A wildlife photographer from Gwent is starting to turn his passion and hobby into a way of life, as HANNAH WOOD finds out.

WILDLIFE fanatic and keen photographer, Christopher Dean, 27, from Pontllanfraith, has been photographing flora and fauna for several years.

Capturing stunning photos from all across the Welsh countryside, Mr Dean says he is hoping to start turning his passion into a more secure way of life and potentially a fully-fledged career.

His love of wildlife and nature has allowed him to create some beautiful work which has been published nationally and broadcast on television.

Mr Dean has photographed different types of animals including foxes, squirrels, birds, and insects and is now trying his hand at photographing fungi. He said: “Since as long as I can remember I have always had a love and fascination with wildlife and nature and was always amazed by documentaries on this topic.”

Mr Dean then decided to turn his fascination with the outdoors into a serious hobby.

“My love for wildlife photography began properly in 2010 when I bought a Fujifilm Bridge Camera, that I used for a short while and then purchased my first DSLR Camera and 400mm Prime Lens, where I forced myself into understanding manual settings on my camera,” he said.

Mr Dean added that despite missing out on images during this time, his persevering nature meant that he was determined to understand his camera inside out.

In order to perfect his craft, he then started researching different wildlife species before putting his skills to practise.

“I think research is vital, I think the more you know the animal, the more chance you have of them becoming relaxed around you and being able to get the shot,” he said.

After a short while of persistent photographing, Mr Dean had his first image published in the BBC Wildlife Magazine and won the “Photo of the Month” competition. His work has now stretched to other national publications including Country file magazine and has been shown as part of packages for national weather bulletins. Mr Dean now also uses social media to showcase his talent.

The avid photographer tends to take snaps in his local area, using the valleys countryside to capture some unique and breath taking shots. Mr Dean has however, travelled all across Wales to photograph wildlife, with Milton near Tenby in Pembrokeshire being one of his favourite destinations. He said: “There are many places I would love to visit. I am looking forward to visiting Skomer Island which is an amazing place to see puffins. "Abroad I would love to get the opportunity to visit Yellowstone National Park in America and visit Canada. It would be a dream for me to see and photograph killer whales in the wild, spy hopping among the breaking sea ice and breaching out of the water.” Mr Dean admits that Canada would be his ultimate photography destination.

Foxes, particularly vixens are Mr Dean’s favourite animal to photograph.

He said: “I have some great memories of the foxes; they are such beautiful creatures to photograph. On one particular occasion, I remember photographing this one vixen, I had been around the area for quite a long time, she had got used to me and she came right up to the camera, then looked over at me for a moment and I was able to capture this great shot.

“Unfortunately, I then heard a couple of weeks later that there had been some shooting going on in the area and I didn’t think I would ever see her again and thought it would be a long time before I was able to picture animals in that area. When I went back to the same spot I was really doubtful as to whether I would see her, or any other foxes for that matter.

"But all of a sudden, as I was positioned ready to take photos, I saw her coming out of the woods. A fox and a baby then came over to her. It was quite an overwhelming sight.”

For budding wildlife photographers, Mr Dean’s top tip would be to spend a lot of time studying the subject you wish to photograph, whether it is an animal’s behaviour or their habitat.

After conducting the research he then recommends on spending a large amount of time observing the animal. Mr Dean said he usually goes out in his camouflage and carefully watches the animal he intends to photograph so they get used to him being around, which furthers his chances of getting the desired picture.

When photographing or researching Mr Dean always ensures that the wildlife are safe and protected. He said: “The most important thing is to respect our wildlife and always put the welfare of the animal first before any photograph and patience, patience, patience!”

In the future, Mr Dean plans to branch further into nature photography, having taken some excellent shots of fungi already. He would also love to become a wildlife photographer full time.

He said that although he has never thought about the money with regards to his craft, it would be his dream to make a living out of it.

He said: “I would love to see myself in the future being fortunate enough to be a wildlife photographer full time. I can’t imagine anything more perfect than being able to call my love and passion my job.”

View his work here: Flickr: www.flickr.com/christopherdeanwildlifephotography Facebook: www.facebook.com/christopherdeanwildlifephotography