Biography of Paul Walker

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 miniature Yorkshire Terrier 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 the dog 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 conventional studio sets or white/black backgrounds.

The photography 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 first photographer in the UK to ever receive a Fellowship Distinction in "Environmental Pet Portraiture" from the Master Photographers Association. Notably this was achieved using truly commissioned work from his day to day assignments. In the same year, he gained the accolade of Scottish Master Photographer of the Year from the MPA. In 2013, the Royal Photographic Society awarded him the Bill Wisden "Fellowship of the Year" for his panel of pet portrait. The Fellowship distinction is the highest qualification level of the main photography institutions.