No matter how intently one studies the hundred little dramas of the woods and meadows, one can never learn all the salient facts about any one of them

- Aldo Leopold

Welcome to my website!

My name is Ben Porter. I’m an enthusiast of the natural world, a passionate wildlife photographer and an advocate of a wilder, restorative future for our planet.

This website features a selection of my photography work and documentation of the natural world, focussed largely around the wonderful little country of Wales - my home. I hope you enjoy browsing through my work, and that you feel inspired to step out of your door and immerse yourself in the natural world. I can think of no better thing than to head out at dawn in spring, sit beneath a tree and let the wonder of the dawn chorus unfold around you.

Image credits: Jack Burton Wild Images
 

I am a 25 year old award-winning wildlife photographer, naturalist and researcher based in North Wales. My mission is to reveal the beauty of nature and ignite a desire to protect and restore our collective home: this wonderful planet we call Earth.

I spent half of my life growing up on the small, isolated Welsh island of Ynys Enlli, surrounded by the tumultuous waters of the Irish Sea. Having visited this magical island from an early age, moving here with my family to run the farm at 11 years of age was a dream come true. To be immersed in the rhythms of the island, its wildlife and the ever-changing weather was a truly transformative experience. I was mentored by the Bardsey Bird Observatory in the fascinating field of wildlife monitoring, bird ringing, moth trapping and seabird study work, which resolved my desire to pursue a life immersed in the study and protection of nature.

After being homeschooled through my GCSEs and A levels by my patient parents, I set out to study an undergraduate degree in Conservation Biology at the University of Exeter, graduating in 2018. Since then, I have spent time working on projects ranging from rewilding and sustainable land management in Wales, to seabird research work on far-flung islands (my most natural habitat), to wildlife survey work, freelance photography and guiding.

You can follow my latest work on twitter and instagram, and keep an eye on my YouTube channel for videos on birdsong identification and films from the field.

Staring into the eyes of a Little Shearwater whilst assisting with seabird research work in the Azores in early spring 2020

Staring into the eyes of a Little Shearwater whilst assisting with seabird research work in the Azores in early spring 2020

Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island in English); my island home off North Wale’s

Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island in English); my island home off North Wale’s rugged coast

Image credits (c) Jack Burton Wild Images

Image credits (c) Jack Burton Wild Images