The February Art of Birding, Wildlife and Nature project was to present a portrait rather than just a snap of a chosen critter; to make the critter the hero of the image. See the best images and learn how the photos were captured.

Matthew is sixteen-years-old and lives in Auckland. Ironically, his photography journey started when he dropped his sister’s camera at Disneyland when he was six, he hasn’t looked back since! In this interview, Matthew shares his photography journey from childhood to becoming a professional photographer. He talks about his inspiration, favorite genres, and challenges he faced.

Tracey Perrin's passion for photography started in high school, but it wasn't until later in life that she pursued it more seriously. After completing a diploma in photography, Tracey started her business, Faerietastic Photography, which focuses on capturing the magic and innocence of childhood through fairy photography.

In this interview, we speak with Richard, a photographer who started as a hobbyist as a teenager and became more focused on photography seven years ago. Richard discusses his inspiration for taking photographs and how he improves his skills through learning, experimentation, and challenges.

We are talking to Andy Jenkins, the winner of the Student Photographer of the Year award to find out more about his captivating outdoor action photographs.

Elanie van Greuning, Crossroads Accounting & Advisory Services Ltd, talks about the vision for her business, how she is using photography in marketing to tell her story, and discovering the Excio Image Library.

Using photography for good has always been at the heart of both Excio and the Art of Birding Challenges. Therefore, using photography for wildlife advocacy was a great topic to get challenge participants thinking how they could share details about the animal through their images.