A decade of photography

The end of a year is always a good time for reflection, to look back on our images and think about what has worked and what hasn’t. So as we approach the end of 2019 and hover on the verge of a new decade it seems like a good time to think about the direction my photography has taken over the last 10 years. I was also inspired by others on social media who have compiled their 10 favourite images from the decade.

My images aren’t necessarily my favourites, but they do tell the story of my photographic journey, of what has inspired me and where I think my photography is heading as we move into 2020.

I will begin with this image from 2010. It was taken not long after we moved to Ramsholt on the River Deben and was one of the most magical mornings I have had in Suffolk. The snow was fresh and pristine and I was the first person to walk out to the church that morning. I feel this image sums up my photography in 2010, it was the first year I had thought about photography seriously and I was keen to capture a different side to Suffolk other than the usual popular viewpoints.

My second image from 2011 was taken on the River Deben at the ‘Rocks’ on a September morning. I loved the way the geese formed a line with the boat and felt this really captured the essence of the Deben, a waterway that has had strong sailing connections for centuries but is still wild at heart.

My third image from 2012 was the first image I ever sold commercially so it has a special place in my heart. It was also the view from the bottom of my garden and one that I will never tire of. I spent a lot of time wandering the banks of the Deben in those days and it is an area that really shaped my photography at the time.

By 2013 my life very much revolved around the water. I had bought an 1897 Dutch sailing barge and had started to get really interested in yacht photography. Suffolk is well known for its traditional sailing boats – its Thames barges and oyster smacks and these links are celebrated every year on the Orwell with the Pin Mill smack and barge races. 2013 was the first year I covered these races properly. I was lucky enough to get out on the water in gusty conditions and had the most amazing morning’s photography.

My love of sailing and yacht photography continued into 2014 and whilst covering the Classic Regatta in Harwich Harbour I managed to take this image of a container ship pulling out from its berth just as one of the classic yachts rushed past me. This was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time (and having eyes in the back of my head!)

My choice for 2015 is an image I made at the Tide Mill in Woodbridge in the blue hour just after the sun had set. It was the most amazing calm evening and the reflections were fantastic. This image was one of many taken in 2015 that were sold commercially within Suffolk and signalled the start of my love affair with greetings cards and calendars.

2016 was the year that my photography became more commercially focused. I relented and began to shoot images of popular landmarks which I used to design my cards and calendars. I started to attend fairs, held exhibitions and built up a range of lovely stockists along the Suffolk Coast. I have therefore chosen an image of Southwold Pier to represent my photography form 2016.

My choice for 2017 is a picture of the super moon rising over the outfall towers at Sizewell beach. I wanted to choose an image that was synonymous with Suffolk but not necessarily the usual iconic shot. These towers are not especially attractive structures but in the moonlight, covered in cormorants I think they have a unique and magical beauty.

2018 was the year of the ‘Beast from the East’; the blizzards that blew in from the north sea and changed the landscape of the Suffolk Coast for a few days. On the day I took this shot I had decided to walk to Shingle Street from Hollesley. It wasn’t snowing when I left home but by the time I arrived at Shingle Street the clouds had blown in, the wind picked up and the snow had begun to fall. I had no shelter and at one point the coastguard cottages completely disappeared in a whiteout, but the walk was worth it just to see this stretch of beach as I had never seen it before.

And so to 2019. I have chosen an image of Westleton Heath for my image from this year, not because it is my favourite necessarily but because I feel it signifies where my photography is heading. I am drawn to the wild landscapes, to tell the story of the environment and to show what diversity and beauty are out there if you just go and explore.