Oddy Barber
Name: Oddy Barber
Camera: I have two OM System OM-1s
Favourite type of photography: Wildlife and macro
Location: Peterborough, UK
Instagram: @oddybwildlife
How did you get into photography?
I inherited my father’s camera when he passed away when I was 15.
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
No
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
A baby seagull on St Elizabeth's Island in Jersey.
What do you love about photography?
It calms my mind and gives me time to de-stress.
Read about Creative Photography, What it is and How to Get Started
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
F stops and composition.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
Isle of Mull, I love otters and puffins.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
I have discovered image stacking since getting the OM-1 and love it for macro photography.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
I pull my images from external drives into Lightroom and then delete all fuzzy or crap photos, then go through and pick out ones I might want to work on. Then I will go back again and work on the ones I want to publish on my Facebook wildlife page.
What's your favourite lens?
My new OM System 150-400mm Pro lens. I’ve only had it since August, but love it.
Read our OM System M.Zuiko ED 50-200mm F2.8 IS Pro Review
Do you have a favourite accessory?
Yes, my monopod, as I have a life-changing problem with my left hand, which I have had for 8 years. I can’t hold my camera for long periods, so I always have my monopod to help me manage all day shoots.
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
I love my Tenba roll-top bag; I can fit my camera gear and waterproofs in it all at once.
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
Steve and Ann Toon, I emailed them for advice after reading their wildlife photography book and sent them one of my photos. Steve wrote back telling me he was trying to find a way to let me down gently about my image, but after seeing it he was impressed and told me to just get out there and do what I do and to enjoy what I do. I have done that ever since.
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
Pandora Maund @pandoraimages, Becky Marshall @hiding_behind_the_shutter
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
No, I think I have all I need (for the moment).
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
Maybe I should have a go at landscape photography.
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Going to Finland to photograph the brown bears and having a wolverine come out into the field, which was amazing.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
To be able to pan and track birds better.
Your favourite baked goods are?
Chocolate Cookies
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a 58-year-old female who has been doing wildlife photography for 40 years. I live in Peterborough with my husband and I have two grown-up sons. My eldest son also does wildlife photography and we often are out together when he comes down to visit from Sheffield. I would love to go to Alaska to photograph the bears catching salmon, this is the top of my bucket list, along with also going to Costa Rica, for the hummingbirds.
