Photography by Kathryn Cooper

Inspired by the natural world

Latest work - Nowhere

A collection of images on the theme of “Nowhere”, the theme for the 2020 Cley Contemporary Art Exhibition.

Read more from my latest photo essay here.

About me

Photographer -- Scientist -- Artist -- Designer

I am a photographic artist based in Sheffield, UK. Although I do enjoy traditional photography, I am most well known for my studies of motion of flocks of birds.

My background is in physics and bioinformatics (data science applied to biological systems) and I studied the structure and dynamics of complex networks for my doctorate. I have since spent a decade developing products in the scientific and medical imaging industry; improving outcomes for cancer patients and making beautiful software to help researchers understand and explore complex, multi-dimensional data.

I feel drawn to incorporate a reflection of my other career in science and technology into my images and I have two long term artistic projects on the go. Both work with migratory birds in the north of England.

The first is starling murmurations. Between November and March, tens of thousands of starlings migrate to a local roost and this my focus over winter. My aim is to depict the fluid-like movement and capture the essence of a murmuration. There is still much to learn about murmurations and this makes them really compelling to study.

The second is large gatherings of seabirds and how they use their three dimensional environment; how the actors and interactions change through the seasons.

I have always been fond of the natural world, fell in love with Africa, then discovered the wildlife on my doorstep. I recently embarked upon a journey to explore different ways of working, with the aim to reduce my negative footprint on the planet, be mindful my own energy resources and concentrate on positive, impactful work. I currently split my time between long term creative projects and coaching fitness, strength and mobility. I love spending a lot of time outdoors, whether it's taking pictures, hiking, biking, kayaking or climbing. I live with my partner Alex, and Charlie (the most handsome black and white cat) in a house full of plants.

Awards, Exhibitions and Publications

Awards

Exhibitions

2022
2021
2020

The 2020 exhibition calendar has been impacted by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. I'm delighted to say I have at least one physical exhibition going ahead:

2019

"Air Traffic Control" was part of the Bird Photographer of the Year touring exhibition 2019:

Publications

My work is featured in these beautiful coffee-table books:

and these magazines:

Press

Social Media