About

My name is Jamie Spensley, and I am a photographer based in Birmingham, UK.

I am best known for my detailed, colourful macro photography of bugs. My passion for documenting the bug world sparked during the 2020 lockdown when I cured my boredom through exploring macro photography in my back garden. Macro interested me as I was fascinated to see subjects in far more detail than the eye can see. After only a few months of capturing images, I managed to secure first place in the Luminar Young Bug Photographer of the Year 2020. I achieve incredible details by using a process called focus stacking. A lot of people fear bugs and I shoot in this style to try and help people get over that fear and appreciate the beauty of bugs.

The community of macro photographers on Instagram is what motivates me to take my practice even further. It is incredibly interesting to see what subjects' people have captured, and what processes they have used to achieve such images. My colourful backgrounds and minimalistic compositions are inspired by the video games I play. I find the artistic style of video games visually appealing, and I want my work to have that similar eye-catching effect.

The techniques used in my macro photography also benefit my product photography. After I learnt focus stacking, I applied the same technique to small products such as rings and watches. As a creative, I like my mind to be fresh and this is why I shoot other genres such as landscape and street. My style is quite different when I shoot these genres as I draw inspiration from other places. When it comes to street photography, I like to capture the emotions I have towards the urban environment I am in. I enjoy the dull grey appearance of the city, but I much prefer the relaxation and vibrancy of nature. My images often have a dark, cold and gritty aesthetic to them due to my feelings towards urban life. This style also comes across in my landscapes when the weather is influencing my feelings. I am a big fan of cinematography in films, and this inspires my editing style in both landscapes and street scenes.

Talking on my whole photography practice, I find satisfaction in capturing ordinary subjects and using my creative skills to make them appear different to how we typically view them.