For the first few years we lived in a tiny rented cottage at the bottom of a friend's garden. We often joked that there was plenty of film in the fridge, but not too much food!

Courage is clearly a readiness to risk self-humiliation.

My first serious project was photographing badgers - very, very difficult as they are shy and nocturnal.

I also like flyfishing - maybe I would have figured a way to make a living out of that?

Even for an area I know well, I prepare a shooting list of subjects I need.

A large wildlife book, start to finish, could take one to two years, but then I would expect to get several good (nature) magazine features off the back of this, plus of course a lot of stock.

For sure, all over Poland, kids had my picture of a lemur on their bedroom wall - but the chances are they may never get to see a real lemur in Madagascar. I thought this was great and it really meant a lot to me.