Gallery
Ferns.
A fern is the same plant all year and never the same on any two days. It uncurls in spring, holds green through summer, burns copper in autumn, and collapses brown to the floor in winter. Most of the work is just turning up often enough to watch it change.
Ferns are one of the few woodland subjects I photograph right through the year. In spring the new fronds come up tightly coiled, like something not yet decided, and unwind over days into the familiar shape. By autumn the same plant has gone to rust and copper, lit from within when the low sun catches it. Nothing else in the wood changes quite so completely while staying so obviously itself.
That is why I keep photographing them. A single stand of bracken or a clump of fern in a damp corner will give you a different picture in April, July and October, and the spring uncurling in particular is one of those small events you only catch if you are already paying attention to the ground.
And in winter the same ferns lie flattened and brown on the floor, which most people walk past and I have come to find as worth photographing as the spring growth. There is no off-season with ferns, only a different version of the same plant.
These were all made in ordinary woodland near home, across the seasons. No travel, no rare species. Just the common ferns of the lowland counties, photographed often enough to know when they are about to turn.
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What is the best time of year to photograph ferns?
I photograph them through the year. Spring, when the new fronds uncurl over a few days and reward close attention. Summer, when they are simply green and you work the form rather than the moment. Autumn, when they turn copper and rust and glow in low light. And winter, when they collapse to the ground, brown and skeletal, which almost everyone walks past. There is no off-season, only different ferns to photograph.
Where were these photographs taken?
In ordinary woodland close to home, across Hertfordshire and the surrounding counties. Ferns are common and local, which is part of the appeal. You do not need to travel for them, only to return through the seasons.
Can I buy a print?
Yes. Most images here are available as limited edition fine art prints, produced on the highest quality archival papers in sizes suited to both homes and larger interiors. Prints are arranged directly with me, so get in touch and tell me which image and roughly what size you have in mind.
Do you run workshops in these woods?
I do. I teach one-to-one woodland photography workshops and online editing sessions across Hertfordshire and the surrounding ancient woodlands, shaped around your level and pace.
Can I commission woodland artwork for a space?
Yes. I make large-format woodland artwork to commission for hospitality, wellness and healthcare interiors, including whole-wall installations. Past commissions include work for Center Parcs. Find out more →
How often do you add new galleries?
The galleries grow as the work does. New images are added through the year as I edit recent sessions, so it is worth returning, or joining my newsletter to hear when something new goes up.
Take it further
The same fern, green in summer and copper by autumn. Most of this is just turning up to watch it change.
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