Ali Marley Photography

Ali Marley Photography Birds & The Belles Ambassador
Wildlife, Pet & Equine Photographer
Om Systems user

www.alimarley.com

Bear Week, part four: featuring the actual menace of Finland’s boreal forests… the gullsHonestly, these birds were every...
10/09/2026

Bear Week, part four: featuring the actual menace of Finland’s boreal forests… the gulls

Honestly, these birds were everywhere on this trip, constantly photobombing my shots and
causing absolute havoc. So catching this bear looking equally unimpressed at one flying
past felt very relatable. We were both just trying to get on with our day.

Part three of Bear Week and we’re staying in the waterThat paw mid-splash tells you everything about how unbothered thes...
09/09/2026

Part three of Bear Week and we’re staying in the water

That paw mid-splash tells you everything about how unbothered these bears are by wet
ground — total confidence, not a care in the world about where he’s putting his feet.

Moments like this are exactly why this trip will stay with me forever; my first time seeing
bears in the wild, and they did not disappoint.

Last paid workshop of the Bempton season done! 🐦 A smaller group today with just the three of us out on the cliffs, but ...
08/09/2026

Last paid workshop of the Bempton season done! 🐦 A smaller group today with just the three of us out on the cliffs, but honestly that intimacy made for such a special session — more one-to-one time, more chat, more chances to really talk through the shots.

And what a day to have it. We watched around 20 guga fledge today, which was just amazing to witness — photos of that to follow separately, this one’s for the group.

Thank you both for such a brilliant morning. That’s the last of my “Discover the Art of Seabird” workshops for this season — one more to go which is a thank you session for the RSPB Bempton volunteers, then I’ll be back with a full seasonal wrap-up and every photo from the year.

After that, I’m moving over to my winter workshops — Discover the Art of Wildlife Photography: Winter Magic at Bempton. Spotted the first posters for it up at the visitors centre today (photos below!) and the dates are live on my website now if you want to get booked in.

Bear Week, part two: this one didn’t so much walk through the swamp as wade through itlike it owed him moneyBoreal wildl...
08/09/2026

Bear Week, part two: this one didn’t so much walk through the swamp as wade through it
like it owed him money

Boreal wildlife means boggy ground, and Finland’s bears have absolutely no issue with that.

Watching them move through this terrain with total confidence, splashing through pools that
would have me in wellies and regretting my life choices, is one of my favourite things about
photographing them out here.

I’ve been sitting on far too many photos from my Finland trip without sharing them, so I’vedecided this week is going to...
07/09/2026

I’ve been sitting on far too many photos from my Finland trip without sharing them, so I’ve
decided this week is going to be all about it — Bear Week!

And Bear Week wouldn’t be Bear Week if I didn’t include my favourite bear, George. This
was my first ever trip to Finland, and my first time ever seeing bears in the wild — and
George was one of the very first faces I met out there. That unmistakable look, that steady
confident gaze, that “yes, I know I’m magnificent” energy. He made an unforgettable trip
even more special.

Wings spread. Coming in to land. Not a single drop of composure.That makes two of us honestly.This is the shot that made...
06/09/2026

Wings spread. Coming in to land. Not a single drop of composure.

That makes two of us honestly.

This is the shot that made me actually gasp in the hide. Wings fully open, dropping onto that mossy stump — I had no idea I had it until I looked at the back of the camera. That is one of the best feelings in wildlife photography. The moment you realise the camera got something your eyes barely registered.

Friday my body said slow down. I listened. A hide, a Kingfisher that turned up within minutes, and three frames from one session that I genuinely think are the best Kingfisher images I have ever taken. From a public hide. On a day that was not supposed to happen at all.

Fate. I am absolutely here for it. 🤍💙

omsystemcameras.uk Om1 mii & M.Zuiko 300mm + Mc-14

There is something about a Kingfisher on a perch that I never get tired of. That jewel-like blue, that vivid orange, tha...
05/09/2026

There is something about a Kingfisher on a perch that I never get tired of. That jewel-like blue, that vivid orange, that absolute stillness before everything erupts into action. This little one sat here and just let me look. And I looked for as long as it would allow.

Yesterday was a day that could have stayed at home. My Crohn’s was playing up and the moors were not on the cards. So I changed the plan, found a hide, and this is what was waiting. A Kingfisher that gave me more than I ever expected — in more ways than one.

This is image two from yesterday’s session. Tomorrow I will show you image three. And that one — well. Just wait. 🤍

omsystemcameras.uk Om1 mii & M.Zuiko 300mm + MC-14

Sometimes your body makes the decision for you. And sometimes — just sometimes — it makes the right one.Today my Crohn’s...
04/09/2026

Sometimes your body makes the decision for you. And sometimes — just sometimes — it makes the right one.

Today my Crohn’s said not today to the original plan. So I listened. I found a hide at my local nature reserve, parked myself down, and within minutes this happened. My best ever Kingfisher shot. Bursting out of the water, wings spread, droplets frozen in mid air — everything I have ever wanted from a Kingfisher frame and then some.

And here is the thing that I keep coming back to. This was not a paid hide. Not a specialist photography setup. Just a nature reserve, a public hide, and a body that sent me somewhere easier when I needed it most.

I believe in fate. I really, genuinely do. My Crohn’s has taken a lot of days from me over the years, and if I’m honest the last few weeks have been very tough with it. Today it gave me one of the best shots of my entire photography life. I will take that. I will absolutely take that.

If you ever feel like a day is not going to plan — go anyway. Listen to your body, change the destination if you need to, but go. Because this is what is waiting.

omsystemcameras.uk om1 mii & M.Zuiko 300mm + Mc-14 taken using Sh2 not pro capture

Bempton drama, episode one 🎬This juvenile (the speckled one) made the fatal error of landing on a ledge that very much a...
03/09/2026

Bempton drama, episode one 🎬

This juvenile (the speckled one) made the fatal error of landing on a ledge that very much already had an owner. Cue beaks locked, a lot of squawking, and absolutely no room for negotiation – the resident gannet was not moving over for anyone.

Spoiler: the juvenile lost. Got booted clean off the ledge and had to go find somewhere else to be.

Gannet cliffs: beautiful, chaotic, zero personal space policy 🐦

rspb_bemptoncliffs

Tonight’s the night! 🎉 My very first online editing workshop kicks off, and I can’t wait.We’ll be working through this r...
02/09/2026

Tonight’s the night! 🎉 My very first online editing workshop kicks off, and I can’t wait.

We’ll be working through this raw gannet shot together, and I’ll show you every step of turning it from a flat, straight-out-of-camera frame into something with real light, depth and mood. It’s amazing what a bit of know-how can do to bring an image to life.

Can’t make tonight’s session? No stress at all — this is a monthly thing! I’ll be running these on the first Wednesday of every month, working through different photos with different edits each time, so there’s always another chance to jump in.

£25 per session, and you’ll get the full recording afterwards to keep. Book your spot at www.alimarley.com/workshops

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Stockton-on-Tees

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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