We walk and we're free

22 March 2021

(Please click on the first image to enlarge)

About

This documentary photography style project was conceptualised and created as a submission for an assignment for members of the Creativity Beyond the Camera Club during one of the UK COVID-19 Lockdown’s in early 2021.

The concept for this project came easily as walking in nature is a meaningful part of my everyday life. This is something that was restricted during the Lockdowns though I’m blessed with working outside and have the pleasure of dogs’ company during some of my wanders around my local woods.

Walking has been integral to my everyday being since I was young. Finding open space to breathe and take in the beauty of the earth and wildlife was something I sought every day from when I was allowed to walk to school on my own. I've never stopped since then.

In this project my intention was to explore the sensory experiences of moving through nature. I have the pleasure of a number of dogs' company and we move together. The dogs in the images are my good friends Monty, Lottie, Oscar, Betty or Norri.

I approached gathering the material for this project organically since this is how I also approach the act of moving through nature. This is why there’s a mix of stills and ICM images. This facilitated conveying a sense of motion, continuity, and flow in the project, which's also akin to my sensory experiences of walking with the dogs in the woods.

The words were written at the time images as I walked, which’s something I do often by recording text into a phone app that picks up audio. The process of doing involved doing small prints of all the material gathered, choosing which to include and structuring these on the floor in my lounge. Not all the words were written at the same time as the image structured alongside, though this was necessary to organise everything into a linear and cohesive whole.

Update (March 2022): I’m currently in the process of producing of a mini zine of some of the material for sale later this year. Please subscribe to my mailing list if you like this project and would like to be updated.

Thanks for reading and do get in touch if you have any feedback.