About Me

I am Aspen, a disabled wildlife and zoo photographer based in South Derbyshire, England. From a young age, I have been fascinated with the natural world and adored learning about the wildlife that lives among us across the globe. As I grew older, I started to appreciate the craft of photography as an outlet to express my viewpoint of the world creatively, so I was naturally drawn to photographing the forests and wildlife surrounding my home town.

In 2022, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a chronic condition characterised by widespread pain and fatigue that affects my mobility and day-to-day life. My disability impacts my photography practice by limiting my ability to walk long distances and periods, but this encourages me to make the most out of every possible moment and appreciate the little wins as I progress forward. The best approach that aids my shoots is visiting nature reserves, with seated hides and clear footpaths that make the treks for searching for wildlife far more enjoyable and accessible. The most bothersome part of being a disabled photographer is not having enough hands to juggle both a camera and a walking stick! I may be limited in where I can go and for how long, but that does not restrict my creativity! I pride myself on my technical expertise and knowledge I use to channel my creativity through lighting, composition, and colour, which can be used to achieve fantastic results no matter the subject or the location.

With my last year of studying at university coming soon to a close, I am excited to see what the future has in store for my journey. My biggest dream is to photograph as many, if not all, of our native wildlife as I have barely begun to scratch the surface of what our island has to offer. Some of my favourite species I have yet to photograph include red foxes, European badgers, Atlantic puffins, and red squirrels, so I hope that in the near future, I can tick off these bucket list animals! So, I invite you to stay along for my journey as I continue to grow and develop my work and explore as much as this country has to offer.