Russell Sherwood Photographs

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Russ was born in Derbyshire on the edge of the Peak District National Park and from early age he developed a deep appreciation of the natural surroundings. Walking in the local countryside became a favourite pastime and in later years this extended beyond his native Peak District to encompass the Lake District, Snowdonia and Scotland. Fortunate that his job involved extensive travel, He also spent long periods in the mountains, working on location in the Alps and amongst the dramatic scenery of Southern Spain. His passion for the outdoors grew, and skiing, mountain biking and rock climbing provided more adventurous ways of being intimate with the landscape. To record these adventures he always travelled with a camera but he never seemed to capture, to his satisfaction, the scale and magnificence of the scene. Russ retired in 1996, and with more time at his disposal, photography became the main focus of his outdoor activities. Since 2005, he has been based in the Yorkshire Dales. Living in this area of unique landscape has had a significant influence on his photography. He perceives the landscape as a complex amalgamation of many individual yet essential components. It is these components that he tries to capture in a style that conveys the mood, atmosphere and character of the greater view. He does not have a traditional or purist approach. He uses digital cameras and modern editing techniques to manipulate images, enhance and emphasise the ambiance, and create a sense of being there.Although not entirely spontaneous, his images tend to be of scenes that naturally and randomly draw his attention. He rarely goes out to photograph a specific subject. He does, however, take weather and time of day into consideration when planning a location. There are, of course, many revisits to subjects discovered under unfavourable conditions. Waiting for the right light, in the right place at the right time is all part of the experience. For him, this is the most rewarding part of the process. It provides time in which to determine the composition and exposure, consider the editing processes and to create a mental visualisation of the final image.