Simon was born in North Yorkshire and has spent more than 30 years seeking adventures within the national park. His passion for photography was rediscovered after a back injury in 2012 led him to being a proud dog owner in 2014. He has since devoted much of his time to discovering rarely trodden woodlands where he can be immersed in nature and enjoy a state of child-like imagination and curiosity with his labradoodle, Meg, by his side.
Discovering the therapeutic benefits of photographing local woodland has been a profound and life-changing experience for Simon. The North York Moors are home to some beautiful pockets of wild woodland, each of them offering a sense of mystery, wonder, and stories waiting to be told. Making sense of visual complexity, soaking up the atmosphere, breathing in the smells, and admiring the wildlife is deeply immersive and restorative.
Photographing the aspects of nature that bring Simon the greatest joy ensures his photography is very much a part of him, a personal expression, and offers the deepest sense of creative fulfilment: co-creation with the subject of his fascination. In this manner photography is relational and has drawn him into a closer union with nature and its needs.
