​Born in Canterbury, England, Jacob started photography at age 15 after visiting a camera shop to get his passport photo taken. At just age 20, he finds himself featured in numerous competitions, and magazines and has amassed a large social media following that admires his work.

Jacob resists being easily defined by any specific genre of photography, and his career, which commenced with bird photography in his own garden, has taken him on assignments around the world.

His subject matters have included captivating wildlife, minimalist landscapes, and run-down towns. Recently, he has spent much of his time working on a collection of non native 'alien' plant species that are thriving in Cornwall, UK. He focuses on telling new stories that entertain and educate. Jacob regards himself as a storyteller and artist as much as he does as a specialist of photography. 

"I JUST MAKE PHOTOS OF WHATEVER PIQUES MY CURIOSITY.

–JACOB J. WATSON-HOWLAND

THE NATURAL WORLD

Being an avid naturalist since he could walk, it was obvious that Jacob was to spend most of his time uniquely capturing the natural world. His work Streetlit Snowdrop was his first taste of success, winning the British Wildlife Photography Awards 2025 Botanical Britain category and making international headlines. The extensive distribution of this image solidified its significance in Jacob's formative years as a fine art photographer.

"I REALISED THE MOMENT I CAPTURED THIS IMAGE THAT THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK. 

–JACOB J. WATSON-HOWLAND

With more than 13,000 images submitted, Jacob J. Watson-Howland’s Streetlit Snowdrop took 1st place in the Botanical Britain category of the BWPA 2025 Awards. Putting him in the top 0.1% of British Photographers who submitted their work. Leading to international coverage, including from the BBC and Smithsonian Magazine. 

Jacob dedicated a significant portion of his early career to portraying the natural world in an engaging and immersive manner. These portraits of some of the UK's most stunning animals, often taken in overlooked places, make up a great proportion of his early portfolio. They seek to illustrate the distinctiveness of the subject's personality.

"LIFE ON OUR PLANET IS IRREPLACEABLE– PROTECTING IT PROTECTS OUR FUTURE.

–JACOB J. WATSON-HOWLAND

STORYTELLING

Whilst Jacob still loves capturing the natural world, his focus has moved towards using his camera as a tool to tell stories. Adding an extra layer of narrative to his work and an expanded range of characters. In July 2024, Jacob was shooting in Kos, Greece, where he came across abandoned buildings beside his hotel. He asked a local whether they knew any more derelict sites. He said "Sure, there's a car flipped upside down just down the road from here". 

"THIS IMAGE CONNECTED WITH VIEWERS ON A DEEPER LEVEL THAN ANY OF MY PREVIOUS WORK, IT WAS A SURPRISING REACTION.

–JACOB J. WATSON-HOWLAND

Jacob's recent project on non-native plants in Cornwall, Aliens, has also had an instant impact on audiences. Possibly more than his work in previous years. This narrative approach has allowed him to explore new ways of showing stories of the locations and people he's most inspired by. Steve Jobs, Ansel Adams, David Yarrow and Wolfgang Tillmans are a few of his many heroes who have influenced his recent art. 

PUBLICATIONS

Jacob has had the opportunity to collaborate with some of the UK's most recognisable photography and natural history organisations, such as the RSPB and Digital Photographer's Magazine. In 2021, aged 16, Bradt Guides named him one of the 9 Best Young Photographers. Since then, he's been featured in numerous awards. Most notably in British Wildlife Photography of the Awards 2025 edition, which gave Jacob international recognition, being featured by the BBC, CNN, South China Morning Post, Smithsonian Magazine and countless other publications. 

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TECHNICAL

Jacob's gear changes depending on the subject, assignment and the location's conditions. However, there are a few things you'll always see in his camera bag. Recently, Jacob's been making a lot more close-up, wide-angle images. A 35mm or 50mm prime lens and a wireless remote trigger are invaluable assets for this new approach. 

EQUIPMENT BAG

• Canon R5   amzn.to/3Xl3NeK
• Canon R5 Mark ii amzn.to/41ynNx8
• Canon R6 Mark ii amzn.to/4blozRc 
• Canon RF Lens 28mm F2.8 STM amzn.to/4hZfv77
• Canon RF 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM amzn.to/4ih6ZAc 
• Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens amzn.to/3QH6zr7
• Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens amzn.to/3EZWUcv​
• Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM Lens amzn.to/3EXVjUF 
• Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Macro Lens amzn.to/4i11NAS
• Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens amzn.to/4h1p2ZZ ​
• Canon EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens amzn.to/4bt5vAM
• Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM Lens amzn.to/3XnPtCd
• Canon 500mm f/4L IS USM Super Telephoto Lens amzn.to/3F256sP
• PocketWizard PW-PLUSX-CE-2 PlusX Transceiver 2-Pack amzn.to/4kvlxOG​
• Canon Battery EOS R ​amzn.to/3QCe5U2 
• ​SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC card amzn.to/4klgnVe
• Samsung Evo plus 256GB microSD amzn.to/43hguLm

If you decide to purchase any of these products I use to make my work using the links provided, you'll support my work without any additional cost. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

"IN 2022, I SWITCHED FROM DSLR TO MIRRORLESS. THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE THE BEST EQUIPMENT DECISION I'VE MADE IN MY CAREER SO FAR. THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY HAS PERFORMED IN EVERY SITUATION I'VE BEEN IN. NO MATTER HOW TOUGH THE CONDITIONS. 

–JACOB J. WATSON-HOWLAND

NEWS AND MEDIA 

BBC, Falmouth Student Wins National Photography Award, 2025 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c743p9p93xko 

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2025-Winner, Streetlit Snowdrop, Botanical Britain

Bradt Guides '9 of the Best Young Wildlife Photographers' 
https://www.bradtguides.com/best-young-wildlife-photographers/

​Kent Wildlife Trust 2022 Wildlife Photography Competition
​Special Commendation (Bird Category)
https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/photography-competition-2022

Lenses Pro
'40 of the Most Famous Wildlife Photographers in the World'

RSPB Wingbeat Magazine Winter 2024 Issue- Written Article on Wildlife Photography and Social Media Growth Insights

Digital Photographers Magazine January 2024 Issue- Shot of the Month 

Vestiges of Memory Symposium, Chief Photographer, University of Creative Arts, July 2024

British Wildlife Photography Awards 2025-Winner, Streetlit Snowdrop, Botanical Britain

EXHIBITIONS

Nunnington Hall, National Trust (Yorkshire), Streetlit Snowdrop- 17th May 2025 to 13th July 2025
Nature in Art (Gloucestershire), Streetlit Snowdrop- 22nd July 2025 to 7th September 2025
Bishop Aukland Town Hall (Bishop Auckland) Streetlit Snowdrop- 12th September 2025 to 30th November 2025

READING LIST 

• Ansel Adams: An Autobiography amzn.to/4kczDEx 
• Annie Leibovitz: At Work amzn.to/4imowH6
• David Yarrow: How I Make Photographs (Masters of Photography) ​amzn.to/4bkrfyy
• Mapplethorpe: A Biography  amzn.to/4kms91u
• ​Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography amzn.to/3F0ER67
• The 4-Hour Work Week amzn.to/3F0CiB2 
• Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story amzn.to/4il5wsw
• Magnum Landscape amzn.to/41BX82z
• The Photographer's Eye amzn.to/43b3Eym
• Inherit The Dust ​amzn.to/3Xmz0Oy
• 12 Rules For Life amzn.to/4hPfvXj
• How To Win Friends and Influence People amzn.to/3DctuY4 
• The Business of Fine Art Photography amzn.to/4bl9Cyx
• ​The Philosophy of Andy Warhol amzn.to/4hSjRwO
• Churchill amzn.to/3CYeJbu
• ​Letters from a Stoic amzn.to/4hZOX5C
• Tools of Titans amzn.to/4hUdMjq
• Tribe of Mentors amzn.to/3D0dAjH
• Small Giants amzn.to/4hiZnwl
• How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist amzn.to/3XmIHMZ
• Leonardo DaVinci amzn.to/3F0odDy
• Walden amzn.to/4kk17Ic
• Lessons of History amzn.to/4kg8ujP
• Wildlife Photography at Home amzn.to/3XnlmLh
• Essentialism amzn.to/41ED5R6
• The Tao of Power amzn.to/41ED5R6
• Think and Grow Rich amzn.to/43mrSG5
• Tao of Warren Buffett amzn.to/4h2MhTH
• Camera Lucida amzn.to/4bmQnEU
• The 12 Million Dollar Stuffed Shark amzn.to/4hUg7uI
• Why Artists Are Poor amzn.to/4hUg7uI
• Meditations amzn.to/3F9Aci1
• Benjamin Franklin Autobiography amzn.to/4gWwhT6
• The Intelligent Investor amzn.to/4ijsD6P 

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​If you decide to purchase any of these books I use to make my work better using the links provided, you'll support my work without any additional cost. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.