award-winning wildlife photographer - Jason Steel  (2020)

KWT - 1st Place  "Wildlife Photographer Of The Year" 2018, 2017, 2013 & 2012

Herpetological Society of Ireland Photography Competition Winner 2014


Thankfully I've had a fair amount of interest in my photography over the years and my images have been used by many wildlife charities and conservation groups including: WWF, Natural History Museum in London, Darwin Tre of Life Project, RSPCA, KRAG, ARG-UK, PTES, ARC-Trust, Sussex ARG, British Herpetological Society, DICE, BRAVE, Canal and River Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, Woodland Trust, KWT, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, HSI, Our Land, Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Greener Bexley, Conservatoire d'espaces naturels, The Naturalist Edward Llwyd Society, Kent Orchards, 'Office for Forests and Natural Hazards' in Switzerland.  

I have also had images used by the press as well as in various media publications including Yahoo News, The Guardian, Boston Globe, International Business Times, Garden News, The New Indian Express, South China Morning Post, Free Malaysia Today, Turkish Independent, Pakistan Daily Times, Wild Kent, Dartford Messenger, News Shopper, Kent Online, Kent Life, Bexley Times, Bexley Mercury, Amateur Photographer Magazine, The Local Answer, The Herpetological Bulletin, Jersey Evening Post, Kent & Sussex Courier, Essex Chronicle, Swindon Advertiser, Oxford Mail, and the Letaba Herald to name a few. I'm also a regular image supplier to the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine. 

I have been asked on two occasions now to write articles on photographing reptiles in the UK and supply accompanying images. The first piece was written for Amateur Photographer Magazine in 2017, and more recently I have written a similar article for Nature TTL in 2019.

I have had some success in photography competitions including: winning the wildlife category of the KWT "Wildlife Photographer of the Year" in 2018, 2017 & 2013 & 2012 and coming 2nd in 2014, and 3rd in 2015 & 2016. In 2014 I won the Herpetological Society of Ireland's "Photographer of the Year" 2014. I've also had success in competitions run by Amateur Photographer Magazine, Marwell Zoo, Visit Woods and the British Wildlife Centre, London2Brighton Mini Run. 

I've been contacted by some very talented artists wishing to use my photos as inspiration for their superb paintings too!

My interest in photography started as a young child. In my youth I had always enjoyed taking snaps with a cheap point-and-shoot camera but never had any interest in the technical side of things. It wasn't until I was introduced to digital photography and Photoshop in 2005 that my interest in photography really took off. I bought my first DSLR in 2006. I am a fan of Canon photography equipment, as I have found them to be more user-friendly than their competitors, and I started my wildlife photography journey with the Canon 400D camera with the kit lens. I soon upgraded in 2008 to the Canon 40D which I used until 2014 when I upgraded again to the Canon 7D. As of 2021 I now currently use the Canon 7D mkii and Canon 5D mkiii cameras. Images from all of these previous cameras can still be found on this website today. I also use the following lenses and equipment:

Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS,  Canon 70-300mm IS L, Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L,  Sigma 14mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle,  Canon EF-S 10-22mm Wide Angle,  Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS,  Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS, Venus Laowa 15mm f/4 Wide Angle 1:1 Macro, Raynox 150 and 250 clip-on lenses and Kenko Extension Tubes. Canon 580 ex flash units with MK Diffuser. 

I have also previously owned and used these lenses too for some of my wildlife photography: Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS,  Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS,  Canon 100mm f/2.8,  Canon 70-200mm f/4L with Canon 1.4ex ,Canon EF-S 50mm f/1.8,  Tamron 70-300mm Di.

I enjoy taking photos of any subject that interests me but my biggest passion is my wildlife photography. I've never taken any courses or qualifications in photography and I'm totally self-taught in this field. I have always had a real interest in reptiles especially snakes and as a young child I kept a Garter Snake as a pet. At the age of 12 I have fond memories of my school keeping Grass Snakes as pets in the Biology Department and I always longed to see them in the wild. This interest in snakes was revived in 2001 when I accidentally found myself just 3ft from a wild Grass Snake for the very first time near a local stream. This was the first snake that I had ever seen in the wild and the experience had a big impact on me. I was instantly fascinated by them. I then spent hundreds of hours searching largely in vain for wild snakes to photograph. In 2006 my search for wild snakes resulted in a friend informing me that he had caught a snake in his garden. This snake turned out to be an adult Corn Snake that had obviously escaped or been set free by someone keeping it as a pet. After being unable to locate its original owner I kept this snake as a pet myself for several years. In 2009 I joined the Kent Reptile & Amphibian Group and was familiarised with a couple of Adder sites local to me. I now regularly visit monitor and record the Adder (& viviparous lizard, grass snake, slow worm, frog & toad) populations at many sites in Kent. I'm hugely passionate about the conservation of our native herptiles and I take an active role in doing what I can to support this cause especially through my photography. In January 2013 I was invited to become a member of the KRAG Committee and I took over the position of Editor for their newsletter, a role that I continued to perform until 2020. I've been privileged to work with several licence holders that have given me the opportunity to photograph some of the UK's rarer species including Natterjack Toads, Sand Lizards, Smooth Snakes and I'm licensed to survey for Great Crested Newts. I've also been helped over the years by several wildlife enthusiasts with local knowledge of specific species. For this I am extremely grateful and give sincere thanks to all those that have helped me with these opportunities. I'm also a member of the British Arachnological Association and regularly enjoy studying and photographing spiders.

Although this website was primarily set up as a showcase to display my photographs it has since also turned into a reference source for information on wildlife, especially our native reptiles and amphibians. I try to ensure that my facts are as accurate as possible and I will continue to add more information about these beautiful and fascinating creatures as my knowledge and experience grows. With so much false information published about our native Adders I have tried to make this website one of the most informative and factually accurate sources of information on Adders available on the internet. And for subjects such as the Aesculapian Snakes and Yellow-Tailed Scorpions that are found in the UK I believe my website to be the best source of information available on the internet for these species in the UK.

The more time I spend photographing wildlife in this country the more I realise just how much beauty there is to be found in British wildlife. Hopefully my photos on this website will help others to appreciate this too. Although I have travelled the country to photograph some species most were found at local sites to me. In fact a growing proportion of my images of invertebrates were found and photographed in my very own suburban garden in SE London.

 


 Jason Steel with captive Mexican Black Kingsnake, 2011.




 Jason Steel photographing an Aesculapian Rat Snake living wild in London, 2012. Photographed by David Jones.



Jason Steel photographed by Fred Holmes with one of his beautiful Red-Tailed Boas in 2014.




 

Achievements, Competitions and Awards: 


Double page spread in AP Magazine

One of my proudest achievements so far was in 2017 when I was commissioned by Amateur Photographer Magazine, the world's oldest weekly photographic magazine since 1884, to write a three page article for them on photographing reptiles. The article was published in the June 2017 edition and was accompanied by several of my reptile photographs. Amateur Photographer magazine has featured articles from most of the UKs top photographers over the years including names such as David Bailey.

Back issues of this magazine can be purchased on-line - AP Magazine Photographing Reptiles Issue


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In March 2019 I was commissioned to write an article for Nature TTL, a leading online resource for nature photographers, on "Photographing Reptiles In The UK". The article was published on their photography tutorials website on May 14th 2019 and was accompanied my several of my reptile images. The article can be seen here: Nature TTL "Photographing Reptiles"

Nature TTL has pulled together a fantastic team of contributors to write for the Nature TTL website. They have some of the world's best nature photographers providing their top tips and advice in free articles and tutorials. 



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In May 2012 the Kent Reptile & Amphibian Group relaunched their excellent website ( http://www.kentarg.org ) and the home-page featured a constantly active slide show consisting of various reptile and amphibian photos taken by myself throughout Kent. The background image was also one of my photos. This slideshow of my photos was used on KRAG's website from 2012 - 2017 with the message: "For  our slideshow and website background photographs, a special thank you to Jason Steel"


In 2017 KRAG relaunched its website, but the new website, just as the previous one, still featured many of my herpetofauna images.





My Stag Beetle image was awarded "Highly Commended" in the Woodland Trust's  VisitWoods Photography Competition 2012 and was shown as one of 9 images on the BBC's website  -  Click here for article on BBC website.  This year's competition had over 6000 entries!

The BBC wrote:  "Another invertebrate in the shortlist was this silhouetted male stag beetle, taken by Jason Steel in Swanscombe, Kent. Stag beetles are the UK's largest land beetle and although they are found across southern England populations are now in decline throughout Europe."


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In November 2014 my Natterjack Toad image won the Hepetological Society of Ireland's 2014 Photography Competition. My toad photo was also adopted by the HSI as their new banner image.  Visit the HSI website here.   The HSI's Rob Gandola and the other judges made the following comments about my winning photo:

- "A beautiful image, highlighting the charisma and beauty of the species." 

- "A beautifully captured image of a species dear to our hearts, due to their restricted range and vulnerability to habitat loss and population fragmentation in Ireland."

-  "A deserved winner." 

November 2014 - Jason Steel with his HSI prize - a 3ft canvas print of the winning photo.

The HSI continued to use this image on their website - Natterjack Toad



At the ARG UK Herp Workers Meeting in 2019 my Natterjack Toad canvas print was one of the top prizes in the raffle and helped to raise over £500 for herp conservation.


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In December 2018 I was informed at the KWT's Awards Evening that my successful entry into the Kent Wildlife Trust's "Photographer Of The Year" competition had been awarded 1st place in the Wildlife Category with my "Zebra Jumping Spider" photo.



 Regarding my winning image, I was quoted as saying:

"Having spent much of this summer photographing spiders in, on and around my house in Bexleyheath, I have been able to record around 40 different spider species in my small urban garden. But the Zebra Jumping Spider is one of my favourites. I slowly approached this spider with my camera as it wandered around hunting insect prey on a large privet bush. Once it noticed my approach it stopped in its tracks, looked up and stared directly at me. It was clear to see the intelligence behind those huge black eyes as it quickly perceived that I was no threat to it and carried on about its business unperturbed."

The competition results and winning photos were featured in the Spring 2019 edition of KWT's "Wild Kent" magazine.





In October 2017 I was informed that I had been successful with my entry to the Kent Wildlife Trust's "Photographer Of The Year" competition. This time I was awarded 1st place in the Wildlife Category with my "European Hornet" photo.

The final stage of the judging was again aided by Phil Hurst previously from the Natural History Museum. When commenting on my image Phil wrote:

1st - Jason Steel from Bexleyheath – European Hornet, Bexleyheath

“Not an image I would be happy taking! Here is a striking portrait of a spectacular member of the wasp family. Set amongst similar colours the hornet's head dominates, thanks to the careful composition.”

Kent Wildlife Trust's "Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2017" winning photos


Presentation of my 1st Place award by KWT staff 9th November 2017



9th November 2017 - The story was printed in Wild Kent magazine.



The story was covered by Kent Online news website.  Click here for link to Kent Online



9th November 2017 - The story was printed in the Dartford Messenger Newspaper, featuring on both the front cover and page 3.



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 My Swan photo selected and displayed for the People's Choice Award at the Kent Festival of Wildlife 2012


In August 2012 my Swan photo  won the "People's Choice award - 1st in Class" in the winter category of  The Kent  Wildlife Trust's  "Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2012" competition sponsored by The Bardyard. It was one of twelve adult photos and twelve junior photos selected to be displayed at the Visitor's Centre of the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve during the Kent Festival of Wildlife for public voting.

Four adult and four junior images were then voted through to the final round of the competition. The winning entries were forwarded on to The Natural History Museum's Phil Hurst for him to choose their overall winner and decide who would be crowned the "Kent Wildlife Photographer of The Year 2012".

In November 2012 I was delighted to hear that the Natural History Museum's Phil Hurst had chosen my swan photo as the overall winner of the competition and awarded me title of "Kent Wildlife Trust's Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012".  The story had excellent media coverage and was featured in the "Wild Kent" magazine as well as being covered by "The Courier" magazine, the "News Shopper" local newspaper and the "Kent On Sunday" regional newspaper. It was also featured in Kent Life Magazine during February 2013.

Click here to see all the winners of 2012



Wild Kent magazine:

2012 has proved to be another outstanding year for talented cameramen in the Kent Wildlife Trust Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition - sponsored by The Barnyard. Commenting on Jason Steel's winning entry The Natural History Museum's Phil Hurst said:   “The depth created by the mist, reflections and ripples in the water creates an interesting and captivating image.”  Chairman of Kent Wildlife Trust, Fidelity Weston added: “For the fifth year, the standards have been very high and really show off Kent’s amazing wildlife. Many congratulations to the winner.”


 Kent Wildlife Trust website news reported:

Amanda Cottrell OBE, Vice President of Kent Wildlife Trust and Chairman of Visit Kent, presented the prizes and certificates to the winners at an awards ceremony at The Barnyard’s restaurant in Upchurch in November.

For the first time, the public was asked to choose their favourite image from a display at the Festival of Wildlife held at Sevenoaks in August. These were then short-listed for Phil Hurst of the Natural History Museum Photographic Unit (and Kent resident) to make the final decision.

Commenting on Jason Steel’s winning entry of a young swan at Foots Cray Meadows, Phil said: “The depth created by the mist, reflections and ripples in the water creates an interesting and captivating image.”

Chairman of Kent Wildlife Trust, Fidelity Weston, added: “For the fifth year, the standards have been very high - and really show off Kent’s amazing wildlife and landscapes. Many congratulations to all the winners and a big thank you to all who took part.

 

The popular Kent Life Magazine ran the story of this competition in their February 2013 edition using the same quote from Phil Hurst to accompany my winning photo.

See the Kent Life article in full here


 

Kent on Sunday (North & West Kent Edition. Issue number 531. 25th November 2012 - page 25):

"Picture perfect - A photographer from Bexley has delivered the goods and won a Kent Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award. Jason Steel was selected for his stunning shot of a swan taken on a misty morning at Foots Cray Meadows in Bexley. He will be presented with his award on Monday at the award ceremony at the Barnyard in Gore Farm, Upchurch."



The Bexley News Shopper newspaper (5th December 2012)

"A snapping postman has scooped the Wildlife Photographer of The Year for his shot of a swan at Foots Cray Meadows.

The father of two said: It's hugely rewarding to win and I'm so grateful to be able to get out and see these things."


See the News Shopper article here


The news of my "Wildlife Photographer of The Year" win was also featured in the December 2012 edition of Royal Mail's newspaper - The Courier 




 The story was covered by "This is Local London" on the 19th November 2012. The article reported:

"A SNAPPING postman has scooped a Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for his shot of a Bexley swan in Foots Cray Meadows. He was given the award by Kent Wildlife Trust for his photograph of a young swan. Jason Steel, 41 of Watling Street, Bexleyheath, ran out of his home one morning last winter to take pictures of the foggy landscape. He said: “It was really quiet, eerie and there was no wind. “The swan swum up to me and as it drunk the water I snapped it. It’s one of those photos which you just know will be great.” The father of two said: “It’s just hugely rewarding to win and I’m so grateful to be able to go out and see these things. I love wildlife and I love photography so to see these things is something I really enjoy.”


Nov. 2012 -  Amanda Cottrell OBE (Chairman of Visit Kent) presenting award to Jason Steel.   Competition judge Phil Hurst of the Natural History Museum, with Jason Steel.



"For the 6th year, a wealth of talented photographers has again captured the essence of Kent’s wildlife and landscapes with the largest participation to date!"

http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/discover-learn/wildlife-photography-competition-winners-2013

 


In October 2013 I was informed that I had been successful for the second year in a row with my entry to the Kent Wildlife Trust's "Photographer Of The Year" competition. This time I was awarded both 1st and 3rd places in the Wildlife Category with my "Toad in the road" and my "Woodmouse" photos.

The final stage of the judging was again aided by Phil Hurst from the Natural History Museum. When commenting on my winning images Phil wrote:


FAUNA CATEGORY WINNERS

1st Place: Jason Steel from Bexleyheath - Common Toad at Foots Cray
Good natural history photography should depict a story and here we have excellent story telling within one image. Combine that with good technique and excellent composition and you have a winning image.

3rd Place: Jason Steel - Wood Mouse at Hall Place, Bexley
Again, an endearing subject combined with good technique and good composition. The use of the wide angle viewpoint makes a refreshing change.



The Kent Wildlife Trust held their "Photographer of the Year 2013" awards presentation evening at the Barnyard, in Upchurch on the 7th November 2013. The awards were presented by the Mayoress of Swale, Sue Gent.



 

The KWT "Photographer of the Year 2013" awards were featured in the Winter 2013 edition of "Wild Kent" magazine, where both my winning photos can be seen.


The competition was featured on the KWT website where the winners were announced with links to the winning images. 



The December 2013 edition of Kent Life magazine featured an article about the "KWT Photographer of The Year 2013" competition. My toad image was displayed along with the other winners on page 141.

See the Kent Life article in full here



 

The Bexley Times newspaper covered this story on their website and in their paper on the 5th December 2013. The article read:

Bexleyheath postman earns Wildlife Photographer of the Year award

A Bexleyheath postman swapped his mail sack for a camera to scoop Kent Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for the second time running.

Jason Steel, 42, took first and third prize in the ‘fauna’ category this year - with his image ‘Toad Crossing’ taking gold. The competition was judged by Phil Hurst, of the Natural History Museum, who was present to oversee the award ceremony, in Upchurch, last month.

Ray Lewis, of the Kent Wildlife Trust, described Jason’s image as “stunning”. He added: “The toad in the road is such an iconic picture because so many are killed through traffic accidents. He caught the occasion perfectly.”

Jason’s second entry, ‘Wood Mouse at Hall Place, Bexley’ was good enough to earn bronze - with Ray describing the image as “charming”.

Click here to see the Bexley Times article



On December 18th 2013 The News Shopper newspaper ran the story on page 16 of  my winning the KWT "Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013"  

Reporter Melissa Hills (melissa.hills@london.newsquest.co.uk) wrote the following:

A keen photographer from Bexleyheath has been named Kent's Wildlife Photographer of the Year. For the second year running, Jason Steel, 42, picked up the accolade from the Kent Wildlife Trust.

Mr Steel, a postman, said: “I love wildlife photography. It’s something I've been involved with now for about seven to eight years. “This competition is a great way of gaining some recognition for the hundreds of hours I spend each year out in the field trying to capture some of the beauty of our British wildlife with my camera. “Since I first started photographing wildlife, I've started seeing all kinds of creatures living right on our doorstep that most people

pass straight by without even noticing.” Mr Steel’s winning entry was a photo of a common

toad taken at Foots Cray Meadows in Bexley Village. The photo was taken as part of the Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group’s (KRAG) efforts to raise awareness and support for toad patrols in Kent. It was a project organised by KRAG to help amphibians reach their breeding sites in the spring. Mr Steel said: “It has made me realise how beautiful our country is and how important it is to get involved with trying to conserve our wildlife.”



 The news of my winning photo was  featured on several websites including the Bexley Arts Trust.


Bexley Arts Trust Website







 

On December 18th 2013 The Bexley Mercury newspaper (London's oldest local newspaper) ran the story of my winning the KWT "Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013". I was delighted that the story was printed on the front page along with my winning photo and a photo of myself.

Reporter Henry Ellis wrote:

Animal-loving amateur photographer wins wildlife prize again AND scoops third place . . . 

And, despite nearly 100 photographers entering the competition, which is now in its sixth year, Jason’s picture of a Wood Mouse, snapped at Hall Place in Bexley, picked up the third prize in the competition as well.

Jason told the Mercury: “I’m really pleased to have won the competition again. “It’s great. My interest in photography really grew out of my interest in wildlife. “I work with the Kent Reptiles and Amphibians Group, which campaigns to protect local wildlife. “My picture is just of a common or garden toad by the road but I was very pleased with it. “You don’t win much, just a food hamper with a few bottles and things in there but it is still really flattering to win. “I'm already looking at what to do for next year’s competition. I think I might do something with seagulls.”

Click here to see the Bexley Mercury article


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In October 2014 I was informed that I had been successful with my entry to the Kent Wildlife Trust's "Photographer Of The Year" competition. This time I was awarded 2nd place in the Wildlife Category with my "Common Lizard" photo.

The final stage of the judging was again aided by Phil Hurst from the Natural History Museum. When commenting on my image Phil wrote:

2ndJason Steel from Bexleyheath – Common Lizard at Hall Place, Bexley
“A perfect example of an image that shows the habitat of the animal, well exposed with a good composition.”

Kent Wildlife Trust's "Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2014" winning photos 


November 2014, Wild Kent magazine printed the winning photos including my 2nd Place lizard shot. They also used two of my Fallow Deer photos as the front image & on page 38.

The story was also cover by the "Kent On Sunday" local newspaper (East Edition No. 361)


 


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In October 2015 I was informed that I had been successful with my entry to the Kent Wildlife Trust's "Photographer Of The Year" competition. This time I was awarded 3rd place in the Wildlife Category with my "Swollen-Thighed Beetle" photo.

The final stage of the judging was again aided by Phil Hurst previously from the Natural History Museum. When commenting on my image Phil wrote:

3rd - Jason Steel from Bexleyheath – Swollen-Thighed Beetle, Bexley
With me chairing - any close up image needs to be top notch (it is what I specialise in) and Jason has succeeded here with an appealing image of this great looking beetle..”

Kent Wildlife Trust's "Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2015" winning photos

 

In 7th October 2016 I was informed by Ray Lewis that I had been successful with my entry to the Kent Wildlife Trust's 2016 "Wildlife Photographer Of The Year" competition. This time I was awarded 3rd place in the Wildlife Category with my "Swimming Grass Snake" photo.

The final stage of the judging was again aided by Phil Hurst previously from the Natural History Museum. When commenting on my image Phil wrote:

3rd - Jason Steel from Bexleyheath – Grass Snake, Riverside Country Park
We don't see enough images of herpetofauna. I like the curves leading you to the head”


John Bennett , Chief Executive at KWT with Jason Steel and his award winning image November 2016


Jason Steel's award winning image on display at Tyland Barn, Maidstone, November 2016.

The winning photos, including my Grass Snake image, were featured in Kent Life magazine. See article here


My winning Grass Snake image went on to appear in the KWT Calendar 2019





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This image received a 'Highly Commended' award in the prestigious Marwell ' Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2011'  competition and was printed in the August 14th 2011 edition of the 'Sunday Express' national newspaper. The Sunday Express wrote:

" Another rarely seen British creature, the Grass Snake, came eye-to-eye with Jason Steel and uncoiled at just the right moment for a picture-perfect image which won a commendation for the photographer from Kent."

Stuart Winter 

Marwell list of winners

My Grass Snake photos was also used by Marwell on their website and to advertise their subsequent photography competitions.


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 Amateur Photographer Magazine wrote:

3RD - JaySteel for 'Coming out of the shadows'

"I've picked this shot because it is full of character and it's been shot from an interesting angle. I like the shallow depth of field that makes sure that we concentrate in all the right places, and the fact that the light lands full on the face to pull it out from the background. The expression on the cat's face is great, though I can't decide what he/she is thinking, but with the camera below the creature has power and authority. Pity the mouse!"

Damien Demolder - Editor

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/archive/536690/amateur-photographer-monthly-forum-competition-results-for-march-2009


Amateur Photographer Magazine wrote:

2ND - JaySteel for Emerald Tree Boa

"This really is a stunning picture. It reminds me of Kaa from The Jungle Book. That dark background sets off the deep and yellowy greens of the snake's body, creating a powerful, attention-grabbing contrast. This is one picture you can't walk past without stopping for a look. I love the curves that seem to be travelling from right to left, against the direction of the snake's sinister stare and the travel from forehead to snout. The lighting shows off the shapes very well and makes this a very 3D picture. Great job."

Damien Demolder - Editor

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/archive/534621/amateur-photographer-forum-competition-results-july-2011


Amateur Photographer Magazine wrote:

1stJaySteel for 'Winter Swan'

"I 

have to say this image leapt out at me right from the start. I'm a sucker for fairy tales. As a child I wasted many an evening devouring the stories of the Brothers Grimm, Angela Carter and Hans Christian Anderson. It's difficult not to look at this image and feel like a child again. The image is saturated in atmosphere. It almost seems to be from another world entirely. I just love the mist, the swan, the hazy sun and the trees that look like twisted hands. It's only when you notice the park bench in the background that you realise the kind of location this was taken in.

For my money this is great interpretation of the brief. When faced with the title ‘Where's the Colour Gone?' the obvious choice would be to produce a monochrome image. But here we see that JaySteel (and a few of our other submissions) chose to take a different approach. The autumn and winter months seem to drain the colour from the environment and leave behind washed-out, murky tones. The mist creeps into the landscape and obscures the horizon, rendering the objects there as barely in-focus silhouettes. Look to the sky and you can see the sun fighting a losing battle against a ground level ocean of grey.

The compositional balance of the image is subtle but effective. It's the reflections of the trees and the hook of the swans neck and head that hold everything in place. Perhaps there could have been a little more space between the edge of the frame and the swan's reflection but that's a minor quibble. The fact is, it works.

All in all this is a shot that I'm very fond of and is, in my opinion, a more than worthy taker of the number one spot of this particular round. Congratulations to JaySteel

"

Oliver Atwell - Amateur Photographer Features Writer

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-announcements/539425/amateur-photographer-forum-competition-results-for-the-december-2012-round-where-s-the-colour-gone



Amateur Photographer Magazine wrote:

 1st Place - JaySteel for 'Toad in the road'


  "We've come full circle here. It's JaySteel once again with his rather magnificent shot ‘Toad In The Road'. The thing that really stands out for me is that it's an image that follows two of the most fundamental necessities of a wildlife image - narrative and context. The narrative is the journey. The toad must cross the road. It could end well. Chances are, it may not. The context is in the surrounding environment. There's nothing wrong with tight, close-up shots of wildlife, but I always find it so much more exciting having some environmental context. It's kind of like a stage for the animal character to engage with. Here we have a road and the light streaks of a passing car. It's an unnerving image, but thoroughly beautiful."


Oliver Atwell - Amateur Photographer Features Writer


http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/photo-announcements/540290/amateur-photographer-forum-competition-results-for-the-november-2013-round-wild-world-animals-and-insects







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British Wildlife Centre Photography Competition 2011.  Awarded Runner-Up in class - Artistic interpretation - Jason Steel for 'Badger Blur'.

http://britishwildlifecentre.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/bwc-photo-competition-2011-category.html




 

A framed print of this image was displayed at the British Wildlife Centre throughout 2012.



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WINNER of the 

 In July 2015 my photo taken at the 30th Anniversary London 2 Brighton Mini Run 2015 won first place in the photography competition run by Mini Spares. As the 1st Place prize I got to drive my own MINI Cooper S as the official pace car for an international Mini race held at the 2015 Mini Festival at Brands Hatch Race Circuit on the 28th June 2015.

Bradley Bishop of Mini Spares wrote: 

"A huge congratulations to the winners of the 2015 London 2 Brighton Mini Run Photo Competition. Both winners will be driving as the pace car in the Mini Seven Racing Championship at the Brands Hatch Mini Festival on the 27th & 28th June. The overall winner and best photo was by Jason Steel with his Mini Union Jack Picture."

Click here for competition results

Click here to watch my video of the pace car laps

Click here to watch the Mini Spares video of the pace car laps

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Environmental, Conservation Causes and Wildlife Groups:



The "People's Trust for Endangered Species" used the original version of this photo as the front page image for their 2012 Badger Appeal newsletter.

The full version of the PTES newsletter can be read or downloaded here:  http://www.ptes.org/files/1703_ptes_appeal_badgers_jan_2012.pdf



In 2013 BRAVE launched their website to campaign against the national Badger culling organised by the government in an effort to tackle the spread of Bovine Tuberculosis in the UK. My Badger image was featured at the top of every page on the BRAVE website throughout 2013 & 2014. 

http://www.b-r-a-v-e.co.uk/index.html   /   http://www.b-r-a-v-e.co.uk/links.htm



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In May 2016 my Jackdaw image was used as the cover photo by the Welsh natural history organisation "Cymdeithas Edward Llwyd" (Edward Lloyd Society) in the charity's biannual magazine "Y Naturiaethwr" (The Naturalist).



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Over the years the KWT have used many of my images in their Wild Kent magazine as well as various promotional and educational material. Here are a few examples:

KWT used my Wood Mouse image in their Events Diary 2013 which was distributed with the Wild Kent magazine. 

The Wildlife Trusts also used my Adder image to advertise their reptile ecology course run in 2013.     Click here



In July 2014 KWT made the decision to feature a snake on the front cover of their magazine for the very first time and my Grass Snake photo was chosen for this momentous occasion. It was a brave choice considering the amount of ignorance-based hatred in this country towards these beautiful creatures. Many people do have a genuine phobia about snakes and KWT have had their reservations about using snake images in the past. Many people are coming around now and recognising the important role snakes play in the ecosystem. I've heard nothing but positive feedback from people who have seen this edition of Wild Kent. As much as some people do not like snakes most are slowly starting to realise that you need to protect all species for conservation to be effective and every single species has an important part to play in our ecosystem. I think this is a great step in the right direction.



During March 2013 the Kent Wildlife Trust used one of my Grass Snake photos in both their emails and in the news section of their website to accompany a news article on the Hoo Peninsula.  The story along with my image was also covered by the "Peninsula Times".     Click here for Peninsula Times article      Click here for KWT article 


The Kent Wildlife Trust also used my Grass Snake image in the Spring 2013 edition of "Wild Kent" magazine (page 11) to accompany another article. Unfortunately they misidentified the Grass Snake as an Adder in the caption on the image!



In the Spring 2017 edition of Wild Kent magazine the KWT used my Adder wide-angle Adder photo as a double-page spread to accompany an article on identifying individual Adders through scale patterns. 



In Spring 2017 the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust used my Great Crested Newt image on page 35 in their magazine to accompany an article on native amphibians.





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In December 2019 my website received a great recommendation on the front page of the Sussex Amphibian & Reptile Group's website. In their recommendation they wrote:

"Check out this amazing website created by Jason Steel. See the most outstanding pictures of snakes ever. You will not be disappointed!!"



February 2014 - The WWF (The World Wide Fund for Nature) used one of my Viviparous Lizard images in their children's magazine "Panda Planet" in Sweden. I was credited along with my website address displayed.



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Since 2013 my wildlife images are regularly commissioned to feature in the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine, which has a total circulation of around 35.000 copies every month.


My Green Shore Crab photo was used in the June 2022 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine.




My Meadow Grasshopper photo was used in the June 2021 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 14.




My Smooth Snake photo was used in the June 2020 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 14.




My Marsh Frog photo was used in the Spring 2020 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 16.



My Black Oil Beetle photo was used in the April 2019 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 8.



My swimming Grass Snake photo was used in the July 2018 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 10.



My Great Crested Newt photo was used in the Spring 2018 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 9.



One of my wide-angle Adder photos was used in the February 2018 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine as a double-page spread on pages 56 & 57.



One of my Adder / Slow-Worm photos was used in the April 2016 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine as a double-page spread on pages 36 & 37 as a special feature.

The BBC Wildlife Magazine's Ben Hoare described my image as a "remarkable picture".  I usually supply images to accompany written articles, but in this case BBC Wildlife wrote an article specifically to accompany my photo!



One of my Natterjack Toad photos was used in the May 2016 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine  on page 8.



My Common Toad photo was used in the March 2016 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 11.



My Great Crested Newt photo was used in the April 2015 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 28.



My Dark Bush Cricket photo was used in the September 2014 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 13.


 

My Glow Worm photo was used in the July 2014 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 72 to accompany an article on Glow Worms.



My Giant House Spider photo was used in the October 2013 edition of the prestigious BBC Wildlife magazine on page 15 to accompany an article on Spiders in houses. This spider was photographed living in my garden shed.



One of my Grey Squirrel photos was used in the September 2013 edition of the prestigious BBC  Wildlife magazine on page 48 to accompany an article on Red & Grey Squirrels.

This story featuring my Grey Squirrel image was also used in the BBC Knowledge Magazine in China & Taiwan during March / April 2014.



 

One of my scorpion photos was used in the February 2013 edition of the BBC  Wildlife magazine on page 93 to accompany a piece on the Yellow-Tailed Scorpions of Sheerness.





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March 25th I was asked by the Porsche Centre South London to photograph the launch party for the new Porsche 911 (992).

It was a great night and despite the very low ambient light levels combined with over-powering floodlights I was still able to capture some pretty good shots with my old Canon 7D camera.

Porsche Centre South London made the following comments on their Facebook page: "A huge thank you to one of our customers, Jason Steel, who helped us capture some fantastic moments of our event on camera."

See images here: Porsche South London Facebook page



In 2016 the RSPCA produced a collection of 200 collectable trading cards entitled "Pets & Creatures Trading Cards". Within that collection was a set of 19 reptiles & amphibians. 

Card number "131 - Common Toad" featured my Common Toad image.  It also appears on Card number "197 - Reptiles & Amphibians Checklist"




In 2016 Waddington's classic card game Top Trumps produced a collection of cards entitled "Snakes". My Grass Snake image was used for one of the cards. 





In July 2014 several of my wildlife images were used in the publication of the booklet "Wildlife On The Island of Tiree". My photos included the Hedgehog, Common Toad and House Mouse on pages 5,6 & 7.




 "The Local Answer" magazine in Cheltenham used one of my Adder photos on page 13 in their October 2013 edition to accompany an article warning of adder bites to dogs. My name and website address was published with this photo. 



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KRAG Newsletter

In December 2012 I was asked to design and put together the Autumn / Winter 2012 edition of KRAG News. The finished newsletter had 12 pages that included several of my herpetofauna photographs.  In January 2013 I was chosen to become a member of the KRAG committee and I took on the position of Editor for their newsletter. For several years I was responsible for the design and content of the KRAG newsletter which was published twice a year and my wildlife images played a large role in the content.



In 2014 KRAG distributed their new leaflet designed entirely from six of my reptile & amphibian photos. 



 In 2014 KRAG & ARC-Trust produced their new Adder leaflet designed using four of my photos including the cover image.

Download the Adder leaflet here:  The Adder by ARC, KRAG




January 2015 - Working alongside KRAG the "Conservatoire d'espaces naturels du Nord et du Pas-de-Calais" have produced a 16-page booklet about the Adder that uses many of my Adder photos including one for the front cover. A pdf of this 2015 Adder leaflet can be downloaded here.

They also used some of my Adder images for the promotion of Adder conservation such as this website here:



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From the summer of 2013 Barry Town Council used one of my Common Frog images on noticeboards at sites across the county.




In 2013 my Marsh Frog photos were used by Aidan Mackay for publicity purposes in calling for sightings records for Marsh Frogs in Kent. Public records of this species formed a valuable part of his research project to determine whether the non-native Marsh Frogs were contributing to the decline in Common Frog numbers. One place where Aidan used my images was on the British Wildlife Centre's blog:  Click here





In 2013 & April 2014 ARG-UK used my Grass Snake image on both their website and their Facebook page. 

See their website here:  ARGUK.org/garden-wildlife-health-initiative



In August 2014 ARC-Trust published two booklets using some of my images. The "Alien Amphibian & Reptile Species In The UK" booklet used my Midwife Toad image as the main cover image. My Aesculapian Snake image was also used on the cover and two of my Midwife Toad images were used inside the booklet.   The second booklet entitled "Gardening With Nature For People & Wildlife" featured my Slow Worm image inside the front cover.



The British Herpetological Society have used my images three times to feature on the front cover of the "Herpetological Bulletin". The publications include : Winter 2013 (edition 126), Winter 2014 (edition 130)  and Autumn 2017 (edition 141).  Issue 126 also features a nine-page article on the history of KRAG and the current Committee Members and their roles including my position as newsletter editor in 2013.

Download these editions of the BHS Herpetological Bulletin here



In 2016 the Woodland Trust used my Grass Snake image on their 'Reptiles' page of their website:  Woodland Trust



Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Kent Downs) put together an online landscape awareness training programme to be accessed by members of "Our Land" to train ambassadors of the protected landscapes including the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. My GCN photo was used as part of this project.

www.our-land.co.uk

This image was also used to promote conservation by Kent Orchards on their website:  Click here


Bexley Wildlife / Greener Bexley regularly use my wildlife images on their website to promote local conservation issues.

See Bexley Wildlife Articles:   Story 1    Story 2    Story 3    Story 4    Story 5    Story 6



On 6th & 7th February 2016 at the 'Herpetofauna Worker's Meeting 2016' several presentations by DICE and KRAG on Toad, Grass Snake and Marsh Frog conservation were accompanied by my images over the two days.




 

In 2015 the Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership produced a booklet entitled "Discover Wild Sites on your doorstep" which used three of my herpetofauna images.

Discover Wild Sites on your doorstep booklet



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In March 2014 my Glow Worm image was used briefly as part of a presentation on Fireflies & Glow Worms given on the international stage "TED Talk" by Dr Sara M. Lewis (Professor of Biology at Tufts University, Medford USA). See 12:53 of this 14 minute talk which has already had over 1000,000 views!

Click here to watch the fascinating:  TED Firefly talk  

The footnotes page at TED.com has a link to my website too:  Footnotes


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Other Image uses: 

On 19th March 2014 Matt Hayes TV used my Adder image on the blog 'www.matthayes.tv' to accompany an article on filming adders.

See the article here:  www.matthayes.tv/big-predators-quadcopters




In Funerary 2017 the KWT published an article in Kent Life Magazine on helping toads with my Common Toad photo as the lead image.

Click here for Kent Life website article      Click here for on-line magazine article (see page 107)





Garden News national weekly newspaper used one of my scorpion images to accompany an article they printed in the July 10 2012 issue on scorpions in the UK. 




On 25th June 2016 the Jersey Evening Post news website used my Grass Snake image to accompany an article on Grass Snake conservation by Rob Ward in Jersey.

See article here:  Jersey Evening Post


 

On 26th February 2016 the 'Kent and Sussex Courier' newspaper used my "Bucket of Toads" image on their website to accompany an article on "Toad Patrols".

See the article here:   Kent and Sussex Courier




On October 15th 2011 the 'Kent and Sussex Courier' newspaper used one of my Adder images on their website to accompany an article on a snake bite story. This was a refreshingly well written and balanced article that didn't resort to the usual exaggeration and scare-mongering tactics adopted by so many stories about Adders. Even the Adder bite victim seemed fairly knowledgeable and sympathetic towards Adders.

See the article here:   Kent and Sussex Courier


On 24th & 28th June 2011 the 'This Is Total Essex' & 'Essex Chronicle' news group used one of my Adder images on their websites to accompany an article on a snake bite story. 

See the article here:   Essex Chronicle



On 21st March 2011 the 'Swindon Advertiser' news group used one of my Adder images on their website to accompany an article on a snake bite story. 




On July 28th 2014 the 'Doom and Bloom' website used one of my Adder images on their Survival Medicine page to accompany an informative article on snake-bites.

See the article here:   www.doomandbloom.net/snakebites




From 2010 - 2014 the Romanian publishing company Rentrop & Straton used one of my adder photos printed on a commercial training disc that they sold.

TOTB Romanian News article on this use of my image     TOTB follow-up article



 

During 2010  - 2012 Newmans Brewery, of Caerphilly in Wales, used one of my Adder photographs as the label image for their well-reviewed "Spontaneous Adder" ale.




In March 2015 Axis Cross Media used one of my Adder images for an advert for Sterling Insurance Group. The advert was to be used in magazines in the USA.



In January 2016 Alcombe Vetinary Surgery used one of my Adder images on their website to illustrate an article on "Adder-bites" to pets. See page here:  Alcombe



 

In July 2015 Millhouse Vetinary Surgery used one of my Toad images on their website to illustrate an article on the dangers of Toads to dogs.




 

In 2015 'The Really Good Oak Shop' used a series of my images to advertise their high quality bespoke oak furniture on both their website and using Ebay.

The Really Good Oak Shop Website


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Following the announcement on January 9th 2013 of the photographic giant Jessops going into administration, I received a phone call from the Bexley NewsShopper the next morning. They said that they'd like to hear the thoughts and opinions on the subject from the local "Wildlife Photographer of The Year" and asked if they could conduct a quick interview over the phone. The story was then displayed later that day on their news website along with a short quote from myself accompanied by my photograph. The story was also featured in their newspaper on the 16th January 2013 accompanied by my photo and quote.

Photographer Jason Steel, from Bexleyheath, said he believes cheaper on-line shops were the reason for the decline, admitting he has not shopped on the high street for a number of years. 

The 41-year-old said: 

“Many photographic products can cost

 20 to 30 per cent less on-line which is quite a substantial saving when you are spending a lot of money on equipment. I'll

 definitely be sad to see it go though because when buying a camera, it’s as much about how the camera feels in your hands as it is the specifications. 

There is nowhere to do that now. Jessops was somewhere I could go and feel the cameras and see which one I preferred.”

Click here for News Shopper article

This story was also run on the 10th November 2013 by the Oxford Mail Newspaper. Read the article here:  oxfordmail.co.uk

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4th February 2015 - Both the "News Shopper" local newspaper and "This Is Local London" used my photos and my quote when reporting a road traffic accident:

The News Shopper wrote:

"Jason Steel, 43, a local resident and award-winning photographer, captured the aftermath of the crash (below). He said: "A silver Nissan 4x4 lost control and mounted the pavement before knocking down the fence and crashing into the garden wall of the Coach House pub. Police and ambulance services were on the scene in minutes and the driver was stretchered into the back of the ambulance to receive medical attention."

 Click here for News Shopper article

Click here for This Is Local London article


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March 2011  -  Dartford Tyres 2000 Ltd of Bexleyheath, Kent asked me to take some publicity photographs of their shop and my images were used on their website: 

 www.dartfordtyres2000ltd.co.uk





July & September 2012  -  Both the News Shopper newspaper and Royal Mail's website and in-house newspaper "The Courier" used my photo of local boxing hero Craig Edwards to accompany news articles they wrote about him after he won the Independent Boxing Association's London Middleweight Champion Title Belt.

News Shopper article


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 My Photos In Art:

               Theresa Paden's Website                                      Craig Daniel's Website                                                                      John Pover's Gallery

 Three fantastic works of art created using different mediums by three of the very talented artists that have taken inspiration from my wildlife photos. 




My images have also been used as inspirational material by tattoo artists. Matthias Eylenbosch asked if he could use my spider images as inspiration for this spider tattoo in 2017 and Derren Woodruff requested permission to use my Adder images as inspiration for this Adder tattoo in 2019.



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 Equipment used:

  Photos on this website were taken using the following equipment:  Canon 7D Camera,  2x Canon 40D Cameras. 2x Canon 580ex Flash units with Sto-Fen diffuser.   Velbon Sherpa Pro CF-530 carbon fibre tripod with Velbon QHD-61Q Ball Head.  Elinchrom D-Lite2 Studio lights (3-heads).  And the following lenses:

Currently own:    Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS,  Canon 70-300mm IS L, Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L,  Sigma 14mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle,  Canon EF-S 10-22mm Wide Angle,  Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS,  Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS,  Canon EF-S 50mm f/1.8,  

Previously owned:    Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS,  Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 IS,  Canon 100mm f/2.8,  Canon 70-200mm f/4L with Canon 1.4ex , Tamron 70-300mm Di.


 Canon 100mm f/2.8L IS    Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L    Canon EF-S 15-85mm IS    Canon EF-S 10-22mm Wide Angle    Sigma 14mm f/2.8 Wide-Angle    Canon 70-300mm IS L


Canon 7D mkII, Canon 580ex flash & MK diffuser.