Amateur photographer Alex White on his passion for Oxfordshire wildlife

There are many plausible first-line biographies that could be used to describe Alex White, a 16-year-old boy from the village of Appleton, near Oxford.

He is often referred to as a photography prodigy, a wildlife enthusiast, a BBC blogger, a writer, and he has got the CV to prove it.

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Alex fondly remembers becoming passionate nature from a very young age after his parents took him badger watching aged 3.

But it was not until he received a precious gift from his grandfather that he tried to combine his two great interests.

The teenager said: "My grandfather Dave Fondant has a camera club in Bicester.

“He was a huge inspiration while I was growing up and, in a way, he passed on his art and his passion to me.

“He has taught me a lot as we have worked together from a very young age and he is actually the one who gave me my first camera as a gift for my birthday.

“It was a Canon Powershot SX50, and even though it is not a professional camera it takes high quality pictures.”

While Alex says his great passion has always been animals, he first began taking snaps of interesting plants and trees first in his back garden and then in the fields and meadows nearby.

The 16-year-old explained: “I live in the countryside, so nature has always been around me and has fascinated me.”

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In May 2013, he set up Appleton Wildlife Diary as a way to record photographs and blog about his discoveries.

Only a few months later Alex started his ‘professional’ career at the mere age of 10 when he was recruited for the role of a patch reporter for the BBC Wildlife Magazine.

He said he spotted the advert in the magazine and thought it would be a fun activity to do, but it was only on second consideration – after turning down his initial application – that the magazine took on the young photographer.

Since then he has been writing a a seasonal report about Oxfordshire wildlife for the publication and has appeared in various newspapers, including this one, encouraging others to get out and explore their local patch.

The teenager has an eagerness for learning more about wildlife and regularly attends local nature surveys, including those on moths, bats and butterflies.

He also assists with bird surveys in his local woodland.

Alex explained: “There is a wonderful variety of wildlife that can be found in the UK and if people take the time to stop and look, they will find it on their doorstep.”

When he was only 12, the young Alex got the opportunity to meet his hero Chris Packham.

The young photographer was invited to the Springwatch studio in Suffolk for the live show where he showed off four of his superb snaps to the audience and his favourite television presenter.

Alex received cheering applause when he held up a beautiful and detailed image of a delicate blue-purple butterfly.

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He also revealed two other snaps – a perfect picture of a badger cub snuffling through a field near his house and a colour-drenched shot of fungi sprouting amid a rainbow of autumn leaves.

Last year the teenager impressed his fans when he dipped his foot in another artistic medium.

After being approached by a small Oxfordshire publisher who offered him a book deal, the young wildlife champion wrote a countryside guide where he discusses simple and low-cost ways in which people can enjoy nature.

Not only is ‘Get Your Boots On’ filled with helpful tips, hints and advice on how to learn to love and support animals’ natural habitat, but it also contains a foreword by the Springwatch presenter.

The book also features more than 30 of Alex’s most stunning photographs.

As well as his TV appearances, books and blogs, there is another reason many people in Oxfordshire might recognise Alex White: his regular attendance at Oxford's youth strikes for climate over the past year.

The teenager explained: “This year’s Valentine’s Day strike from school marked one year of my involvement with Oxford Youth Strike.

“I started taking part in the walk-outs and marches in February 2018 because I believe it is very important to raise awareness about how climate change will affect us all and the nature around us.

“There are a lot of young people in Oxfordshire who are environmentalists and they all do great work to highlight the problem and engage others.”

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After graduating from Matthew Arnold School in Botley, Alex began studying graphic design at Abingdon and Witney College.

While he is still greatly interested in developing his photography skills, he said this was the module closest to media studies which was available to him.

The teenager is currently working on a short film on Oxfordshire wildlife for his end-of-year major school project.

While Alex is still very young he says he dreams of becoming a documentary filmmaker.

He said: “I want to expand my skills as a filmmaker but I would still focus on the beautiful nature around me.

“I plan to also continue learning about photography.”

Most recently the schoolboy won a prestigious nationwide photography competition for the third time.

He was crowned winner of the Young Mammal Photographer of the Year contest in the 15-18 years category after impressing the judges with his highly-skilled and close-up shot of a deer.

Head judge Brett Lewis commented on the teenager’s entry: "Alex took that moment to capture an engaging shot and one that pulls the viewer’s focus straight back to the deer, whilst appreciating the plethora of flowers that adorn the meadow.

"Often scenes like these are fleeting and it takes a certain amount of professionalism to capture the image so well."

Fans can see Alex’s photograph at the free Mammal Photographer of the Year 2020 exhibition at Robinson College, University of Cambridge.

To read more about his wildlife adventures you can browse his blog appletonwildlifediary.wordpress.com