Meet Photographer Sam Hobson
Sam Hobson is a unique photographer. He's unique in that he likes to photograph wild animals living in cities around the globe. His aim is to be a sort of "PR man for the unloved," as he explains it. And he means it!
In this list you'll see pictures of toads, stags, foxes, and dam herons in London, Mexico, and various parts of the UK. It's incredible how close he gets to these animals. Let's take a look.
Red Fox - Bristol, UK
Sam says suburbs are perfect for foxes. It's far away from the hustle and bustle of the city while also being safe from the dangers of the countryside.
Sam says he was "quite a feral kid," and "spent a lot of time outdoors and had a lot of freedom." "When I saw wildlife round the streets where I lived, my family didn’t always believe me. Picking up a camera was my way to show them what I had seen.”
Bananaquit - Tobago
Here we get a nice look at a Bananaquit (bet you don't see these every day) sipping some fruit juice in Tobago.
Toads - Bristol, UK
Taken in the Spring, these toads are headed back to their ancestral breeding grounds to reproduce.
Because of Sam's spellbinding pictures, he took home the prestigious Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Award a couple years ago.
Barbary Ground Squirrel - Fuerteventura
This particular squirrel is actually an invasive species on the Canarian Island of Fuerteventura. Sam says the tourists refer to them as chipmunks.
They sure look like them!
Gulls - Blackpool Seafront, UK
Here a group of Gulls attack a rogue bag of chips in front of Blackpool Tower in the UK. Gull numbers are declining in the UK while picking up in urban areas, which is apparently causing quite the stir in Britain.
Hudson think it's important for people to see “the stuff that’s on their doorstep.”
Feral Pigeons - Parliament, UK
These pigeons have some scary eyes. Here we see a mob gathering outside Parliament.
Despite the pigeon's angry appearance, Sam hopes people will feel a stronger bond with these animals through seeing them in a familiar setting. We think he's hit the nail on the head.
Red Fox and Her Cubs - Bristol, UK
Here we get a snapshot at a mature Red Fox suckling her cubs in a suburban garden in Bristol. Sam says “I could sit on the floor and they (the foxes) would come and sit next to me, but if someone else walked down the street they’d run off and hide.
I’d be left sitting on my own on the floor with a camera near some bins, and I’d get funny looks from people.”
Dam Herons - Netherlands
Sam took this picture on Market Day in the Netherlands.
Stray Dam Herons rush in to scavenge the leftovers, stealing a quick bite while they still can.
Kittiwakes - Newcastle, UK
A group of birds called Kittiwakes nest near the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle, UK.
Kittiwakes are just another type of Gull that are pretty prevalent in Britain.
Racoon - Mexico
Racoons in Mexico enter resorts and hotels late at night in search for leftovers and pickings. Here one is pictured at Hotel Bandito. This picture actually fulfills one of Sam's photography goals.
“I’d like to do something infested—proper urban wildlife like rats, snails, and slugs," he says. While a racoon isn't necessarily like a rat or a snail, it is a little closer to the "vermin" category than Sam's previous models.
Red Fox - Bristol, UK
This is actually a younger red fox climbing over a wall inquisitively.
Sam says “I go and wait on the other side of the street and I’ve got a little remote trigger that I fire as soon as he pops up and has a sniff around.”
Deer - London, UK
Deer now roam the streets in London pretty regularly. Sam says "It's not unusual to see deer in city parks, but in this instance, truly wild deer are creeping out of the woods and into residential parts of east London." It sure makes for both an eerie and magical display.
Sam says "It's not unusual to see deer in city parks, but in this instance, truly wild deer are creeping out of the woods and into residential parts of east London." It sure makes for both an eerie and magical display.
Parakeets - London, UK
Sam says "Parakeets are the new pigeons in London, and congregate at night in large groups." Here they are at daybreak scattering away into the morning. To capture this picture, Sam ducked behind a gravestone waiting for the birds to pass by overhead.
Speaking of gravestones..
Badger - Bristol, UK
This badger is seen emerging from an old grave on the outskirts of Bristol, UK.