Colin is a retired Schoolteacher born in 1937, teaching geography, C.D.T. and photography in a comprehensive school in Chorley (Lancs,).

From an early age he had a strong interest in the countryside and natural history and from the age of 15 started to take photographs using an ancient box camera found in a relative's dust bin. At the age of 18 his education was interrupted as he was required to serve Queen and country for the obligatory 2 years of National Service. He became A\C Plonk in the R.A.F. and when the time came to select a "trade", as he didn't feel like peeling spuds for 2 years, he opted to become a photographer.

He began with a 10 week training course at R.A.F. Wellesbourne Mountford, near Stratford-upon-Avon, which gave an excellent grounding in basic black and white photography using large format cameras from 5x 4 M.P.P.s and Speed Graphics to 10 x 8 plate cameras. After this he was posted to Malta to R.A.F. Luqa (now the airport for the lsland). There he joined 37 squadron, which flew Shackleton bombers on S.A.R. missions and mock bombing raids over the Med. After about 6 months he was moved to the main photographic centre on the camp where all the processing was done and any ground photography needed was carried out.

After the R.A.F. he continued his education at Loughborough teacher training college (now Loughborough university), and then took up his first teaching post.

During this time he graduated to his first S.L.R. camera- a Praktica with a Tessar lens, now he was able to link together his natural history interests with photography, albeit in a limited way.

As his interest grew and he obtained better and wider ranging equipment, then he started to give talks to local groups and societies. Soon he started to give audio-visual shows about the countryside and natural history. As he became more involved in photography he was asked to be a selector at various national and international salons, and has done so ever since. In the early 90's he was invited to sit on the 'A' and 'F' Nature Panel for the R.P.S. (Royal Photographic Society) and has been the chairman of that Panel for the last 3 years.

He have very broad interests in natural history photography. He was once asked by a friend what his favourite branch of wildlife photography was, when he hesitated his friend said when he was asked he replied "whatever I am doing at the time". The perfect answer Colin feels and one with which he can totally agree.