PHOTO ESSAY
MAJESTIC SCOTLAND
The scenery across much of Scotland is breathtakingly beautiful, but the drive through Glen Coe and down Glen Etive to the loch is perhaps the route Imost highly recommend to anyone who asks. On this one occasion Icouldn’t believe my luck meeting this beautiful stag proudly rounding up his group of hinds by the side of the road. Iwas surprised how unbothered he was by our human presence as we stopped to admire the scene and snapped some shots out of the car window. Ihave driven the same route numerous times since but have never been as fortunate since.
Jess Jones’ enchanting images of wild animals going about their daily business are all about empathy. Here, she shares how she sought solace in nature and found a new sense of connection through wildlife photography.
WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, I shared my bed with around 20 different toy animals, anything fluffy was my friend! I was the youngest by eight years in a family of six, and by the age of seven I had earned the nickname of ‘Jessy Longlegs’ for being able to keep up on the regular family hikes we would go on. To those who knew me back then it probably comes as no surprise that I now spend much of my time roaming the countryside at ungodly hours of the morning searching for my subjects – and that, when asked, I have come to describe myself as a wildlife photographer. As a qualified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, I’ve long been aware of the scientific evidence supporting the therapeutic benefits of exercise and time in nature, but it wasn’t until a particularly damaging relationship breakup that I fully realised how powerful these healing benefits could be for myself. Wanting to escape the quiet at home I found myself out walking more than usual – at first just the local hills of the Cotswolds where I lived at the time, but then exploring further afield – and I found my mind raced less and less. Instead of ruminating on unhelpful thoughts about the past I would find myself thinking increasingly about the routes I would take, and paying attention to where I placed my feet on a slippery slope.
FIELD OF DREAMS
[LEFT] With Right to Roam land somewhat scarce in England and Wales, most of my shots are taken from public footpaths. Sometimes, though, asympathetic landowner will grant me permission to enter and sit quietly on their land –and this was one of those occasions. Playing hide and seek afun way to spend amorning, but it’s agame they usually win. On this occasion, acurious hare ran up arow towards me before then hopping over into the next row and disappearing. This time, my long lens helped me win!
LOVE HURTS
[BELOW] We all have those mornings when it is astruggle to get up and out. It was cold and misty, but Iknew Ineeded my nature therapy so I forced myself outside. Iam forever grateful I did! Previ
