I’d driven past this field first thing in the morning on my way to work, so it was a race to get back to it before the light had gone. Fortunately it was during that heavenly spell of warm sunshine last week and the conditions couldn’t have been better. Thankfully a lay-by was perfectly positioned opposite the entrance, though it was a dash to cross the busy road during commuter time. Once there I was transported to the end of the summer… imagining I was in the south of France, how lovely that this sight is on my doorstep and in fact since then I’ve notice other smaller fields. The sunflowers were interplanted with linseed and I was imagining the spectacle at exactly the right time of day, linseed only opens when the sun is shining, so if you blink you could miss it depending on the weather.
Seeing these sunflowers took me back to my 3rd year at University where I did a series of black and white images of sunflowers, at the time I admired an incredible photographer called John Blakemore, whose work intrigued me and had a large influence on the work I created.
Such a colourful spread, though it has inspired me to experiment with black and white again.
If only I had a darkroom to enjoy the process as I used to, the excitement of watching your images come to life was very special. Right, studio and darkroom now on my wish list!
