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Tree textures.

Get close enough to a tree and it stops being a tree. The bark becomes a landscape of its own, scarred, patterned, marked by everything that has happened to it. These are portraits of surfaces.

21 images · prints available

Close-up of tree bark showcasing a rich texture and colours. The left side features dark green moss growing amidst rough, weathered bark with small holes. The right side reveals a reddish-brown, exposed inner layer of wood, creating a vivid contrast with the mossy exterior.
Reliance
Close-up of a tree trunk exhibiting peeling bark in shades of brown, beige, and green. The rough texture, with layers curling away to form horizontal strips. Moss adds a touch of green to the earthy tones amidst the beauty of wildflowers.
Torn
Close-up of a tree trunk with distinctive eye-shaped patterns in the bark, nestled within the tranquil woodlands. The texture is rough, with vertical streaks of dark sap or moisture running down the greyish surface. The eyes appear slightly raised, detailed crevices adding depth and character.
Tearful II
Close-up of a cross-section of a tree trunk, showcasing detailed growth rings and deep cracks. The wood texture is prominent, with shades of brown, green, and gold. The cracks form an irregular pattern, illustrating the natural ageing process.
Fracture
Close-up of a tree trunk with textured bark featuring vertical grooves. The colour of the bark ranges from muted green to dark brown, with a prominent darker area resembling an abstract shape in the centre. Dappled light enhances its texture and depth.
Sabre
Close-up of the surface of a tree bark in the forest, featuring a face-like pattern. The texture includes smooth and rough areas, with a prominent vertical crack resembling a nose and horizontal lines suggesting eyes and a mouth. The bark's colour varies in shades of brown and grey.
Camouflaged
Close-up of a textured wooden surface with deep cracks. The wood showcases rich shades of brown, green, and hints of blue, with a weathered appearance. The irregular pattern accentuates the natural grain and rough texture. Light and shadows enhance the details.
Fault Line
Close-up of a textured surface resembling molten lava, with deep reddish-brown hues and flowing patterns. Bright, golden-yellow clusters appear scattered, contrasting with the darker background, evoking a sense of organic movement and geological activity, reminiscent of intricate fungi formations.
Growth
Close-up of a tree trunk with vivid green and brown hues. The textured bark, aged with vertical grooves and lines, hosts subtle traces of fungi as light plays across its surface, highlighting the rich colour contrast and intricate patterns.
Beech Lichen
Close-up of a textured tree bark with swirling and cracked patterns. The bark exhibits deep grooves and ridges, enhanced by contrasting shades of purple and blue, giving it an almost surreal appearance. The intricate details add a dynamic and abstract quality to the image.
Scars
Close-up of a tree trunk with peeling bark. The bark comprises a mixture of white and dark brown patches, with numerous curled strips peeling away to reveal deeper layers. The texture is rough and uneven, with both smooth and ragged edges creating a striking natural pattern.
Peeling
Close-up of a tree trunk with a textured surface. The bark displays an eye-shaped pattern with dark streaks resembling tears, adding depth to the image. Shades of green to brown enhance its natural, weathered appearance.
Tearful I
Close-up of a textured surface with dark vertical lines resembling water stains running down. The surface appears rough, with a mix of dark green and brown tones, suggesting moss or algae. Natural irregularities and subtle colour variations add depth and interest to the image.
Streams
Close-up of a tree bark with intricate, textured patterns typical of woodlands. The surface displays a mix of earthy tones—browns, greys, and hints of green—creating a rugged appearance. It's perfect for woodland photography enthusiasts who appreciate the grooves forming a wavy, layered effect.
Folded
Close-up of a tree bark with two large, dark circular patterns resembling eyes. The textured bark showcases shades of brown and grey with patches of moss. These patterns captivate, highlighting the natural details and imperfections on the tree's surface.
Goggley Eyed
Close-up of a tree trunk in the woods, where rough, peeling bark reveals textured layers beneath. The dark brown bark features patches of lighter grey and off-white, with deep grooves and ridges. This natural tapestry captures the essence of the woodlands beautifully.
Disembarking
Close-up of a tree bark in the woodlands, showcasing its rough, textured surface with peeling layers. Shades of brown and grey intertwine with subtle hints of green moss, while wildflowers add a touch of colour nearby. The image captures the intricate details and natural patterns in the forest.
Etching
Close-up of a piece of weathered tree bark in the woodlands, showing intricate, swirling patterns and deep grooves. The texture is rough, with varying shades of grey and brown, highlighting its natural, aged appearance. Small holes and cracks add depth to the organic design.
Vortex
Close-up of a weathered tree bark showcasing intricate textures alongside patches of fungi. The bark varies in colour from dark brown to light grey and beige, with deep grooves and knotted areas creating a rugged, natural appearance. The lighting highlights the contours and details beautifully.
Battlescars
Green leaves sprout from the textured bark of a tree. The bark exhibits a rich pattern of grooves and ridges in brown and grey tones, while the vibrant green leaves create a striking contrast. This picture is perfect for forest enthusiasts seeking nature's intricate beauty.
Neon Green
Close-up of two tree trunks with rough, textured bark. The left trunk is dark brown with lichen patches, whilst the right is lighter with streaks of green moss, featuring patterns and irregularities that suggest a dense, natural forest setting.
Interplay

A tree carries its whole life on its surface. Every scar, burr and split is a record of something, a lost branch, a hard winter, a slow argument with the weather. Photographed close, that surface becomes abstract, all texture and pattern, and the tree as a whole disappears. What is left is just the marks.

I have spent a lot of time looking at bark. Long enough to start seeing faces in it, the knots and old wounds that arrange themselves into something almost like expression. The oldest trees seem to look back. That is not a thing you notice from a distance. You have to stand close, and stay a while.

These were made in ordinary woodland, often when the wider scene gave me nothing and the only thing worth photographing was a foot of trunk in good side light. No travel, no drama. Just looking closely at something most people lean against without seeing.

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Where were these photographs taken?

In ordinary woodland close to home, across Hertfordshire and the surrounding counties. Bark is the one subject that is always available. Every tree is covered in it, and no two patches are the same.

Why photograph bark and tree surfaces?

Because a tree's surface holds its whole history, and photographed closely it becomes abstract, pattern and texture rather than a recognisable tree. The longer I look, the more the old marks start to resemble faces, which is a thread I have followed into a body of work of its own.

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

Stand close enough, and stay long enough, and the oldest trees begin to look back at you.

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