Living in and around the North Wessex Downs, we are incredibly blessed with some beautiful countryside – rolling hills, sculptural carved glacial valleys with evocative names such as Crowhole Bottom, extensive vistas across the Vale of White Horse, East to the Chiltons and south to Hampshire. The land has been shaped by thousands of years of mans presence – modern farming has resulted in fields unbroken by hedge leaving a landscape at times that looks barren and sterile. It is these landscapes that I started out to photograph. Typically opting for dull days with the flat blanket grey light of the English winter, which seemed to reflect the industrialised nature of the land, I set out to take photographs that were seemingly devoid of detail. But, as I was working I had time to reflect on those parts of the North Wessex downs which are stunningly beautiful and in many respects, far more challenging for a landscape photographer.

I’m not one for following the landscape photographers rules so many of these were taken at all times of the day – only on the odd occasion did I specifically seek the alpenglow with which to warm and figure the land.

This work resulted in a sole exhibition in 2013 and a selection of it is published here.