Biography
George McCarthy has long been recognised as one of the UK's leading professional wildlife and nature photographers. He is a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and sits on the Nature Associate and Fellowship Judging panels. Not surprisingly his work has often featured in advertising and has been used by prestigious companies and organisations such as Kodak, Canon, and the RSPB. He is also an author, a lecturer, a tour leader and a consultant specialising in British wildlife and the countryside.
Since turning professional in 1986 his photographs have appeared regularly in newspapers, magazines and books both in this country and abroad. On one occasion one of his pictures, that of a Stone Curlew, was used on the front cover of “The Times” newspaper here in the UK, whilst at the same time, in the Far-East “The South China Morning Post” were using his picture of a common toad.
His work can be seen in a variety of wildlife posters sold at Wildlife Trusts and RSPB reserves. If you live in Britain and are into wildlife you will almost certainly have seen some of them like the "Tawny Owl & the Moon" or "The Three Barn Owls" and the “Sleeping Dormouse” for instance. Currently 100 plus postcards carry his picture credits and calendar companies use his images on a regular basis.
George has never specialised on one subject although birds have always provided him with the greatest challenge. Here are two examples that demonstrate the diversity of his work and the underlying talent.
In the late nineties, with pictures of Barn Owls taken in the wild, he won the professional division of the Hawk & Owl Trust's silver jubilee international competition beating off photographers from thirteen different countries. That was an exceptional day for George because, not only did he win, he was also took second place as well scooping prizes in excess of £3000.00.
Following that success he was commissioned to produce a book on fungi entitled "The Wild Mushroom". It became a best seller and is regarded by many as one of the finest collection of fungi photographs taken in their natural habitats produced to date. Indeed this first edition is now out of print and has today become a collector’s item. Later, with the photographic text extended and updated it was republished under the title “Photographing Fungi in the Field”. You can check out both books now under the “Sales” header.
Three years ago George expanded sales by moving into the fine art print market and today his superb prints can be seen at various shows and galleries around the UK. His stand at the bird fair is recognised as one of the best in show, indeed it was judged exactly that by the show organisers, and well worth a visit. 
Today he travels widely in pursuit of new images to reproduce as Fine Art Giclee Prints for his gallery in West Sussex. In 2005 he embarked on his greatest trip to-date when, with his wife Angela he went for a year-long road trip around North America. This has now been produced as a stunning digital keynote talk available to clubs in the UK. You can read more about this remarkable trip by clicking on the “Lectures” heading.
Photographing wildlife and nature subjects for George is a passion. He is a superb technician happy to share his trade secrets in lectures and workshops that he gives each year. However it is abundantly clear from some of the stunning images he produces that there is a quality in his work that transcends technique. Clearly he has an “eye for a picture” coupled with the skill to capture and reveal the subject at it's pictorial best. Like all top photographers around the world he has the ability to see rather than just look and occasionally he can inspire us all.
