THE JOURNAL
Behind the lens
Stories from the field, ideas for your interior and a closer look at the extraordinary world of macro nature photography.
Silver Birch Bark — the Tree That Reveals Itself Slowly
There is a particular kind of beauty that only appears after something has been through difficulty. The silver birch trees in the woods near Welwyn have taught me that more clearly than almost anything else I have photographed. Many of them have come down — cut back, fallen in high winds, left where they landed. And in falling, they have become more interesting than they ever were standing.
How to Style Abstract Nature Prints in a Neutral Interior
There is a particular kind of wall that suits abstract photography well. Not a blank one — a considered one. A wall that has been given one thing to say and has been allowed to say it clearly. If you have ever stood in a kitchen or a dining room and felt that something was missing without being able to name it, there is a reasonable chance the answer was a single, well-chosen print.
Why I Only Shoot Macro — and What It Taught Me About Seeing
Nearly fifteen years ago I held a camera lens backwards against my camera body, held it in place, and pointed it at a piece of bark. I didn't have a macro lens. I barely had a system. What I had was curiosity, a forum post explaining the reverse lens technique, and no real expectation of what might happen. What came back through the viewfinder stopped me completely. Detail I had never noticed — texture, colour, structure — sitting right there on a surface I had walked past a thousand times. I have been chasing that feeling ever since.