Mystery snapper Villager Jim loves brightening people’s days

He’s one of the UK’s most exciting new photographers... but nobody knows who he is.
The picture of Jims black labrador relaxing which has been viewed millions of times in America.The picture of Jims black labrador relaxing which has been viewed millions of times in America.
The picture of Jims black labrador relaxing which has been viewed millions of times in America.

The mysterious snapper, known only as Villager Jim, spends his dawns and dusks out in the fields of the Peak District capturing breathtaking images like the ones in this slideshow.

Dubbed the Banksy of the photographic world, Jim – if that is his real name – has amassed a legion of followers on the social networking site Facebook where he showcases his stunning landscape and wildlife pictures.

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Speaking exclusively to the Derbyshire Times, Jim said he took on a cloak of anonymity after getting too much attention for his work – in the pub!

The picture of Jims black labrador relaxing which has been viewed millions of times in America.The picture of Jims black labrador relaxing which has been viewed millions of times in America.
The picture of Jims black labrador relaxing which has been viewed millions of times in America.

He explained: “It all started when I published a book of photos and gave it to my local pub so that walkers and visitors could sit with their pints and look through it.

“It became hugely popular but as people read it they would return to the front cover and say ‘who is this guy?’ and my landlord would point at me and say ‘it’s him!’

“Then 20 minutes of questions from the lovely pubgoers would ensue and I found myself not able to sit and have a quiet pint!

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“So I had a word with the landlord and Villager Jim was born – we have great fun telling people in the pub that nobody knows who he is.

“This is fabulous for me as I can sit next to them anonymously listening to their comments which is exquisite fun.

“Their feedback is always fantastic.”

Jim said he got into photography after he moved to Foolow and bought a camera to capture the village’s “utterly amazing” wildlife.

He added: “Over the last six years I’ve learned where more than 20 owls live in my area and every morning I go along this route to see how they all are.

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“I swear many of them know me and don’t fly off so fast as they used to!”

An image of Jim’s own dog, a black labrador reclining on a red leather sofa, has gone viral in America and has been viewed more than five million times.

Jim, who won the BBC’s Springwatch photo contest with a spectacular shot of a mother starling feeding her baby, added: “I love capturing special moments and sharing them with people – it really brightens their days.”

• Find out more about Villager Jim at www.villagerjim.com and www.facebook.com/VillagerJim