Aspen Turner Photography, Chester (2026)

15/08/2026

Edit VS RAW: I love cropping 😭

Cropping used to be a menace with my old Sigma 170-500mm lens; as soon as I reduced the crop by 20%, all quality was gone! Details became smudged and washed out, making wildlife photography tricky and infuriating. But since upgrading to the 150-600mm? My life has changed!

I never used to crop dramatically, but now I have complete creative freedom. Usually, with a subject this tiny, I'd throw it out as unusable, but zooming in revealed how special the photo was.

Without knowing it, I'd photographed a juvenile bald eagle! I was photographing ospreys, so I assumed this was the same. Imagine my delight learning I'd photographed an iconic American species! So I made it my mission to make this image usable. I mean, come on, it's my first wild eagle! 😂

So to Lightroom I went, hoping I could crop the life out of the image. It worked, but yikes, those pixels 😂 Nothing a bit of masking can't fix! With some blurring and painting, voila! A tidy image. Then I added some lighting flair. I went for a more dramatic look with darkened gradients to make the most of the flat blue sky.

And the result? Perfect! I'm quite chuffed! It'll never be printable beyond a tiny 6x4, but I'm ecstatic that I can share this photograph and memorialise my first wild eagle (even if it's an American one 😂).

🦌 Species: Bald Eagle
📍 Location: Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, Orange County
📅 Date: 18/04/26
📷 Settings: 1/3200, f/8, ISO-800

Access:
Five slides showing the juvenile bald eagle from RAW to final edit.

Slide 1: Final edit with strong contrast, a light-blue spotlight, darkened sky, and silky background blur.

Slide 2: Natural edit with a light-blue background and a subtle spotlight.

Slide 3: Light Lightroom edit with background blur and noise reduction to minimise cropping pixelation.

Slide 4: Original cropped image. The eagle is enlarged and positioned left with negative space for its flight path. Pixelation is visible.

Slide 5: Original untouched image. The eagle fills under 10% of the frame, overwhelmed by the blue sky.

───────────────────────────────────

14/08/2026

Final day of our celebration bonanza with World Lizard Day!

Love visiting any reptile house during zoo trips; the treasures they house are as mighty as the mammals and birds we all love and enjoy! My favourite lizard species is the Komodo dragon, so I of course needed to include the mighty Batu in here, who was a delight to photograph at Crocodiles of the World. Though I think one of my fav pics from this series is of the girdled lizard from Dudley, a species I've only spotted once despite my many ventures into their reptile house, and it certainly left an impression. It looks far more like a mini dragon than the Komodo 😂 It's giving Toothless vibes 100% 🖤😂

Crocodile Lizard, Chester Zoo
Yellow Headed Day Gecko, Drayton Manor Zoo
Fiji Banded Iguana, Crocodiles of the World
Oustalet's Chameleon, Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
Parson's Chameleon, Drayton Manor Zoo
Komodo Dragon, Crocodiles of the World
Five Keeled Spiny Tailed Iguana, Folly Farm
Cuban Rock Iguana, San Diego Zoo
Mexican Beaded Lizard, Dudley Zoo
Gorongosa Girdled Lizard, Dudley Zoo

Access:
Slide 1: A crocodile lizard sits on a mossy rock covered with green vines that lead to large, blurred leaves in the backdrop.

Slide 2: A day gecko rests on a tree branch against a soft foliage backdrop.

Slide 3: A banded iguana perches on a tree branch with its head held high against a blurred rocky background.

Slide 4: An Oustalet's chameleon crawls along a thin twig against a soft dark green backdrop.

Slide 5: A Parson's chameleon moves forward along a thin tree branch against a blurred rocky backdrop.

Slide 6: A Komodo dragon looks over its shoulder with its tongue poking out of its mouth as it walks along large boulders.

Slide 7: A spiny-tailed iguana rests on a log with a blurred brown and yellow backdrop.

Slide 8: A rock iguana sits on rocky terrain, captured in harsh lighting with deep shadows and bright highlights.

Slide 9: A beaded lizard sleeps beneath a rock hide on a bark-covered floor.

Slide 10: A girdled lizard stands on sand, emerging from a pitch-black hut.

───────────────────────────────────

13/08/2026

Keeping up the celebration with International Wolf Day!

Couldn't have thought of a better photograph to showcase for this awareness day than this EPIC portrait of Tala 🤩 I absolutely adore this image, by far one of my favourite picture-perfect portraits I've captured in all my time as a photographer. I couldn't have asked for anything better from my time with the Hoo wolves, and I hope to photograph them again one day as I'll certainly be back for more!

🦌 Species: Eurasian Wolf
📍 Location: Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World
📅 Date: 31/10/25
🏷️ Follow: Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World
📷 Settings: 1/2000, f/6.3, ISO-12800

Access:
A portrait of a Eurasian wolf, staring directly towards the camera against a dark brown backdrop, with its ears peaked high and bright orange eyes open wide in curiosity.

12/08/2026

Happy World Elephant Day!

The Kilimanjaro Safari was an absolute highlight during my Walt Disney World visit. Seeing all kinds of animals roaming around this huge vehicle, it truly felt like an authentic African experience. That includes the bumpy ride 😂

It was a challenge to quickly capture animals in focus and in frame without any heads or legs missing, but for every 10 shots, 1 would make it through 😂 It was certainly the case here for this luscious elephant shot, in 1 frame, fairly composed, the next, completely wonky with just some legs 😂 Very happy that I managed to walk away with a manageable shot, even if it did take me about an hour to remove the electric fencing 😂

🦌 Species: African Elephant
📍 Location: Disney's Animal Kingdom
📅 Date: 01/05/26
🏷️ Follow:
📷 Settings: 1/5000, f/8, ISO-8000

Access:
A photo of an African elephant standing in a wide enclosure, with bushes, trees and rocks surrounding the animal. A large green gradient covers the foreground and parts of the elephant's trunk, caused by shooting through a bush to reach the subject.

11/08/2026

Quaint close-up with a friendly squirrel

During my trip to Elvaston, my main intention was to photograph the heronry I've watched for years, and my mission was successful but also came with a handful of surprises. Along the bridge, scattered feed was left for the local birds, which a few scooped up, but a friendly squirrel made the most of the pile of treats, stuffing its face as quickly as it could during quiet moments. After, it scurried into the trees and landed onto a branch directly in front of me, twitching its nose and bushing its tail. So with a click of a button, I snapped away as it curiously watched me, and I ended up walking away with quite a delectable selection of shots 💙

🦌 Species: Grey Squirrel
📍 Location: Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire
📅 Date: 11/05/24
🏷️ Follow:
📷 Settings: 1/640, f/6.3, ISO-4000

Access:
A close-up photo of a grey squirrel sitting on a thick tree branch, as it hunches over in search of food against a blurred green and yellow backdrop.

10/08/2026

It's the start of a celebration bonanza with World Lion Day!

I think I especially love celebrating the big cat holidays of the year. Each species is absolutely stunning, and I don't think anyone would disagree that they make the best portraits 😻 Plus, I'm sure, as with most zoo photographers, my archive's full of them 😂 So what better occasion than to show off all the amazing individuals I've had the pleasure of photographing through my travels.

Mshango, African Lion, Disney's Animal Kingdom
African Lion Cub, Howletts Wildlife Park
Kiburi, Asiatic Lion, Chester Zoo
Khari, African Lion, Howletts Wildlife Park
Ebele, African Lion, Folly Farm
Rana, Asiatic Lion, Cotswold Wildlife Park
Tau, African Lion, Noahs Ark Zoo Farm
Izulu, White Lion, Hertfordshire Zoo
Arusha, African Lion, Noahs Ark Zoo Farm
Zuri, White Lion, Hertfordshire Zoo

Access:
Slide 1: Mshango, a male African lion, sits on a large, shaded rock against a blurred foliage backdrop.

Slide 2: An African lion cub sits on top of a small dirt mound in front of a vibrant green bush, as it peers over its shoulder to face the camera.

Slide 3: Kiburi, a female Asiatic lion, sits on top of a large dirt mound covered in patches of grass, staring down the camera while a large log sits in the backdrop.

Slide 4: Khari, a male African lion, sits on top of a grassy mound with wind blowing his mane as he stares at the camera in front of a blurred brown backdrop and wooden structure.

Slide 5: Ebele, a female African lion, is sitting in a grassy field against a distant large boulder as she looks towards the camera.

Slide 6: Rana, a male Asiatic lion, is lying in a grassy field against a blurred bush with his legs splayed out around him as he rolls around the ground.

Slide 7: Tau, a male African lion, is sitting in a grassy field against a blurred green background as he faces the camera with his tail flicking upwards.

Slide 8: Izulu, a female white lion, is standing amongst tall grass and bushes against a blurred foliage background as she looks towards the camera.

Slide 9: Arusha, a female African lion, is standing against a blurred green background as she faces the camera with a snarled 'stink face'.

Slide 10: Zuri, a female white lion, is sitting against a blurred sky backdrop covered in distant leaves as she rests with her eyes closed.

09/08/2026

Chin's almighty with big boi Icarus 🐫

The camel trio were my last pit stop during my trip to Noah's, with bypassing them on my way out to the exit from the fantastic lions. Hetty and Icarus were standing quite close to the barrier while Audrey was resting towards the back, so with such a prime opportunity for a close-up, I whipped out my camera for a quick fly-by shoot. And by the looks of this shot, Icarus was certainly loving the camera attention 😂

🦌 Species: Bactrian Camel
📍 Location: Noah's Ark Zoo Farm
📅 Date: 31/03/24
🏷️ Follow: Noah's Ark Zoo Farm
📷 Settings: 1/1600, f/8, ISO-2000

Access:
A close-up portrait of a Bactrian camel, cropped to focus mostly on its upper torso and head as it stands tall against a blurred white and brown background. The camel's head is raised high, causing the sky above to form the backdrop. Its beady black eye is positioned in the centre of the frame as it looks down upon the camera.

08/08/2026

Happy International Moon Bear Day and Scottish Wildcat Day from Mika and Heather 🐻😺

Both of these girlies were a joy to photograph during my visits to Wingham and Lakeland. I was very excited, particularly to see Mika and her partner Aroon out for a stroll mid-afternoon. Before my visit to Wingham, I'd never seen this delightful bear species before, and reasonably so, as the only other collection holding this species in the UK was Five Sisters in Scotland, who'd received Mika and Aroon's son Baloo earlier in the year! This moon couple were adorable, especially Mika, who wandered around out in the open, giving a perfect opportunity for a full-body close-up, while Aroon mostly spent his time lazing indoors happily munching away at some treats 😂

Now Heather, she was not an easy spot 😂 In fact, looking into her enclosure, at a quick glance I couldn't spot her at all and was about to move on, till my partner expertly spotted her cosily snug in her nest box. I was flabbergasted 😂 Very quickly the camera came out; my lens hood was a big help with avoiding all the reflection in the glass to get a perfect dead-on perspective of this snoozy kitty. Obviously you can tell she wasn't very impressed 😂 Though I think almost every wildcat I've photographed somehow has the grumpiest expressions of all the entire animal kingdom 😂

🦌 Species: Moon Bear
📍 Location: Wingham Wildlife Park
📅 Date: 16/12/24
🏷️ Follow:
📷 Settings: 1/1250, f/6.3, ISO-12800

🦌 Species: Scottish Wildcat
📍 Location: Lakeland Wildlife Oasis
📅 Date: 07/01/24
🏷️ Follow:
📷 Settings: 1/1600, f/6.3, ISO-12800

Access:
Slide 1:
A wide-angle view of a moon bear standing in a grassy field, while it gazes upwards slightly towards the camera. The bear's dark, black fur contrasts greatly against the warm green hues that dominate the surrounding space. Blades of short grass cover the foreground, while the backdrop appears silky smooth.

Slide 2:
A close-up portrait of a Scottish wild cat sitting in a nesting box, with straw lying beneath its feet against a plain black background. Only the cat’s front is visible, with its head clear in view. The remainder of its body slowly blends into the black backdrop created by the box’s shadow.

07/08/2026

Watching along the clifftops (but who's watching who 😂)

Bempton quickly became one of my all-time favourite wildlife hotspots to visit, with seabirds flying in all directions offering many opportunities to capture gorgeous photographs. During my first visit, I was a little disappointed initially with how far down the birds were perching and coming in to land, so after doing an initial scout, I decided to attach my 1.4x converter in hopes of some closer shots. Well, that was unnecessary 😂

As the day grew, I spotted more and more odd birds nestled higher along the cliffs, much closer for a portrait or two. I even had a couple of birds perched so close that I needed to stand back to get them in focus 😂 Although the converter certainly got me closer, I was sure to leave it off during my return visit to avoid any focusing antics 😂

🦌 Species: Northern Gannet
📍 Location: RSPB Bempton Cliffs
📅 Date: 20/04/25
🏷️ Follow:
📷 Settings: 1/5000, f/9, ISO-640

Access:
A photo of a gannet sat on the ledge of a grass-covered clifftop against a bright blue, smooth backdrop. With strong lighting, the bird mostly appears well-exposed, with its face and upper torso bright and clear, while the latter appears dark and subdued due to shadows created by the cliff edge. The cliff also appears quite dark and dim compared to the bright white bird, creating bold contrast between them.

06/08/2026

Willow's Gaze

Lovely shot of Willow the binturong in one of her quieter moments during the feeding frenzy 😂 This little lady was darting here, there, and everywhere in search of food, even using that strong prehensile tail of hers to hang upside down to sniff out some of the trickier, hidden treats.

It was a challenge to keep up with her, but once she found a snack, she'd take a few seconds to munch, pause, then explore again, so when she was snuffling along the ground, I waited for the perfect opportunity. Ta-da! Quite a nice still portrait, with those big golden eyes in full focus 🧡

🦌 Species: Binturong
📍 Location: Crocodiles of the World
📅 Date: 25/05/24
🏷️ Follow:
📷 Settings: 1/800, f/5.6, ISO-4000

Access:
A photo of a binturong sat on a blurred, bark-covered floor, staring off into the distance against a blurred brown and beige backdrop. The binturong's bright, bold orange eyes contrast greatly with the scene, especially against the animal's monochrome fur, drawing the viewer's focus.

Aspen Turner Photography

15/08/2026

14/08/2026

13/08/2026

12/08/2026

11/08/2026

10/08/2026

09/08/2026

08/08/2026

07/08/2026

06/08/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category