Summer Wildlife & Landscape Photography

Nature photography during the summer months is something I always thought wasn’t for me. But I gave it a chance, and I’m so glad I did. Pushing through the discomfort of the high humidity and the searing heat has paid off with some of the most memorable moments I’ve ever experienced behind the lens. Moments quite literally right outside my front door.

Capturing Rainford’s Summer Landscapes and Wildlife

Throughout the summer holiday season, I adjust my approach to avoid crowds and busier areas around the North West. I’m not a fan of adding pressure to already popular areas, so I keep most of my photography work hyper-local around Rainford Village. This gallery is a collection of some of my favourite summer moments spent admiring everything nature has to offer, a stone’s throw from home.

A close-up view of a juvenile yellow wagtail perched on a wire fence along farmland in Rainford Village

A soaking wet tawny owlet in its branching phase perched on a branch of a beech tree after a day of heavy rain in North West England. — Wet T'owlet

A male barn owl perched on a fence post surrounded by tall grass at the edge of a wild meadow in Merseyside. — Taking Five

A pair of branching tawny owlets huddled together on a branch, surrounded by dense leaves and foliage near Rainford Village. — Branching Out

Barn owl perched on a wooden fence post in the middle of a wild meadow during a rain shower. — Never rains, it pours

A common Kingfisher perched on a birch tree branch looking down towards the water waiting for the right moment to catch a fish. — The Master Fisher

A stoat standing on sandstone rocks at the edge of a lake during summer in Merseyside. — Elusive Stoat

A view from the band on the ascent of Bowfell in the Lake District during a breathtaking summer morning. Low cloud hovers above Mickleden Valley catching the glorious sunrise light around Great Langdale. — Mickelden Valley

Flowering heather near Blea Tarn with the Langdale Pikes in the background shrouded in mist during a summer morning in the Lake District. — Atmospheric

A barn owl lazy hunting from a wooden fence post at the edge of a wild meadow in Merseyside. — Lazy hunting

A Red Fox moving through a local woodland carrying a pigeon, captured using intentional camera movement during summer in Rainford Village. — Whispers in the woods

A close-up of a common darter dragonfly perched on a wooden bench, seemingly smiling for the camera during an early summer morning. — Sometimes, if you're observant enough, you can capture wildlife displaying human-like emotions.

Extreme close-up of a tiny Downy Jumping Spider on a yellowing leaf using the Raynox DCR250. — Furry Friend

A barn owl perched on a lamp post at night with lightning forking across the night sky in the distance. — Ghost of the light sky

How to photograph Kingfishers. A beautiful female Kingfisher on a silver birch perch, looking down at the lake

A female Mallard captured with a fast shutter speed running across the water as she lands on the dark water of a pond. — Walking on Water

Extreme close-up of a Downy Jumping Spider in front of a rock captured in Rainford Village using a Raynox DCR250 — Double Trouble

A Cormorant pops up majestically after diving underwater to catch fish. Photographed with the Canon R5 and 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II — Prehistoric

Spring photography of a lone Oak tree standing in the middle of a flowering Rapeseed field.

Macro photograph of a male Common Darter dragonfly smiling for the camera. — Smile!

Beautiful pink mountain heather flowering on Lingmoor Fell in the Lake District during an atmospheric morning. — Quintessential

Landscape photograph of Pike of Blisco surrounded by a blanket of cloud as a temperature inversion builds during blue hour in the Lake District. — Pike of Blisco

Female Kingfisher

Lake District landscape photography from Bowfell during blue hour near The Band. Mickleden Valley is briefly visible during a gap in the clouds during the later stages of blue hour. — The Band

An extreme close-up of a common red soldier beetle perched on the edge of a stinging nettle leaf. Photographed using a Raynox DCR-250 macro conversion lens. — My Better Side

A Common Kingfisher perched on a branch over a pond during an early morning of Kingfisher photography — The Blue Flash

A beautiful landscape photo of the Langdale Pikes from Lingmoor Fell during heather season. — Heaven

A close-up of a tiny Downy Jumping Spider on a yellowing leaf during a late spring afternoon using the Raynox DCR250 — Jump!

Telephoto capture of a Pied Wagtail chasing a couple of flies along a freshly cut grass field. — Naruto Run

Close-up of a Pied Wagtail on a freshly cut grass field during a summer's evening. — The Chase

Close-up of a young toad exploring a patch of grass close to its breeding pond. — Young Toady

Macro photography of a dew-covered Green-eyed Flower Bee resting on a grass stem during the early morning. — Green Eyed Flower Bee

The breathtaking Northern Lights illuminate the silhouetted mountains surrounding Blea Tarn in the Lake District during a G5 geomagnetic storm.

The Northern Lights during an incredible display across the Lake District during a G5 geomagnetic storm.

Macro photograph of a female Common Darter Dragonfly resting on a Bramble leaf. — Common Darter

Lake District landscape photograph of a temperature inversion along Great Langdale Valley at sunrise. — Inversion Gold

A macro photograph of a common blue butterfly resting on a thistle. — Basking Blue

Macro photo of a beautiful Small Skipper butterfly resting on a single blade of grass. — Resting

A breathtaking landscape photo of sunset over a barley field in Rainford Village. — Golden Barley

Sunrise landscape photography at Tom Heights in the Lake District during the heather season. — Delicate

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but summer is quickly growing on me. There’s so much to see and photograph during nature’s most abundant season. One day I could be hidden amongst the long grasses, watching and photographing local owls and the next, working at extreme magnifications, capturing jumping spiders, dragonflies and butterflies up close in my garden. What a season to spend time outdoors.

If you’d like to know more about the thought process behind my work, you can read more about my approach to nature and landscape photography.

You can follow the year as it unfolds by exploring my other seasonal galleries:

EXPLORE THE AUTUMN GALLERY

EXPLORE THE WINTER GALLERY

EXPLORE THE SPRING GALLERY