Laurie Campbell
• Born and raised in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Laurie Campbell graduated from a degree course in photography at Napier University, Edinburgh.
• Since becoming a full-time pro in 1985, he has built the largest archive of any photographer specializing in Scottish flora, fauna and landscape.
• In 2014, Laurie was presented with a ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in the RSPB Nature of Scotland Awards 2014, in recognition of the contribution his photography has made to conservation in Scotland.
• Since publishing his first book in 1987, other titles include the bestselling RSPB Guide to Bird & Nature Photography and Otters Return to the River (with Anna Levin).
• Laurie is in constant demand as a lecturer and workshop leader in the UK and throughout Europe. Each year he runs week-long nature photography courses at the Aigas Field Centre in the Scottish Highlands.
It’s mid-June and Laurie Campbell is preparing for a two-week trip to Shetland, where darkness barely falls in the high summer months. But the trip north, with its seemingly endless days, won’t represent too much of a change, as Laurie admits to being a bit of a night owl: “I probably see more dawns at this time of year just through staying up all night,” he says from his home in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Insomnia isn’t the reason for these all-nighters, it’s the need to edit his vast library of natural history images spanning over four decades. And with the sunrise so early, it puts him in a better position to photograph the wildlife near his home. In fact, sometimes the wildlife comes to him…
What do you focus on in the summer months?
A lot of mammals are crepuscular, which means they’re not quite nocturnal
