Biography of Paul Walker

Scotland's Pet Photographer

Ayrshire based Paul Walker's passion for photographing pets goes back to his early childhood in Yorkshire. All the family pets including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and his pet duck were frequently the target of those young watchful eyes and his trusty camera.  The pets' enthusiasm for smiling didn't always match that of the young photographer yet in his mission to capture the perfect pet photograph many learning curves and bridges were crossed in an effort to gain a greater understanding of pet behaviour.  He still remembers his first dog, a Yorkshire Terrier named Penny and her reaction when the ice cream van's siren could be heard entering his local street.  The two of them regularly raced to the ice cream van with Penny knowing she didn't have to pay for her mini cone and that chocolate flake.

Although Paul continued with his other studies, many years later, spurred on and inspired by photographers such as John Drysdale and Elliott Erwitt he was determined to produce something different than the typical photography so often seen either involving studio sets or white/black backgrounds.  The press regularly feature his work and following many early awards, in 2008, he gained the attention of the Ilex Press and was commissioned to write the title "Pet Photography Now".  A year later in 2009, he became the only photographer in the UK to ever receive a Fellowship Distinction in "Environmental Pet Portraiture" from the Master Photographers Association and notably in the same year gained the accolade of Scottish Master Photographer of the Year from the MPA.    Indeed since turning professional, his pet photography skills have regularly been rewarded from various photography institutions.  Early In 2012 he was awarded the Scottish Master Pet Photographer of the Year for the fifth year in succession and gained the attention of Scottish Television and various BBC radio programmes including "Barking at the Moon" to talk about crazy pet antics and the pursuit of a perfect pet picture.

He also probably delivers one of the most different pet photography training workshops around with limited workshops being held each year both within the UK and Internationally.