The representation of the rural has been an enduring interest. Over the years I have completed several large projects and continue to explore the visual representation of the land and people.

Much of contemporary landscape photography is about perfect images of pristine natural land devoid of human activity. This ideal view of landscape requires that no trace of human presence is visible as that would conflict with ideas of ‘natural’ beauty. The end result is the absence of people and a denial that the land is shaped by human activity. The only exception is the bucolic farmer tending sheep on the moors. It is not surprising that that few people really understand the work that goes on in the countryside.

My last project, “Quarried”, was an exhibition of large scale prints of the quarries and works associated with mineral extraction in North Derbyshire. My aim was to show our dependence on quarried minerals and to highlight the irony that quarrying in the area is inevitable because of the limestone hills. The exhibition was shown at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery early in 2016.

My current project aims to use photography to put people back into the landscape.