So, my new hobby: Nature Photography! I recently purchased a Lumix Panasonic DMC-FZ72 Camera, which is very user friendly and I recommend it for any beginner looking to get into nature photography. Most photos I take are locally around local around Oxford and Oxfordshire, (and my back garden)! I still have so much to learn about how cameras work, but for a start I am impressed with the overall quality of the pictures with no post-editing.

It€™s been very mild compared to most Januarys on record in Britain, meaning I€™ve managed to capture some animals out and about you wouldn€™t usually see at this time of year, such as bumblebees, ladybirds, (and also newts, frogs and hedgehogs, but these were at night). The pictures I took this month were from around the River Thames in Abingdon, Kennington, and my back garden.

I was very lucky to have one of my photos broadcast on ITV News Meridian earlier this month! What made it more exciting was it was the first time I took the camera out for a spin. You wouldn€™t believe me if I told you I took the picture stood in a Waitrose car park in Abingdon! Anyway, the picture is on Simon Parkin€™s blog.

All photographs by Oliver Daniel Nicholls
Lumix Panasonic DMC-FZ72 Camera