Nature through a lens

If I had to roll all of my passions into one big project, to produce an example of everything that I love, I would most definitely head off to an amazingly exotic location and film a beautiful filmic and moving nature film set to incredible music... Too bad Disney Nature got there first!

This is the trailer to their 2009 wildlife spectacular 'The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos', filmed on location on the stunning Lake Natron in Tanzania. The music is by the ever inspiring Cinematic Orchestra featuring vocals by Patrick Watson.

In September 2009 I was lucky enough to attend a special preview screening of the film at London's Union Chapel. Accompanying the film in the beautiful candle-lit setting of the chapel was the full soundtrack played live by The Cinematic Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra - undoubtedly the most incredible audio-visual feast of my life! ENJOY.

Take only photographs, leave only footprints

Photographing nature is very much like making love to a beautiful woman - to capture that object of true beauty you must be patient, you must be respectful, and I often find hiding in a bush is a good approach.

A fine young specimen of a weaver bird, Sesse Islands, Uganda.

(C) W.Benson 2010

Sacred Ibis on the rocks, Sesse Islands, Uganda.

(C) W.Benson 2010

Orb-weaver spider, Borneo, Malaysia.

(C) W.Benson 2010

Caterpillar mating dance, Sesse Islands, Uganda.

(C) W.Benson 2010

Baby bat, Entebbe, Uganda.

(C) W.Benson 2010

A wise man once said...

Many years ago, a wise man named Aristotle (probably Big-A to his mates) stated that, "nature does nothing uselessly" - and how right he was. As a zoologist I have a fascination to try and work out what exactly are the 'uses' of the multitude of shapes, colors and forms that we see around us.

I'll be mocked by my 'cooler' peers for posting this here (apparently snails are not sexy), but this snail species which I studied in Uganda for my undergraduate thesis are a brilliant example of what Aristotle was getting at: One species that has evolved multiple color forms in order to be cryptic in their respective environments - clever stuff.

I'm currently in the process (although it's taken two years so far) of writing up my work on the polymorphism of this species with the aim of getting it published. It's a collaborative work between myself, Charlie Hawker, Hazel Smith, and our great project supervisor Professor John Allen. Further writings on these psychedelic snails can be found here on John's blog.

Because sharing the adventure is half the fun!

(C) W.Benson 2010

I begin writing this blog as a chronology of where exactly my life takes me. Perhaps even as a reference for myself to place certain events in time. At times I will dip into the past, and at others dream about the future. Let's call this a digital journal of adventures in science, film, music and travel - and go from there.