Annie Berrington of 'Get Out More' Forest School asked if I was interested in shooting images for a 'wellbeing trail' set in Longley Woods, just outside the centre of Huddersfield. I knew of the woods, but had never explored them despite growing up only a couple of miles away. So I jumped at the chance (...also knowing I could also catch up for a brew with my Mum). Annie mailed through the trail details and the script; simple but engaging & very much of it's time with mindfulness & nature at it's core. Eventually the February weather settled and on our second attempt we managed to meet up so Annie could walk me round the trail. Any wood or forest is the sum of it's parts, so the brief was very much to capture the detail of the trail whether in front of you, beneath your feet or high above your head. Stop, observe & ponder.
Left with my camera and a pair of wellies, I spent the next hour or so walking the trail, taking in the last ravages of Winter, the early signs of Spring and some of the man-made features that remain in the wood, left over from the original Ramsden estate who built much of Huddersfield in the nineteenth century.
Back at the starting stile, reviewing my images, the skies darkened and as my Mum would say, it began siling down...
The Designer Debby Fulgoni has done a terrific job, with a fitting selection of images and a different tint to each spread. Heavyweight paper with a slight texture and a matt finish work perfectly for the subject.
...and a few of my favourites from the original shoot -
If you're in or around the Huddersfield area, pick up a guide and go take a look at the trail.
If you have a smart phone, you'll also see QR code boards to help you along your way.
Thanks for reading.