Exercise 4.3: A subjective voice

Write an entry in your learning log (around 300 words) reflecting on any current and previous circumstances and experiences that you think may influence, or may have influenced, your view of the landscape. Describe how you think these factors might inform your ideas about landscape photography or related themes.

Born in 1964, I grew up in Wonersh, in Surrey. I recall it from some research at the time it was Ognersh in the 16^th Century but wiki tells me it was called Wonherche in the 14^th century. It felt good to live in small rural village, especially with history and mystery. The eldest of 4 boys with many cousins living within the same village it’s fair to say I had an active, fun, and adventurous upbringing and childhood.

I never had the distraction of computers, consoles and probably not even television. In the evenings possibly TV encroached and I recall favourites such as the Goodies, Two Ronnie, Blakes 7, Benny Hill and of course Dr Who.

As a youth and young teenager weekends were filled with sport and very much the exploration and fun that can be had living in the countryside. We would roam for miles, never felt scared or isolated and I was completely at ease with my surroundings and most definitely I had a sense of belonging.

My view of the landscape was and remains influenced by freedom that comes with space yet has connections, perhaps a sense of grounding, attachment and is one of space, freedom and exploration.

I currently live in the Forest of dean in a small village called Lydbrook. I’m 30 yards away from the woods/forest, another 30 yards into them and you won’t see a house. The seasons have a wonderful effect on the landscape and the light at different times of the day and also in the different seasons always creates a different look, a different feel.

My influences growing up and how they’ve developed my views of landscape now mean that landscape photography, more importantly my landscape photography needs to capture the feeling of space, ability to explore but somehow a sense of belonging. A picture of the same image at a different time in the day, on a different day in a different season show and reveal something different in the landscape, something not there yesterday, but here today.

Changes in the landscape can be subtle, and generally those of nature are. Changes can also be dramatic and these are normally man made changes. Capturing these changes both subtle and dramatic can be both beautiful and sublime. 

If we can consider how the landscape changes with the weather we have an endless combination of possibilities.

It would be interesting to try and capture images of the landscape that reflect my emotion or feeling at the time expressing emotion through photography.