Eric John Hosking

Who was Eric John Hosking?

Eric John Hosking OBE was an English photographer noted for his bird photography.

Hosking was born in London. Although he pioneered several techniques for bird photography, during the first 10 years of his photography career, Hosking was not successful in being published. His breakthrough came after news coverage of an accident when Hosking was attacked by a tawny owl during a photo shoot, resulting in the loss of his left eye. The coverage launched Hosking to fame, creating a market for his bird photographs.

Hosking's most famous image is Barn Owl with Prey of 1936. His most widely read book is An Eye for a Bird, his autobiography published in 1970. Hosking was one of a few photographers who were able to earn a living by taking images only of birds.

Hosking was president of the Nature Photographic Society, vice president of the British Ornithologists' Union, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the British Naturalists' Association and honorary vice president of the Royal Photographic Society. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the RSPB in 1974, and received an OBE in 1977 for his natural history photography and work in conservation.