Rob Read
- Chris Hilton
- Oct 8, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 18, 2025
Learn the rules like a professional ... break them like an artist
"Picasso"
You know the drill, you put the hours in, learn your craft, be your own worst critic in order to improve. You get in the odd magazine, then a book, then the work starts coming in and before you know it you're at the top of the game ... you might 'know' the drill, but acheiving it is something entirely different ... and that's exactly what Rob Read did; but what next?
... next was, perhaps, the thing that Rob is best known for. He was one of the founding directors, competition coordinator and the face of Bird Photographer of the Year from 2016-2020.
Rob took BPOTY from conception through to the major international competition it became; but then what?
Rob Read
Rob had helped many relatively unknown photographers find a voice in the photography world through the BPOTY competition but in the words of Pablo himself ... not enough people were breaking the rules like an artist ... and when they did, they weren't getting the credit for it that they deserved. So what to do about it?
Rob started a new competition, the Wild Art Photographer of the Year. It is a place where you can be passionate about the artistry of wildlife photography ... a place where wildlife photographers can be free to concentrate on the art of the photograph, somewhere they can concentrate on the way the light reflects off an animal rather than the more traditional approach of whether it would be worthy of being included in a guide book about birds.
Perhaps thats a slightly harsh distinction but just look at the way that this image by Hermis Haridas absolutely sings, then try to imagine it being used to demonstrate how to identify a Hoopoe in a birdwatching book.
But the thing is, the best art, the best photography, the best literature, the best music, the best anything is never just descriptive ... it's emotive ... that's exactly what this image is ... emotive ... and that's why it was a stand out winner at the Wild Art Photographer and something for us all to aspire to.
WildArt Photographer of the Year 2023 Winner ©Hermis Haridas
Rob mentioned lots of photographers on his visit to the club, he kindly sent me links to various instagram accounts where you can get lost in light and colour ... lost in the artistry of the wildlife photo ...
Georgina Steytler - https://www.instagram.com/georgina_steytler/?hl=en
Ellie Rothnie - https://www.instagram.com/ellierothnie/
Wiiliam Steel - https://www.instagram.com/williamsteelphotography/
Victoria Hillman - https://www.instagram.com/vic.hillman_flc.project/
Josh Galicki - https://www.instagram.com/galicki_photography/
Rebecca Nason - https://www.instagram.com/puffinpassion/
Bence Mate - https://www.instagram.com/bence_mate_photography/
Andy Parkinson - https://www.instagram.com/andyparkinsonphoto/
Enjoy ...
The next full meeting is me giving a bit of waffle about this years themes, Colour, Light, Sense of Place, Collage and dare I say it Nature.
The next real nature photographer is going to be a bit of another treat ... another well respected photographer with an international reputation will be gracing our little club ...
