Book Review: Oliver’s Birds by Oliver Hellowell*

Oliver’s Birds is a book of young photographer Oliver Hellowell’s bird photography, published by Acc Art Books and with forewords by Iolo Williams & professional photographer Ken Jenkins.

Oliver has an intuitive eye for bird photography and an innate talent for composition and framing, with his work offering a deeply personal impression of the natural world. His images are sold around the world, have won awards and plaudits, led to Oliver’s numerous appearances in the media and gained him over 65,000 Facebook fans.

Oliver also happens to have Down Syndrome. As a child he had open-heart surgery to repair serious cardiac defects; it was thought that his poor muscle tone would make him incapable of managing much physical activity, and the effects of his Down Syndrome and other diagnoses left doctors feeling that he would never communicate well enough to be understood by an unfamiliar listener. However, with the encouragement of his determined and optimistic mother and sister, Oliver became a happy, healthy, fit young man who enjoyed skateboarding, basketball and football.

Oliver has always been fascinated by the programmes of his hero, David Attenborough. He loves the great outdoors and birds are his favourite creatures. At the age of 11, he became fascinated with photography and his step-father began patiently instructing him to develop his view of the world through his camera. Now 24, Oliver has continued his attachment to what Ken Jenkins describes as “the most difficult subject in nature photography” – capturing bird behaviour. ‘Oliver’s birds’ contains some of his favourite shots. Oliver describes each one passionately, in his own words, in a unique portrayal of birds and the world they inhabit.

What I thought of the book

In this, potentially very stressful, time of lockdown and isolation, the natural world can provide a real tonic during our daily exercise, or through the sights and sounds from our doorsteps. Several different types of birds have been using my small bird table, balancing on the power lines and catching my eye as they flit past the house in the past few months. On several occasions, I’ve found myself wishing I had a good quality camera, to capture the colours, shapes and some of their quirky behaviours.

With that in mind, it has been a joy to have ‘Oliver’s birds’ in the house. The book is a high-quality showcase of these amazing creatures, but also of Oliver’s patience and skill with the camera and his obvious affinity with the birds that are his subjects. Some of the shots show spectacular breeds – such as the flamingo and golden eagle – in breath-taking detail and clarity. Others show what Springwatch’s Iolo Williams describes as “what I believed to be bland, boring subjects”, such as our common garden birds, and reveal their beauty and personality.

The challenges Oliver has faced due to his Down Syndrome, and other, diagnoses are lightly documented at the beginning of the book, followed by the two foreword notes. These three pieces add context by acting as a testament to Oliver’s determination and spirit, with both notes describing a young man who has become a friend, as well as an inspiration.

The remainder of the book is made up of Oliver’s stunning photography and short captions in his own words, explaining what puts each bird or picture amongst his favourites. Oliver boosts the contrast in his pictures and filters out some areas of the subject and background, to focus on the elements he’s interested in. These skills give the pictures a special quality of their own and allow us to see through Oliver’s eyes.

A wordy review really doesn’t do ‘Oliver’s birds’ justice. Take a look at Oliver’s website, detailed below, as an introduction to his camera work. The book takes the best bits of this work, packages them beautifully and gives you the photographer’s commentary alongside. Browsing the pages, I find a new favourite picture each time – currently, a Coal Tit, which seems to be wondering how it’s going to eat the huge berry it’s holding carefully at the end of its beak. I also smile, relax and remember to enjoy the simple pleasures that things like watching the garden birds can bring, making ‘Oliver’s birds’ a perfect book in these uncertain times and beyond.

How much is the book and how can you buy it?

‘Oliver’s birds’ by Oliver Hellowell is published by Acc Art and is currently only available in hardback. The book, containing 152 colour photographs, costs £17.99 and can be bought via this link.

About the author

Oliver Hellowell lives with his family in the Blackdown Hills of Somerset. His home has a large back garden with a purpose-built hide; temporary mobile hides and areas which Simon has created to show the birds to their best advantage. All of this has helped him amass his massive collection of images of native bird life. In 2015, Oliver won the National Diversity Award in the category of National Role Model for Disability.  Find out more about the National Diversity Awards here.

 About the book

Title: Oliver’s birds
Author: Oliver Hellowell
Publisher: Acc Art Books
ISBN: 9781788840101
Trim Size: 175 x 215mm
Pages: 156 – with 152 full colour photographs

Review by: Sharon Corbally

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