Will’s mission was to communicate his passion for trees and inspire others to cherish them, too.
‘I can’t imagine a world without trees,’ he says. ‘They are like huge housing estates for wildlife – cosmopolitan hideouts with different lodgers around the world.’ And he’s right. Forests are home to 80 per cent of biodiversity. Sadly, 12 to 15 million hectares of forest are lost each year. Will chose a variety of perspectives for his photographs. One looks skywards at snow-clad firs in Canada – ‘my hands were shaking with cold’, he says. Another is a low-level panorama that emphasises the artery-like roots of mature beeches in the UK. A third is a view of the vast Costa Rican rainforest through the window of a small plane on a bumpy flight. ‘The rainbow is meant to symbolise how precious rainforests are – one big pot of gold,’ explains Will. He used close-ups to illustrate the colourful diversity of life supported by trees, capturing a white-fronted nunbird and a fly agaric toadstool. He also shot a strawberry poison frog in so-called blue jeans form. A tiny creature less than 20 millimetres long, its characteristic blue legs make it look like its wearing denim. Will’s passion shines through in this inspired collection of images that encapsulates the magnificence of trees and their importance to wildlife.
United Kingdom
Will has been a keen photographer for the past five years (since he was six), spurred on by his success in several competitions. He also enjoys hands-on work with wildlife, assisting his grandmother, who rescues hedgehogs and helps at an animal sanctuary. He has recently started making films and has ambitions to be either a zoologist or a wildlife television presenter.
