John Hooton Photography

A male Mallard tries to get forty winks at South Norwood Lake, London.

A Wood Pigeon gets a vantage point at South Norwood Lake, London.

Taken at South Norwood Lake, London, UK.

Photographed sitting in woodland at the Bentley Wildfowl Trust, Halland, East Sussex during a photographic day out with my assistant Nic Relton, and my brother.

Barhead Geese with young photographed at the Bentley Wildfowl Trust, Halland, East Sussex during a photographic day out with my assistant Nic Relton, and my brother.

Whooper Swans are found in Europe and Asia. These were photographed at the Bentley Wildfowl Trust, Halland, East Sussex during a photographic day out with my assistant Nic Relton, and my brother.

Fox is becoming more used to me. I can go in our small South London back yard when he is there now, and he does not immediately escape over the fence. Could have something to do with the way I have been feeding him!

Young Fox immortalised by the Fox Paparazzi!

Technical Details:

Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6
Focal Length: 38mm
ISO: 200
Flash: SB-800
Exposure: 1/60 sec at f/4.2
Post Processing: Photoshop CS3

Taken in my South London back garden, this cheeky little madam seemed to have me confused with some sort of squirrel glamour photographer. When she saw my camera, she seemed intent on displaying her ample squirrel bosom. ;-))

Technical Details:

Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Focal Length: 400mm
ISO: 450
Exposure: 1/250 sec at f/11
Post Processing: Photoshop CS3

Believe it or not, these are all the the same species of Ladybird. They are the notoriously invasive Harlequin Ladybird, Harmonia Axyridis, the most invasive ladybird on earth. It is also known as the Multicoloured Asian Ladybird and the Halloween Ladybird. It has a very variable appearance, which can make it difficult to tell apart from our native ladybirds.

The harlequin ladybird was introduced to North America in 1988, where it is now the most widespread ladybird species on the continent. It has already invaded much of northwestern Europe, and arrived in Britain in the summer of 2004.

I photographed all these variants on my runner bean plants, where fortunately for the ladybirds, but not for me, there was a large supply of black aphids.

Technical Details:

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
ISO: 800
Flash: Speedlight SB-800
Exposure: 1/250 sec at f/32

Post Processing: Photoshop CS3

At first I thought that this was the dreaded Harlequin Ladybird, but further research revealed it as a 14 Spot Ladybird, seen here making short work of a mummy aphid on a runner bean plant.

Technical Details:

Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
ISO: 800
Exposure: 1/250 sec at f/8
Post Processing: Photoshop CS3

Bees having a party on a passion flower. 2007.

A common UK garden spider feasting on a wasp. Sometimes the role is reversed as wasps will eat spiders. This wasp was wrapped and paralysed by venom before being able to sting the spider.

A bee is a bee is a bee.

This fellow is about the size of a Ladybird/Ladybug. At first glance it seemed just a small black beetle but a closer look revealed a gold and crimson court jester, a christmas decoration, a regency dandy. There was some rosemary within a foot of this Rosemary Beetle, but he seemed to like the sage better.

Hover Fly on a tomato plant doing a good impersonation of a wasp. 2007.

Common Plume Moth. Classified as micro moths, the caterpillars feed on Convolvulus, aka Bindweed. When at rest, they 'roll up' their wings.

Technical Details:

Camera: Nikon D3
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
ISO: 800
Exposure: 1/60 sec at f/11
Post Processing: Photoshop CS3

Taken with a phone camera resting on a coffee jar.

The comma is so called because of the white “comma” punctuation mark on the underside of the wing. This fellow was obliging enough to let me photograph the underside, so I have made an insert to show his namesake.

Technical Details:

Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Nikkor 105mm f/2.8
ISO: 560
Exposure: 1/30 sec at f/16

Insert
ISO: 200
Exposure: 1/50 sec at f/16

Post Processing: Photoshop CS3

Newly hatched Red Admiral getting his bearings.

As far as England is concerned, this is a migratory species from North Africa. Apparently this year (2009) there has been a massive migration and it is estimated that they have arrived in the millions. The butterflies will lay eggs here and another brood will hatch round about August. When that happens, there will be a real population explosion, possibly the biggest in this century, and the last.

These Small Tortoiseshell crysalisis are about 10 days away from emergence. When ready, the wings will be visible beneath the casing. Shot with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR camera using Kodachrome. 1981.

This pupae is ready to pop any minute. The casing is so thin it is transparent, and you can see the colour of what will be the forewing quite easily. Shot with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR camera using Kodachrome. 1981.

Pop! The instant of a new life as an adult butterfly. Free at last! No more crawling, soon I shall FLY! Shot with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR camera using Kodachrome. 1981.

Shot with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR camera using Kodachrome, this captures the first few seconds of life for this adult tortoiseshell butterfly as it proceeds to expand and dry it's wings. 1981.

About half a minute has elapsed since emergence. The butterfly crawls up the stem and rests while all the time, it's small heart pumps blood into the wing veins to expand them. Shot with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR camera using Kodachrome. 1981.

It will sit here while the wings dry vibrating them at a high frequency to hasten the process. Shot with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR camera using Kodachrome. 1981.

Brand new adult Tortoiseshell butterfly newly hatched and less than one hour old! Taken with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR using Kodachrome and a 50mm lens. 1981.

Just to prove there was more than one on that bright summers day. This was a real thrill for me as it was the first time I had ever seen the species. Taken with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR using Kodachrome and a 50mm lens. 1982.

Another butterfly I have seen only once on that hot day in June 1982. Taken with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR using Kodachrome and a 50mm lens.

The green mottled underside provides excellent camouflage when sitting on such plants as the Cow Parsley. Taken with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR using Kodachrome and a 50mm lens. 1982.

Contrary to the name, the female Orange Tip has no coloration. The green mottled underside provides excellent camouflage when sitting on such plants as the Cow Parsley. Taken with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR using Kodachrome and a 50mm lens. 1982.

Taken on a warm Easter Day. This butterfly had just woken from a long winter hibernation.

This robin has a nest inside the shed.

Basking on the top of a stone wall. Common Lizard basking on a hot June day. Taken with a Pentax 110 miniature SLR using Kodachrome and a 50mm lens. 1982.

Daytime city fox looking as though a good dose of flea powder would make him a lot more comfortable.