Moray filmmaker speaks about victory in national wildlife contest
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A wildlife filmmaker and photographer from Moray has spoken of his deep pleasure at finally gaining a first place at the Scottish Nature Photography Awards.
Paul Carpenter defied illness to make 'Hare Today, Hare Tomorrow?', which won the short film category.
Crammed with brilliant shots of mountain hares, it was filmed on local hillsides.
The award is a fitting testament to Paul's long-held fascination with the natural world.
Asked when his interest in wildlife began, Paul says: "I guess the interest has always been there from when I was a kid growing up in Lyme Regis in Dorset.
"Many a day we would be on the slate cliffs – totally unaware of the dangers at that age – looking for fossils, as well as the birds and mammals that were plentiful back in the 1960s.
"That interest just grew as I did."
Paul moved up to Moray with his wife Lori, who was born here, in order to bring up their two sons, Jack and Mitch, in a much safer and more enjoyable environment.
The local wildlife was also a massive personal draw for him.
He lived first in Forres, before moving to the Elgin area in 2001.
For many years he concentrated on wildlife photography, but says: "I switched from taking images to making films in order to capture more of an animals character and behaviour.
"That was in 2017 after spending a day with James Shooter from Northshots in Aviemore.
"I've not really looked back since.
"Watching and filming animals that are actually in their environment, instead of from a hide or zoo, will always be more of a challenge and rewarding.
"Walking up the local hill not only kept me fit, it meant I saw numerous other species and flora as well.
"But I chose to make the film about hares because they just happened to be the most amusing to watch.
"Its title came from the debate going on about hunting hares in Scotland.
"Filming any true wildlife without a hide or even camouflage is part exciting, part challenging, part luck.
"I normally start by researching the animal.
"Then I visit the area many times and generally gather material from various seasons and different times of day.
"Hares are particularly interesting because of their many different moults during a year and the colours this produces against an ever changing background."
As well as his victory this week in the short film category, Paul also came second in the longer film category with 'The Year The World Shut Down', a documentary about life and nature during the pandemic.
He says: "I used footage from various locations around Moray that I'd recorded before the lockdown but which seemed best to use to put over the story I was trying to tell.
"It features wood ants from Culbin, seals from Findhorn, badgers from Loch Na Bo, mink from along the coast and red squirrel from the Cairngorms.
"There are also woodland scenes from Quarry Wood and Millbuies and otters from the River Lossie."
Paul has been battling prostate cancer for the past three years and is now undergoing palliative chemotherapy to hopefully increase his life expectancy.
Lori, his wife, says: "During these last three years Paul has been really determined to do the things that he loves the most.
"Wildlife photography and filming is his great passion.
"He had entered the Scottish Nature Photography Awards for the past three years and managed to place second and third in 2018 and second in 2019.
"His dream was to achieve a 1st place and he is over the moon with his win.
"Last year during the first lockdown, Paul posted nature videos onto his Facebook for 100 days to try and cheer everyone up.
"He has continued to post his videos since then.
"As a family we are so proud of his determination and strength to get through the not-so-good days.
"Even on his worst days he will still want to connect with nature.
"We are immensely proud of him and his achievements personally and photographically.
"His winning video is one of hope for the mountain hares and one of hope for Paul."
To view more of Paul's work, click here and here.
