So cold, freezing temperatures mean the garden is suffering, even the brussel sprouts are looking sad. But, after a surreal autumn, getting out the Hasselblad again was a treat, even with frozen fingertips.

Winter in Northumberland strips the garden back to its bare bones but it is an opportunity to get to know those bones and structure to be able to flesh it out in springtime.

As a social documentary and portrait photographer, it is also necessary to dig to the bare bones of anything I photograph. Understanding the subject matter or the sitter is fundamental to good storytelling.

 

On a sunny February day the couple were visiting from their home in France to make plans for their wedding this summer.

A lovely relaxed and casual shoot, in The Photographers Garden.

New Year, new hopes. My seeds arrive.

Apple chutney with a touch of padron, delicious.

Simple things make fabulous food.

A photography workshop in September helped me to plan the itinerary for next years classes.  We began the morning with a discussion over coffee to understand camera settings, into the garden for some practise returning to the kitchen for lunch comprising of some food from the garden.

The weather was beautiful so we spent most of the afternoon in and around the garden, finishing with coffee and conversation. A really lovely day.

Gooseberry chutney, fresh fruit, salads, rhubarb gin…

 

Courgettes and Parmesan soup, with a hint of padron peppers.

Vegetables are coming out of the garden now, such a fabulous feeling. Although there is still such a long way to go, such a lot to learn, lots of mistakes to make…

The beds are filling up with flowers and vegetables, the wooden frames around the beds are doing their job and I have tonnes of bark chips to lay on the pathways. My basic ideas are becoming visible.