Wild Rainford is my upcoming nature photography book showcasing some of Rainford Village’s diverse species and natural landscapes. Over the course of a year, I spent more than one thousand hours out in the field, documenting how nature responds to the changing seasons. Inside, you’ll find close encounters with barn owls, tawny owls, wood mice, and many other species and landscapes in detail that will leave you feeling as if you were right there beside me in the field.
Wild Rainford is more than just a local nature photography book. It’s one of many ways I plan to tackle the decline in biodiversity at a local level by using the power of photography to bring communities closer to nature on their doorsteps.
Nature Photography Supporting Local Conservation
The foundations for Wild Rainford were built around a personal goal to improve our relationship with nature. My quaint countryside village is home to some of the most beautiful wildlife, wildflowers, and landscapes, which, sadly, often go unnoticed.
One Thousand Hours. Four Seasons. One Village.
Wild Rainford became a year-long project, spanning all four seasons, dedicated to capturing the resilience and beauty of our local natural world. More than a thousand hours were spent out in the field in all weathers, watching and photographing intimate moments in nature, right on my doorstep.
Wildlife born to survive
Every day, Rainford’s wildlife does what it does best. It adapts to the challenges of seasonality and changing landscapes in a relentless battle for survival. Wild Rainford captures this tenacity. From the struggles of winter to the competitiveness of spring and summer, you’ll see first-hand how nature is born to survive.
Diverse local landscapes
Rainford’s rural landscapes are diverse, featuring rugged ancient woodlands, rolling fields and arable farmland. It’s easy to overlook the value of our local landscapes, as they tend to blend into our everyday lives. But as Wild Rainford illustrates, when you stop and pay closer attention, there’s almost always more to these habitats than meets the eye.
Sharing nature’s stories
Wild Rainford captures extraordinary moments of the ordinary. When you spend long enough in one place, watching everyday wildlife, you start to notice behaviour that most people don’t get the opportunity to see. Only then do you realise that every living creature has a story to tell, as long as we’re patient enough to listen.
Why Wild Rainford Matters
Research by the State of Nature shows the biodiversity crisis is accelerating in the UK. The next several years are critical, and if we fail to act, some of our most treasured species will be at risk of extinction. I personally love the outdoors. Spending time in nature has gotten me through some of the most difficult times of my life. I couldn’t sit back and do nothing in nature’s time of need, and so I came up with an idea for a project, Wild Rainford.
Wild Rainford aims to tackle the biodiversity crisis on a local level. Through the power of photography and creative storytelling, I hope to inspire communities across the UK to connect with nature on their doorsteps. You can’t care for something if you don’t know it exists, but that’s where I come in. I have spent over 1,000 hours across all seasons, watching and photographing some of our most iconic species. My work reveals the side of nature most people rarely get to see, in the hope that it encourages consideration and greater respect for our precious green spaces.
You don’t have to look far to find wildlife. Those long grassy margins, wildflower meadows, farmland, woodland, and hedgerows all support vast ecosystems. To the untrained eye, these areas may look “untidy”, but I promise, if you take five minutes to sit and listen, you’ll realise just how much life these valuable habitats support. Wherever you are in the UK, together we have the power to help nature thrive once more.
Ethical Nature Photography
Every single feature within Wild Rainford was photographed ethically using nothing but fieldcraft and patience. No baiting and no playback, just moments in nature captured as they should be, completely wild and undisturbed.
A Sneak Peek Inside Wild Rainford
I thought combining the photography and writing would be the easy part of this project; I was completely wrong. I’ve genuinely lost track of the hours I’ve spent tweaking layouts and rewriting copy. Knowing the scale of the project, the time spent is absolutely worth it; I want the finished result to be perfect.
No stone has been left unturned. After countless caffeine-fuelled hours, the design is finally where it needs to be. I hope the teasers below give you a clear insight into the quality you can expect from Wild Rainford.
Front Cover Artwork
There were a few candidates for the front cover, but in the end, only one could be the winner. I chose a firm spring favourite taken along the Old Coach Road in Rainford Village. The image titled “Tunnel Vision” captures the iconic tree tunnel flush with early spring greens, surrounded by a light blanket of mist, and a surprise visit from a hare in the foreground.
Seasonal Chapter Introductions
With Wild Rainford telling the story of nature through the seasons, it made sense to structure the book accordingly. Each chapter is beautifully introduced with a small caption and seasonally coloured titles and accents. The right-hand page of the double-page spread features a landscape photograph taken within Rainford Village, highlighting the beauty of the season.
Intimate Nature Photography
The book features varied layouts to create a dynamic visual experience, but the standout pages are without a doubt the hero double-page spreads. The best of my work and the most powerful photography have been given their chance to shine with full bleed. Each hero photograph is accompanied by a first-person narrative detailing how the moment came to life.
Production Updates as We Approach the Autumn 2026 Launch
With progress well underway, key production details are now locked in. The book will be printed in an A5 landscape format. The front cover features a premium 300gsm card finished with a clean matt lamination, while the inner pages use a high-quality 120gsm paper. Crucially, all materials will be sustainably sourced, and the book will be produced by a responsible carbon-positive printer.
The spring and summer chapters are now complete, leaving only autumn and winter to finish. The project remains on track for an autumn 2026 release. In total, the book will span roughly 100 pages of photography designed to bring you closer to nature than ever before.
To ensure a lasting impact, a portion of the proceeds from Wild Rainford will directly support a wildlife charity. The specific organisation has been chosen, and the partnership will be formally announced as soon as the final details are confirmed. Keep an eye out for updates in the near future.
What Do You Think?
A question to the community. Would you like to see the camera settings and technical details included for every photograph featured in Wild Rainford? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.