PHILOSOPHY | Flower Garden Photos

Light can transform the mundane

Philosophy

I work with natural light; I am drawn to it, and it is what usually captures my attention first. Light has the ability to transform something unassuming to the remarkable. I love how gentle-natural light portrays the delicacy of flowers; the two are poetic.

I am constantly looking at light, where it is coming from, how it is affecting a subject. I love how natural, subtle light compliments florals and gardens, especially during the golden hour that follows sunrise or precedes sunset, and when gifted thin, white diffusing cloud.

Dicentra spectabilis (Lamprocapnos) - Bleeding Heart, Barnsdale Gardens

The joy of analogue-photography

Film is unique, timeless, organic, tactile and so very rewarding to work with.By working with retro film cameras, images have character and soul. I love how film makes me slow things down, and be absorbed in a moment.

The poetry of photography

When a subject speaks to me, I will take a photograph of it. I seek to convey what I feel in a way that means something to me.

Notes of light, sounds, aromas, a breeze as it animates a flower, colour, shape & form influence my interpretation. Being in the present and totally immersed in the process is profoundly moving and visceral. I am in love with all aspects of photography, I delight in the process and savour every second, just as one would over a fine wine.

Creative Methodology

The point of focus is the natural beauty of a flower or garden. I won't get hung up over rules such as the rule of thirds, nor the kit I use; I would not be giving my all to creativity otherwise. I allow my heart and the subject to guide me, and place faith in my eye.

I strive for authenticity. I want my work to reflect how we see the world through the naked eye. My images are as created in camera without alteration or enhancement, and the colours are as true to life as they can be all thanks to film.

I love the freedom that comes from holding a camera in my hands, as opposed to connecting it to a tripod. It it tactile, fluid, organic, and therefore, without distraction.