The photography that I practice takes place in a specific time and place, depicting real moments in people’s lives. In some ways I think of myself as a historian, but not of the word. History is most often written from a distance, and rarely from the viewpoint of those who endured it.¹

I investigate the natural habitat around us, the plants we see on walks and the hidden elements that the naked eye cannot see. The concept of hidden beauty is both aesthetically striking and structurally life-giving. I document a route that I walk in the New Forest, using plants and vegetation that catch my eye as a guide to lead me. In these images, I consider texture, structure, shapes, and patterns, both external and internal, as a way to challenge the usual perspective of plants and provide a new perspective. Seeing their beauty in a new form, I use distortion, abstraction and exploration of mixed media to create a new perspective of this world.

Similarly to how Chris Killip goes to the same place, I visit the New Forest, a place I have been going to for many years. Where his work documents people and their stories, I look at the plants and vegetation. The idea of projection is a process I explore in different formats, using it to tell a story of a different world within the plants and as a metaphor for how our mind works and builds ideas. I also capture moments of how I respond to the environment along my journey, the local vegetation on the path, the feel of the air, the smells, and the sounds.