William Fortescue photographs wild animals the way a portrait photographer photographs people, giving as much attention to the world around them as to the animal itself. Working mostly in black and white, he is after behaviour rather than spectacle, animals on their own terms rather than performing for the lens.
He started at eighteen as an intern at Governors' Camp in the Maasai Mara, and returned as its resident photographer after a First in Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth. His images depend on long stretches in the field, from the African savannah to the Arctic, waiting for the moment the animal forgets he is there.
His photograph Romance is Dead was highly commended at Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 and chosen for the cover of the museum's annual. He has won more than thirty international awards, shown work at Prince William's United for Wildlife summit, and raised over £150,000 for conservation through his prints.
He is based in Cheltenham, but spends much of the year in the bush.
