Villayat Wolf Sunkmanitu, Wolf Photographer, Biography

Wolf Photography and SnowMoon Wolf are Not For Profit therapeutic work projects with the following aims:

To raise awareness of PTSD, educate on Intellectual Property issues and promote creative arts as a coping mechanism for disability.

The project is financed via selling prints and licensing images, as well as selling books.

I started photography as a hobby in 1981. During my free time I would go for walks around RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall and photograph scenery, wildlife and airshows. The nature photography filled me with a sense of peace and I would spend hours just walking around, watching every kind of insect and animal that was around in those days.

I setup Wolf1964 (which went on to become Wolf Photography) in 2002. I had never thought of selling my images and used to put them on 'webshots' for anyone to download. Two NHS colleagues asked me why I wasn't selling them. Suspecting a 'wind-up' I laughed their comments off ... but they persisted, encouraging me to start selling my images as prints, and went on to become my first customers; photography became a secondary occupation (the business started working as a Not For Profit venture in 2010).

When I'm in the wilderness I escape from the chains of human society and feel at peace. I feel connected with the Earth and the many creatures that we share this space with. Some of the journeys I undertake are very difficult, both pysically and mentally ... but to see something like an osprey taking a fish makes it all worthwhile.

In 2007, I had some of my surfing images included in 'Portfolio One', a publication of the Royal Photographic Society. In December of the same year, I went full circle and moved back to the Midlands.

I have been training adults in people skills and legal issues since 1991. In 2011 I started making artists aware of their Intellectual Property rights via this website, presentations and workshops.

As for the future, I just want to keep travelling and meeting people from different cultures that have a deep connection with the Earth and to photograph as many places and species as I can in the time I have left. I'll also keep up with some photo-journalism as commitments allow.

I also want to continue raising awareness of how PTSD affects people and promote some understanding of what people go through so that perhaps the next generation of sufferers won't have to have their dignity stripped in order to be understood or sufficiently cared for by the NHS and various services in our respective countries. Continuing to educate the next generation of artists is also something that I will continue to do.

If you would like to book an awareness workshop, presentation or training session, please email: wolf at wolf-photography.com

If you'd like an insight into how living with PTSD may feel, check out my books.

My connection with wolves

Ehxibitions:
2004 'Atlantic Connections'. Truro, Cornwall.
2005 'Wolf', Truro Cornwall.
2010 'Mats Quest Winter Show and benefit.' Edmonton, Oaklahoma, USA.
2013 - 2014 'Living with PTSD'. Various venues throughout the East Midlands, England.
2013 - 2016 'Intimacy with Plants'. Various venues throughout the East Midlands, England.

Accreditations to date:
2011 Parcours - reenactment, Chateau d'Ecouen, France
2011 Art Battles, Gare du Nord, Paris, France
2009 Burghley International Horse Trials, UK
2009 Red Bull X Fighters, London, UK
2009 Renualt World Series, Silverstone, UK
2009 Bramham International Horse Trials, UK
2009 MXGP, Mallory Park, UK
2009 Chatsworth International Horse Trials,UK
2009 Handlebar Festival, Shropshire, UK
2008 Canadian Open Snowboard Tour, Calgary, Canada
2008 Nokia World Snowboard cup, Calgary, Canada
2007 British Longboard Championship, Godrevy, Cornwall, UK
2007 Royal International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford, UK
2007 Red Bull air race, London, UK
2006 Big Wave competition, Newquay, cornwall, UK
2006 Hare & Hounds (bikes & quads), Camborne, Cornwall, UK

Relevant Licences:
2006-2014, Licence to photograph an Osprey nest from Scottish National Heritage.
2008-2012, Licence to photograph an Osprey nest from Natural England.

Registered Charity projects undertaken to date:
2005-2006, Photographic monitoring of the wolf project and other animals at the Highland Wildlife Park, Kingussie, Scotland. Licensing the organisation to use images in their publications and website.

2008 - 2011, Licensing of aircraft images to the Royal Air Force Association's website.