About

I have worked as a professional photographer, writer and tutor since 2004 and the last five years have been spent creating high-quality images of locations and subjects throughout the British Isles. Although, my main expertise lies in documenting geological formations and natural habitats, I am also interested in architecture, historical monuments and religious culture. Throughout this time I have been fortunate enough to be involved with some exciting commissions, including the opportunity to write and illustrate two books: "The Peak District", published in 2008 and "Light and Shadow - The Art of Landscape Photography".

Having grown up surrounded by art, I was inspired to make images from an early age. The countryside near my home that I spent so much time wandering, with my head in the clouds, has left a permanent impression on me. Nature’s patterns have always fascinated me and from a young age I avidly drew trees and botanical details. These influences combined with my awareness of environmental issues set me on the path to becoming a landscape photographer.

However, it was not always going to be so as for a while I seriously entertained the idea of pursuing a degree in plant biology, having always been intrigued by the structures and functions of organisms. After much soul-searching I realised that my passion for visual creativity was so important that I had to see where it would lead.

With this in mind, I went onto university with the intention of becoming a painter. However, while studying for my degree in Interactive Arts the photography that had always been a hobby (initiated by my grandfather in my early teens) finally took over my life. I began using cameras to record impressions of the natural world, learning how to work with ambient light to reveal the landscape’s form and to create evocative atmospheres.

You could say that light is an obsession of mine and I have spent a good deal of time learning about it, from its behaviour in relation to camera optics, to how it determines our perception of the world, and its impact on us both physically and emotionally. The variable qualities of natural light never cease to surprise me and photography is the most wonderfully direct medium for recording these changes.

Landscape photography is such an unpredictable activity, entirely dependent upon the external forces of the weather, bringing both frustration and exhilaration. I find myself alternating between periods of meditative awareness and frenzied bouts of hyperactivity as the light resolves itself into all-to-often fleeting perfection. These special moments then dissolve back into long spells of waiting, observation, making notes and keeping my fingers crossed...