T R E E //

• WINNER IN THE LANDSCAPE CATEGORY OF THE SONY WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS / Link here

This photographic project was born out of the UK Covid 19 lockdowns and the ensuing impact upon my work as a freelance portrait photographer. Inspired in part by my home county of Wiltshire, where the distinctive landscape features many knolls with lone or small groves of trees raised above the horizon line. Unable to photograph human subjects, I turned my attention to my love of trees. I wondered if it was possible to photograph these quiet giants in a unique way. I chose to photograph against dawn or dusk skies and lit the trees with the assistance of drones to create an otherworldly impression of my grand subjects.

As lockdowns took hold, so did this project. I started looking into every field and up every hill I passed with a view for potential aesthetically interesting scenes. Reading more about trees further connected me to my subjects as I learned about the mycelium network and the abundance of life each tree supports. I felt humbled to spend time with these elder beings and wonder what adventures and escapades they have witnessed during their lives. 

Lighting the trees from above was visually enchanting. Tilting the light source just a fraction one way or another gave each tree a completely different atmosphere and personality. While many people discovered the joys of walking in nature during the past two years, I rarely met anyone once the sun had set and it was often just me, the trees and the darkness, which was an experience that at first terrified me but with time I began to relish.