Close to home

As a photographer, one of the main challenges I find is to renew my sense of wonder in the world.  When you pass by the same sights day after day, it is easy to stop looking closely, to let it all pass under the radar. Familiarity all too often does breed contempt and none more so than in our immediate surroundings. Our eyes become dulled so we seek excitement in pastures new to stimulate our jaded senses. I have lived here in the country for over 17 years, walked the same walks, watched the seasons change and the landscape gradually alter over the year, and although I am still able to appreciate its natural beauty, I feel I have gradually stopped noticing things. In an effort to counter this, I have decided to embark on a series of walks within a five-mile radius of my home, photographs of which I will feature on the blog on a regular basis.

I am not intending this to be a straightforward documentary project, but more an attempt at evoking a sense of place and my relationship to it.  There will be no shots of spectacular landscapes or stunning sunsets, no picture postcard views or bright, saturated colours - it is easy enough to make pleasing images of such scenes but that is not what interests me. Let's face it, for much of the year the countryside can be rather dull - murky shades of green and brown under an overcast sky, muddy fields and dripping trees do not on the face of it make an obvious choice of subject matter but I am hoping that I will be able to find some inspiration out there!

Here are some images I took at the weekend on an extremely unpromising afternoon - cold, dull and with a light but persistent rain.  Yet some moments of quiet beauty and unexpected sights were still to be found....