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- Kevin Harman
The district of Hart, and even more locally Fleet, is overflowing with natural beauty and is somewhat of a dream for photographers.
What comes with Hart’s natural green spaces is an abundance of fascinating wildlife that we are lucky enough to call our neighbours. One local photographer who delights in the range of wildlife and capturing their behaviour is Kevin Harman, and we caught up with the Fleet-born photographer to find out more about his work and love for our local wildlife.
Having spent the first four years of his life in Fleet, Kevin, 47, grew up in Crondall and moved to Church Crookham in 2005 after marrying and starting a family of four sons and is a self-employed gardener and photographer on the side as a main hobby.
“I have always enjoyed taking pictures,” explains Kevin. “These were initially just general life memory photos, and I progressed from compact cameras to hybrid cameras when I had children to capture their childhood. When the children were young, early 2000s, we were members of the Hawk Conservancy where I enjoyed trying to capture action shots of the displays, this is where I got camera envy from the other photographers with big lenses and expensive cameras and decided to invest in a DSLR and a zoom lens.
“The main subject of my photography is wildlife and I have had a passion for wildlife from a young age. I also enjoy taking photos of my dog, Inca, she’s a great model and many of my images are captured during a dog walk.
“I take the camera out and see what wildlife is around. I particularly enjoy wildlife to see different characteristics and what you learn about their behaviours. There is also a challenge to wildlife photography because it isn’t static and is unpredictable so getting a good capture is a real feel good, adrenaline pumping moment. Birds of prey, foxes and the allusive Kingfisher are definitely my top 3 subjects.”
The majority of Kevin’s photos are taken locally in the many great green spaces available to us. “The Basingstoke canal is a real favourite with an abundance of wildlife. Ewshot is a real gem for birds of prey and deer. Edenbrook and the surrounding fields. Velmead woods, Tundry pond by the Four Seasons is great for wildlife, especially for geese and cormorants. A little further afield from Fleet I enjoy North Warnborough for a loop around the river, canal and fields or Greywell.”
What advice would you give to young or new photographers?
“My advice to young or new photographers would be to have the best equipment you can afford and learn how to master the basics of these using the manual settings. Understanding shutter speeds, ISO and depth of field (F numbers). This can involve some trial and error as to what works best to get the shot you are aiming for but it’s worth persevering with. YouTube is a great way to get pointers and understanding of where you might be going wrong.
“Photograph something you have a real passion for and giving yourself lots of time.
“I am completely self-taught and get a real sense of pride and achievement from my photos now and can look back and see my progression over the years.”
“If we can all appreciate and love all wildlife that surrounds us the world will really be that little bit better,” Kevin Harman.