2
Jul
2019
Earth Photo 2019

“You have to be in it to win it” – how many times do you say that to yourself and so put time, effort and finance into a project and nothing comes of it? But then another well-known saying comes to mind “all things come to those who wait”…. Well my good artist friend Rosie Burns tipped me off on a competition, leading to an exhibition, which she suggested I should enter as she felt it was perfect for the body of photographs I was working on. It was Earth Photo 2019 organised by Parker Harris and with the biggest sponsors/stakeholders being the Royal Geographical Society and also Forestry England.

I felt the wild woodland I have been immersing myself in over the last couple of years in North Devon might be appreciated by Forestry England and that my exploratory way of working might turn a few heads in the RGS who will be used to following the exploits of world travellers exploring similar terrain far from civilisation.
I was delighted to have 3 images selected for the exhibition from the 10 that I had submitted to it. But ecstatic that my photograph of an old hedge won the category Changing Forests!
Coincidently I had planned a photo trip back to Dolton for the day after the private view. I re-visited the location of the now ‘famous’ (in your dreams Dave) hedge because I was curious now to see what kind of tree it had become. In the warm light of day it was curious to see just how un-photogenic it was. Even close up it was hard to say just what had attracted me so in April of last year. Most of the old hedge was hazel but interestingly there was one branch of hawthorn too!
The exhibition Earth Photo 2019 opens on Saturday 6th July at the Royal Geographical Society and simultaneously at Fineshade Woods in Northants. The photographs and films are amazing so go and see it if you can: selected images for Earth Photo 2019