One of the obvious advantages to working, predominantly, close to home is that I have regular contact with my subjects and in doing so puts me in the position of visiting the location regularly and at the drop of a hat, when conditions are favourable. I was out for a stroll on a favourite part of the North Downs just 10 minutes from where I live at the end of last month. Fragrant, bee and man orchids had all gone over and, in their place, pyramidals were in abundance as were burnet moths and marbled white butterflies. It had been a long time since I photographed the latter but with so many present and so close to where I live it seemed the perfect opportunity to catch up with them.
Photography was carried out at dawn and dusk when not only are they easier to get close to but conditions are more akin to how I wanted to portray them. Upon arrival, a low mist hugged the hills and spider’s webs festooned in dew linked grass stems and as I departed at dusk, the mist would slowly return with just the bark of a fox from a nearby copse breaking the silence.
