“I’ve photographed hawks, buzzards and kingfishers – next up are owls”

This week, Tim Spruce shares some of his favourite photographs.

Tim grew up on a farm in lower Whitley where his family farmed and he ran an agricultural contracting business until 2004 when he moved to Cuddington.

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Dutton Viaduct

When and why did you take up photography?

It wasn’t something that I planned. I work as a driver trainer for NHSSC and one day a colleague told me he had done photography for many years and was now an experienced photographer. He advised me to get a Nikon D7000 and he taught me how to get the best from photos. In the beginning, I missed many a good picture due to it being too light or too dark, or the shutter speed not being fast enough. I now have the Nikon D800, which is working well for me.

Arley Hall car show

What do you love about taking pictures?

It’s always great to produce something that looks good and capture images that can be revisited. Photography is a great way to learn about all kinds of interesting things, be it wildlife, landscapes, historic buildings and lifestyles.

Butterfly at Oakmere

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Shropshire Steam Rally

Where is your favourite place to take pictures and why?

The great thing about photography is the possibility of the next great photo. You have to get out and explore places. I have so many favourite places to visit, from the land at the back of our farm to nearby Delamere Forest or Eddisbury Hill, Dutton Locks and the local rivers and canals.

Snowdonia Park - horse bridge over the river

What is your favourite subject matter and why?

I really like many different types of photography. Over the summer, I have visited local shows and rallies and taken dozens of photos of steam engines and classic cars, and of course, farming, farm machinery and animals as well as landscapes and other wildlife.

Eddisbury Hill sunrise

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“Sometimes you can plan a shoot, other times it is a spur of the moment”

Whitegate Way

What do you enjoy about being part of our Camera Club on Facebook?

It’s great that the comments are always positive, which is unusual in photography. It’s also a great way to showcase our photos in print and online.

Sunrise at the canal at Little Leigh

If you could photograph anyone/any place/anything, who/what would it is?

This really is a difficult question for me. This could be anyone with interesting looks - no particular person stands out. Places I have never travelled to would be a big draw, especially the old coal boat in Scotland. I’ve seen a lot of photos and in the right light it makes a great photograph. I would love to catch a photo of a wild owl. While I have been lucky enough to catch buzzards, hawks and kingfishers I’ve never photographed owls in the wild.