THE WILD IN THE TAMED

A double British Wildlife Photographer of the Year at just 32, Hitchin’s Dan Trim is in love with nature, especially in the most unexpected places

- David Crozier

When the 10-year-old Daniel Trim picked up his mother’s camera for the first time and took, in his words, some ‘very bad’ photos, neither could have imagined he would go on to make a career in photography, winning a number of prestigious awards, including the latest British Wildlife Photographer of the Year award – the second time he has won the accolade.

The young Dan loved nature and as a schoolboy was happiest outside taking pictures of all the Hertfordshire countryside had to offer.

‘Both my parents were nature lovers,’ Dan, now aged 32 says. ‘And they helped support my passion. It was my mum’s trust, lending me her camera, that allowed me to develop my love of photography.’

When he turned 18, Dan, who lives in Hitchin, received the first decent camera of his own – a birthday present from his grandpa, a keen amateur photographer himself, who recognised his grandson’s talent.

‘From that point on I really dedicated time to photography. It all grew from there.’

That first camera was a Canon EOS 40D and he still uses Canon equipment today, although these days with superior picture quality. But it’s not the technology or even the techniques that excite him these are the tools to capture his real passion.

‘I’m a nature lover and naturalist first and a photographer second,’ Dan says. ‘My love for the natural world goes back further than I can remember and I even studied biology at university, so the subject of my photography was never in doubt really.