Nature Unlocked

Nature

After years of travelling, and eventually settling in Devon, I immersed myself in the landscape, the camera became a tool to connect, an eye to see and a way to belong.  The result is a striking collection of image-moments, from our local landscape and the natural world on the edge of Dartmoor.

Of my work I say: “Like all photographers I look at that ‘decisive moment’ when a scene makes my mind clear away clutter and emotionally engage with the image. Sometimes it is a ‘wow’ moment like being winded but often it’s a contemplative moment that makes me reflective and happy to just be. In all my past years of travelling, doing and observing, I must have taken billions of shots in my mind’s eye.  Now is my time to print and share again what I see and, more importantly, feel about a sense of belonging.”

Artist’s Statement

Nearly all of these photographs were taken in the last 15 months covering the 3 lock downs in my local area. Walking down the empty lane from my house to Fingle Gorge I was very conscious of the stress caused by the pandemic and the upheaval the world was experiencing. Conversely, the surrounding nature thrived, being immediately apparent that it was impervious of our human plight. The absence of noise and people’s interference in the woods made me see and hear nature like I was experiencing it for the first time.  Similar to being at sea or in high mountains , this local natural landscape made me focus, more than ever before, on simple sights that we take for granted. Anything from a small insect and rushing water to busy birds and the empty woods, nature seemed to be, for a change, dominant in all our lives.

The quintessential English landscape is dominated by the human hand. Mostly cultivated fields, roads and plenty of buildings occupy the vista where ever you look these days. Only the firmament and the weather is out of our control and of course there’s the possibility that our human super species may eventually change that too? That’s another story, but for the time being nature seems to be on everybody’s lips and hopefully the past 15 months will be a wake up call for us to provoke a more mindful approach for natures and our own future.

I don’t strive for technical perfection or even look for interesting subjects, its more the emotion in the image I am after. Working this way I can feel more creative and the results become a soothing mental tonic. Every one of these images has a story to tell, from the dramatic sunsets to the damp woods, it’s my way of inheriting the spirit of the landscape.