The face behind the frame...
Rachel Bigsby is considered to be a leading wildlife photographer amongst her contemporaries.
In recent years, Rachel's work has been internationally recognised and awarded in five of the world's leading wildlife photography competitions, as well as through publications by the prestigious National Geographic Society.
In addition to her career as a wildlife photographer, Rachel has featured on television several times as an emerging natural history broadcaster with features on BBC Springwatch and BBC's The One Show.
She has also filmed long lens wildlife for BBC Earth, Springwatch, The One Show and Countryfile, most recently assisting Simon King for 'Wild Isles', a blue chip documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough.
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Away from the field, Rachel actively engages in public speaking at a variety of international events and co-leads photography workshops.
Rachel Bigsby joins Nikon School's Neil Freeman to walkthrough using autocapture for wildlife, the latest feature to be added to the Z 9 in firmware version 4.00. In this video, they explore different ways to photograph the elusive badger, using autocapture to help create a truly unique image.
In this beginners guide to seabird photography, Rachel joins pro landscape photographer, Nigel Danson, at one of the UK's most spectacular seabird colonies.
Where it began
Rachel’s passion for wildlife was instilled by her late grandfather, a keen naturalist. Together they would birdwatch at their local coastal reserve but when he passed, Rachel followed in his footsteps and continued her ornithological exploration through his very binoculars.
A deep-rooted love of the sea followed Rachel into adulthood and by her mid-teens, she was dabbling in the art of seascape photography. Whilst capturing a coastal sunset, an unfamiliar bird caught her eye. The bird was a Northern Fulmar, the Albatross of the North. Given Rachel’s life-long interest in all things oceanic, it is no wonder that from this day on, her lens turned only to that bird and its pelagic cousins.
The first steps
Unlike so many, Rachel did not attend college or university, and her photography and filmmaking skills are entirely self-taught. She valued practical experience and worked very hard to achieve it.
Her dedication was first rewarded in 2019 when Rachel was approached by BBC Earth to film wildlife for a Youtube series.
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This opportunity was an important stepping stone for Rachel, and her newfound experience proved very valuable throughout the next chapter of her career, opening doors to new opportunities and sponsorships.
Finding her feet
2021 to 2023 were significant years of achievement for Rachel, beginning with the opportunity to feature on BBC Springwatch, and ending as a Nikon Creator, published by National Geographic.
During these years, Rachel had time to develop her relationship with photography and introduce herself within the industry. She also continued to volunteer at Skomer Island and RSPB Bempton Cliffs to broaden her understanding of seabird ecology and behaviour to improve her photography.