I got into photography when I was about 15 years old....and at that time it was simply a means to an end. My consuming interest was car racing...Formula 1 and prototype sports cars to be exact...and I used photography as a tool to get me closer to the action. Of course, a 15 or 16 year old could never get photographers credentials… but sometimes I lied about my age and got them, sometimes I actually forged them and sometimes I managed to climb the fence and get into the areas with the pro photographers. I had some adventures, I had some close calls, I learned photography… and most importantly, I got really close to the racing action. 10 years later, I was a professional racer, competing at a world class level in the same races that I had previously sneaked into. Photography, though not forgotten, was put on the back burner.

Fast forward a couple of decades, a marriage and a couple of children. Car racing was long over and I was running a profitable business in the oceanographic industry. My wildlife photography interest was sparked when I read an article predicting the imminent demise of the polar bear due to climate change. I bought a Nikon D200, a couple of lenses, a ton of cold weather gear and headed off to Churchill, Manitoba, to photograph the last few polar bears on the planet.

Well, I didn't do too well photographically, polar bears didn't go extinct, global warming is very real… and I suddenly had a new passion. I have returned to Churchill now about 15 times to shoot polar bears and hang out with my friends there. I have now published a book on polar bears, "Waiting for Dancer", with my photos and some pretty riveting writing by my guide, Dennis Compayre, who actually grew up around the bears. I have also appeared onscreen in a television series, "Polar Bear Town", which was broadcast in the US on the Smithsonian Channel.

But my wildlife photography is not limited to just polar bears. I have traveled to Africa 4 times, Alaska 2 times, the Amazon several times and to many places in the US… all to photograph animals.

I have had good success as a wildlife photographer because I am able to go into the animals environment without fear, without excitement, and without threatening them. The animals sense this and let me into their world. Sometimes they are interested and curious, but most often they just go about their lives as normal. This...and lots of patience….are the keys to successful wildlife photography.

As I mentioned, I recently published a book on the polar bear, along with my long time guide, Dennis Compayre. The book, "Waiting for Dancer", is available on this site and on Amazon.com. 

Thank you for your interest, Andrew