My photography centres around the great outdoors.

I would call myself a budding naturalist and are fascinated by the world that surrounds us both in its grandeur and also in the world of macro, what the eye fails to notice as we go about our busy lives.

My influences over the years have been varied. To name but a few is difficult but Chris Packham was probably my greatest influence. His Wild Shots TV programme introduced me to the natural world around me and became a pivotal reason for my interest in wildlife photography. More recently I have been following the work of Simon King who has given me a great deal of inspiration and interest in UK wildlife as does the work of the BBC nature department.

In the spring of 2008 I invested in my first digital SLR and finally joined Flickr at the start of 2009.

Currently shoot using a Canon 7D and a selection of lenses. The full list can be found here:

www.flickr.com/photos/markpayne1/3311171499