Tag Archives: monochrome


Print tests


Paper tests. If you still miss rummaging through the stationery in Woolworths, pay a visit to Shepherds Bookbinders in Victoria. More paper stocks than you can dream about! Uncoated and not meant for inkjet printers, but some produce lovely soft-tone monochrome images. But make sure you test ;-).

Beth Chatto


Very sad to hear that Beth Chatto, nurserywoman, author and one of the most influential horticulturists of recent times, has died, aged 94. Her belief in natural planting, working with nature in local environments has been of great significance to modern gardening. I was lucky enough to photograph her a few times in her garden in Essex, and these portraits were taken in 2008. Each meeting started with a cup of tea, and her quiet nature and small stature always hid her great significance in the gardening world. From the series 43 Gardeners Hands, which was part of the International […]

River Thames footpath


Rev Richard Coles, presenter on BBC Radio Four’s Saturday Live, once described the plastic bags suspended along the roadside on his drive home as looking like “Unfortunate wraiths snagged in trees”. Sadly a common feature along the River Thames. More ‘wildling’ trees along the Thames footpath near Mortlake. A ‘wildling’ Plane tree growing out of the cobbled embankment along the River Thames between Chiswick and Kew.  

Plastic bag in tree, Mortlake

John Brookes


I was sad to hear last week that John Brookes, the renowned garden designer, has died aged 84. For those non-gardeners reading this post, he also wrote many books on the subject and received an MBE for Garden Design and services to horticulture in 2004. A portrait of John from the Gardeners’ Hands project in 2008.  

Elements


Elements – botanical studies from the archive Tulip with petals on black background, 11.3.10 Intermediate Chrysanthemum petals on black background, 15.3.10 Rose with petals on black background, 19.3.10 Tulip petals on black background, 9.3.10 Echinops ritro seed-head on black background, 4.3.10 Echinops ritro leaves on black background, 4.3.10    

Winter colour and texture


Winter colour and texture, 2.3.18 – Castanea sativa or sweet chestnut. The bark of a sweet chestnut is quite distinctive, and often looks like a cloth draped over branches as it spirals upwards. Winter colour and texture, 2.3.18 – frozen pond Winter colour and texture, 2.3.18 – Wild flower seed heads in snow Winter colours and textures, 28.2.18 – Eucalyptus glaucescens, or Tingiringi gum Winter colours and textures, 28.2.18 – Hamamelis mollis ‘Nymans’ or witch hazel. These always look far too delicate for winter but seem to tolerate anything the British weather throws at them. Winter colours and textures, 28.2.18 […]