PHOTOGRAPHIC AND BIOLOGICAL SERVICES

Dr Morley Read is a freelance biological consultant, stills photographer and cameraman resident in Ecuador and is available for contracts. For details contact him on:

craspedopus@yahoo.com

BSc. Hons First Class and PhD in Zoology from University of Wales, Bangor.

Considerable experience in rainforest biology, including 5 years in Trinidad and the Caribbean and 15 years in Ecuador.

 

Principal interest is herpetology, especially frogs, however I also have wide ranging interest in tropical ecology. The orchid on the left is Dracula morleyi, discovered in the Choco Region in Ecuador while Director of the Los Cedros Reserve in 1992.

Filmed for many TV documentaries, the latest being "Frogs the Movie" (Survival), I was able to film many detailed behavioural sequences of frog reproduction in the field (not in sets) such as Hyla boans spawning (right).

Also filmed and researched for: Living Planet, Big Oil, (BBC Bristol), Sexual Imperative, Camouflage and Mimicry (Partridge). Flames in the Forest (Ch 4) Iere Land of the Hummingbird (Pearl and Dean Caribbean Ltd).

 

A selection of my still images (35mm and 645) are shown on this page. Please contact Morley Read for details.

Images are also available from Science Photo Library and Nature Picture Library.

Archive of video footage shot in Ecuador on Hi8 and Mini DV, dating back to 1990 covering environmental issues, oil development, Indians, expeditions to remote parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon, biological surveys etc. Contact Morley Read for details,

Some footage is available from OSF Film Library.

Herpetologist on Rio Mazan Project, 1987-88, Principal herpetologist on Maxus-Ecuambiente Fauna Monitoring Project, Yasuni 1994-1996. Biologist on various EIA,s in the Amazon conducted for oil companies including CGC, Maxus, Elf and Oxy. EIA for New Quito Airport 2003. EIA's for mining company Ascendant 2004-5.

 

 

Specializes in rapid assessments of amphibian populations. Frog biodiversity can give important clues as to the overall biodiversity of the site as well as to the health of the ecosystem. Recently published audio CD "Frogs of the Ecuadorian Amazon, a Guide to their Calls".

Biological surveys and filming work often require visits to remote and difficult locations (left). I now prefer shooting on Mini DV, rather than 16mm because of its portable nature, enabling authentic natural history sequences to be captured in remote field conditions minimizing the need for artificial manipulation of behaviour in sets.

Equipment: Canon XL-1 with full range of lenses and accessories. Mac G4/Final Cut Pro based editing system. Also 16mm equipment based on Bolex EL.

Some frogs such as this Atelopus, (left) documented in my first surveys in Ecuador are now thought to be extinct. Click here to see these species.

Logistic support (transport, accommodation, permits, assistants, research etc.) is offered for film crews visiting Ecuador.

Photo on right was highly commended in 1991 BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition.
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