I am an ecologist interested in environmental photography and photojournalism. Studying the natural sciences gives me a deeper insight into my subjects and I love creating photo stories that explore ecological and environmental issues.
Between 2013 and 2017 I studied natural sciences, specializing in Zoology, in Trinity College Dublin. During that time I became fascinated in using photography to communicate science. In 2018 I began my PhD in ecology, where I used a combination of theory and experiments to understand the ecological impacts of multiple stressors, with a particular focus on the role of community and evolutionary dynamics. I was able to use my photography to communicate key messages to other scientists and to the general public.
I am now working at the University of Oxford to better understand how multiple stressors impact the diversity, stability and functioning of ecosystems. My research has brought me to some incredible places and inspired much of my photography. I have been fortunate enough to spend time in South Africa, the Kenyan Rift Valley and New Zealand.
Features
- “The British Ecological Society photography competition – in pictures” – The Guardian
- Cover photo of the September 2020 edition – American Scientist
- “Scientific phenomena photographs of the year – in pictures” – The Guardian
- “James Orr on Incorporating a Love of Nature into Daily Life at Trinity” – University Times
- “Judges Blown Away by Quality of Reader’s Pictures” – Irish Examiner
Awards
- British Ecological Society Photography Competition – “Ecology in Action”, Student Winner, 2020
- Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition, Runner Up, 2019
- Irish Examiner Reader’s Pictures Competition, Runner Up, 2016
- Geological Society of London Photo Competition, Third Place, 2016
- Trinity College and DUPA photo competition, Runner Up, 2016