The wilds of Dartmoor have always attracted me

It feels that parts of it are the last true wilderness in the South of England. There are areas where you should not go for a walk unless you have the right equipment and know how to navigate over rough country in bad weather.

But it is not just the wildness of the landscape, and hiking there in all weathers that attracts me. There is a mystery in the Tors, the rocky outcrops that help define the landscape of Dartmoor. And there are many signs of past life if you know where to look.

It is a landscape that I have always struggled to do justice to visually

I have made images of Dartmoor many, many times over the years. But they have never really worked for me. I always felt that I had failed to capture the essence of what I saw.

On a recent visit, this changed. I have been experimenting more with intentional camera movement. Waving my camera around has allowed me to capture scenes in a less literal way. It feels that making my scenes simpler (and in mono) has allowed me to create more space for imagination.

I am still finding my way. I am still exploring visual ideas. And I can see where I would have liked to approach things differently and how I could visualise ideas better next time. (I am already planning my next trip!) But I think that, finally, I am creating something worthwhile here. I can feel the bare bones of a project beginning to build.

I want to add words to my images

During my most recent visit the human element caught my eye much more than before. I never normally make images of human activity on Dartmoor, but this time was different. The ancient boundary stones with their intricate decoration, the peat crossing and the army installations as well as dry stone walls all featured in the work I made.

It struck me that the humanity of the past and the present is an essential part of Dartmoor. The landscape is saturated in stories of people. I want to reflect this element of the environment in words as well as writing. Whether it is a retelling of what has happened or something fictional has yet to be decided.

What about the output for this project?

Again, it is too early to say how this will look. However, I do know that it must be physical. Perhaps it will be a set of prints. Perhaps it will be a handmade book.

Having said that, I am intrigued by the idea of making some sort of video output as well…

Watch this space!

I wanted to write this to show you how a project is taking shape for me. It is early days, but I felt it important to share this before my ideas are fully formed. I hope it is useful to give you an idea of my thought processes that go into a project.

My plan is to update you as the project takes shape. I want to share the twists and turns, the development, the breakthroughs and the dead ends. And I would love to hear your thoughts on what I have revealed and suggestions on ways forward.

Are you creating or thinking of creating a project?

Sometimes it can be really useful to have input or a guiding hand from someone else. Remember that I offer mentoring calls that help you with challenges just like this. Find out more here.