Wild Neighbours: Portraits of London's Magnificent Creatures

Description

AS FEATURED ON BBC LONDON NEWS. Take four seasons, one photographer, eighty species, hundreds of miles on foot in a city of ten million people and through intimate and captivating portraits meet London's wild neighbours. London is not just a city of ten million people, it is also home to an extraordinary diversity of beautiful wildlife. With world population exploding and more and more countryside being lost to urban sprawl or commercial agriculture, the sharing of urban space with nature is more important than ever. To achieve this, we have to preserve and increase the green and blue spaces in our cities and see and love the wildlife that we already have. Since London is my city, I set out to observe and create photographic portraits of all the creatures I could find. Whilst this has taken many hundreds of hours, it has been the happiest time imaginable as I immersed myself in the sweetness and delight of my wild neighbours.

Sarah Cheesbrough is is an innovator at her core. Growing up in London and Birmingham, she swam for England, read International Studies at university, modelled in London, Paris and Tokyo, and worked as an advertising executive at J. Walter Thompson before striking out on her own path as a self-taught freelance photographer. Her curiosity for the world and the ways in which people, wildlife and cultures interact has been nurtured by regular photographic commissions from airline magazines and tourist boards. In recent years Sarah has focused on projects that are close to her heart. Her 2012 book, In Buddha's Garden, featured her evocative photographs of the Buddhist monks of Luang Prabang. Following an exhibition in 2014 curated by Founder and ex-Director of Paris Photo, Rik Gadella, In Buddha's Garden was selected by the Lao National Commission to UNESCO as the gift to fellow delegates at the 34th International UNESCO Conference in Paris. In 2018, Sarah had two London exhibitions of urban bee photographs, including one for The Royal Parks. Wild Neighbours is the result of several years watching wildlife in London in a state of wonder. It has been a true homecoming for Sarah, to her city, to her heart and to the Nature that sustains her.

"This magnificent book offers a surprising new angle on London." * Daily Mail (UK) * "Stunning images of animals. . . . An incredible array of natural beauty in our country." * The Lady (UK) * "These pictures are glorious. I cannot recommend this book more highly." * The Carrie and David Grant Show, BBC Radio London * "I read this book with envy at the author's ability to share peace and tranquility with the wilderness around her, allowing the wild creatures to feel safe enough to come as close to her as you can see in her amazing images." * Outdoor Photography Magazine * "There is ever increasing evidence that proximity to nature is highly effective in combating a wide range of mental and physical health issues. Wild Neighbours should be a compulsory prescription for all Londoners in these challenging times-not just a visual tonic, but a constant reminder of the extraordinary wealth of flora and fauna at our doorstep." -- Mark Adlington, author of Painting the Ice Bear "From the mighty stags of Richmond Park to the smallest beetle in a back garden, Cheesbrough's evocative photographs will make your heart soar with the magic and wonder of nature and hope for the future." -- Sophy Fearnley-Whittingstall, founder, SFW Communications "Cheesbrough's stunning portraits of London wildlife are a joy to behold. They're also a timely reminder of how much we have to gain from being more generous with our urban spaces, how allowing nature into our own backyards not only addresses the desperate questions of biodiversity loss but is balm for the soul." -- Isabella Tree, author of Wilding