This mini feature showcases one of the eighteen open submission portfolios selected for inclusion in our printed journal based on the theme of the right to roam
After years moving constantly around the city, my girlfriend and I left London for Lewes. It was 5 months before Lockdown. When the national restrictions started, I began aimlessly roaming, seeking a sense of freedom outside of our modest flat by exploring the landscape. I come from Somerset, very close to where Don McCullin photographs the rolling hills and dark, shallow rivers. The South Downs struck me as something quite different. These hills were carved by once huge rivers and now bring quick weather changes inland from the Channel. There’s a sense of vulnerability and strength to the place, reenforced by its history. The weight of the Norman invasion, the fear of a German invasion, Virginia Woolf and her lonely cottage and the tops of the Downs themselves, which leave you feeling bold and exposed as you walk them.
While roaming I began to think of ways to photograph the land from a new angle. To dismantle the sense of place and refine it to a few objects, semi chosen/semi random. Having no space to shoot at home, I used the boot of my car and, using objects in the ditch or lay-by I parked in, I photographed ‘found sculptures’ and allowed the scene to light itself. My search for places to photograph led me down many tight country lanes, some private. I’ve always been frustrated by how fenced off this country can feel, I love this landscape but acknowledge that it’s defined by a history of ownership, restrictions and labour. So little is left of the wild here. Maybe that’s why I decided not to look directly at it but instead to explore what has been pushed into its dirt roads and hedgerows, finding character in objects less familiar than the calendar vistas of the South Downs.
The full set of images from the open submission are shown below (click to view image larger in the original format).
Website: harrybraynephotography.com
Instagram: @brayne
CREDITS
Unless otherwise stated, all words and images in this article are © Harry Brayne
THE JOURNAL
Our biggest, most content packed, and socially current publication to date, exploring the theme of the right to roam. Featuring an introduction by our very own co-founder Rob Hudson and a selection of work from 37 contributors, including the one featured above. Click on the image of the journal cover below to take you to the journal’s information and ordering page.
