I FELT MY HEART THUMPING! THEY REMINDED ME OF CONCORDE

The horses of the Camargue are allowed to run wild, and perhaps the climax of Sir David’s trip was photographing them in marshland and at the water’s edge on the beach. ‘I’ve never seen horses living naturally in the wild and it’s something I’ll always remember. When the gardians got them to

Sir David won’t forget his first sight of the flamingos at Saintes-maries-de-la-mer, the capital of the Camargue. ‘I was told there were around 2,000 of them in their natural habitat. We were there at the beginning of their courting season, which explains why they were so pink as they showed themselves off to prospective suitors. And you should see them fly! They were like precision arrows flying walk and then canter and finally gallop in the marsh water or the sea, it was thrilling to witness their sense of flight in unison. I’m usually rather reticent around horses, something I think they pick up on. But these ones let me stroke their manes and blow up their nostrils and I wasn’t apprehensive at all.’

On the final morning of the trip, Sir David got the chance to photograph a single black stallion. ‘He from afar to the marshland where they live and then, like aeroplanes, gliding in to land, their long legs splashing through the water. They reminded me of Concorde.’

It might have been down to beginner’s luck, he says, but he did manage to get one shot of three of them in a mid-air formation (above). ‘It was a wonderful, happy chance

that my camera went click at took me right back to my childhood, to one of my favourite books as I was growing up: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. At the sight of this magnificent Andalusian stallion I felt my heart thumping in my chest. The gardian put some food down in the surf and to watch him gallop towards his next meal, the sea spraying up from his hooves, his black body against the white water, was extraordinary. I felt very privileged to be there.’ that moment. A second before or after and it wouldn’t have been the same picture. It gave me enormous confidence. And that’s a message I want to share with anyone reading this and contemplating submitting their pictures to the contest. Don’t ever think you can’t do something because, just occasionally, you can!’

fied, the worse it is and he was diagnosed at three weeks. It’s currently incurable so any money goes into research. But my little grandson is so full of love, so giving. We’re incredibly lucky to have him.’

The arbitrariness of what happened must have tested Sir David’s considerable faith. ‘Yes, all suffering in the world tests one’s faith all the time. It’s not easy and one should never pretend it is. It’s a challenge to believe that the God of love can also allow such suffering. But it doesn’t stop my faith. In a sense, because it tests it, it makes it stronger.’

Sir David is currently touring his one-man show Poirot And More – A Retrospective around UK theatres, but throughout all his many and varied activities it is photography that represents his greatest escape. That’s why he’s so happy to be a judge in our competition. ‘I thoroughly approve of an enterprise that takes people away from politics and news at this most difficult of times and encourages them to get out and enjoy nature and wildlife. I applaud it and I’m very proud to be a part of it.’

For more info, visit create-away. com. For details on how to enter our competition, visit dailymail.co.uk/ wildlifecompetition. For tickets to Poirot And More – A Retrospective, visit atgtickets.com.