is in the area!

There followed a brief return to England in March to run 4 one-day workshops photographing adders in the wild, snakes being one of George's favourite subjects! Then it was off again this time for 7 weeks in Greece. Here it was to run another of his tours on the Island of Lesvos and also to appear in a half-hour program on Greek television to discuss the islands flora and fauna and how best to conserve it. Then it was back to the UK where commitments included a week-long seabird workshop on the Farne Islands, the Bass Rock and Craigleith followed by one in the Surrey countryside photographing butterflies and dragonflies.

Photographing wildlife and nature subjects for George McCarthy has become a passion. He is a superb technician, happy to share his secrets in the hundred plus lectures and workshops he gives each year to camera clubs and natural history societies. However it is abundantly clear from some of the stunning images he produces that there is a quality in George’s work that transcends technique. He has an eye for a picture, an ability to capture and reveal the subject at its pictorial best. Like all top photographers the world over he has the ability to see rather than just look.

For more of George McCarthy's photos visit www.georgemccarthy.com