The photograph that changed my life
Westonbirt Arboretum has held a special place in my life for many years. I never grow tired of it. For me, as a professional photographer and writer, it’s a magical place full of inspiration.
I have been coming here since the mid eighties and although I have visited hundreds of times, I can honestly say there is always something new to discover.
I am still excited each year when early rhododendrons and magnolias herald the onset of spring and I can look forward to the mass eruption of flowers and tender new leaves which follow. I love the sweet scent of lime blossom on the summer air, when the downland is bright with wild flowers. There are always new berries and fantastical seeds to find in autumn, all against a backdrop of extraordinary primary colours. Snow brings a mystical silence and special beauty to the arboretum, where winter flowers bloom bright, like mahonia with its delicious fragrance and delicate witch-hazels.
One glorious autumn, the evening light turned a Blue Atlas Cedar so blue it was stunning and I was lucky enough to capture the moment on film. Little did I know at the time that this picture would change my life. I sent it off to House & Garden Magazine, along with a series of shots from Acer Glade, and was delighted when they not only published the pictures but also commissioned me to write a feature to accompany them.
First of all World Magazine
asked to use it and
commissioned me to
write and illustrate a
further feature about the
arboretum. Then Country
Living Magazine did the
same. It was used in a
book about the making
of the British countryside
which I photographed
and co-authored with
Professor David Bellamy,
called Wilderness Britain
– a green print for the
future. This book came to
the attention of Kodak,
who commissioned me to
design, write and provide
the photographs for the
1994 International Kodak
Calendar which had an
environmental theme. The
Blue Atlas Cedar took pride
of place in October.
My career as a
photographer and writer
grew out of this one
shot, which gave me the
courage to earn a living
as a photo-journalist, as
each new commission
opened the door to new
opportunities. I want to
say thank you for all that
the trees of Westonbirt
have done for me. I will be
eternally grateful to that
Blue Atlas Cedar for
kick-starting my career
and I still look forward to
every new visit to
the arboretum.
Share your autumn
snaps with us on
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