Welcome to the Forest (2024)

Handmade book from Ilford Pearl multigrade paper

The series ‘Welcome to the Forest‘ delves into the liminal spaces of the forest during the evening and night. Using a Canon A1 with 35mm Ilford black and white HP5 film, capturing the mysterious essence of the woods that is known so well during the day, but which transforms into something entirely different under the cover of darkness. Inspired by Eugene Atget’s photographs of trees and his talent for capturing places in their unseen moments,  venture into the forest after dusk, driven by a desire to reveal what is hidden from our daily view. These photographs are a testament to the forest’s otherworldly presence, presenting an uncanny and almost mystical depiction of the familiar transformed by the night. Aimed to document the unseen, explore the boundaries of perception and reality, and uncover the stories that the forest whispers when no one is around. This results in a collection that is both intimate and eerie, where the combination of flash and lighting creates a landscape that is both known and unknowable. Each photograph is presented in an A5 artist book, lined with eco-printed fabric using windfall leaves from the forest. This choice of presentation is a nod to the organic connection between the images and their source. Through this series, viewers are invited to step into the forest’s liminal space and experience its quiet, unseen beauty as I have, alone in the night.