Each day repeats itself in a cycle that is easy to take for granted. Our sleep / wake patterns are often disrupted by technological intrusions or the demands of work, at the expense of our mental and physical health. Our Circadian rhythms support us and keep us anchored to the ebb and flow of the Sun’s light and Nature’s seasons. Like heliotropic plants, we too follow the sun. Each day offers a new beginning, and brings with it a different energy that changes with the seasons. This series of pinhole portraits of Ash Trees were taken over several months between midwinter and early spring – they retain traces of many days and nights, and the imprints of storms, sun and rain, and the invisible footprints of wild animals. With the repeated passing of each day the sun’s rays leave their marks on the pinhole image revealing the changing ripples of the sun’s arc as it rises into each new day and into the emerging spring. The weather too, with rain penetrating the simple camera, leaves its marks on the emulsion. Tiny specks of windblown debris from wood or soil find their way in leaving their impressions on the paper. A deer or badger may dislodge the camera inadvertently creating multiple perspectives on one image. At the heart of the images lies the Ash Tree, the Tree of Life according to Norse mythology. On many levels our human evolution is intertwined with the Ash Tree, they embody a practical and spiritual relationship between humans and plants. They are particularly significant to me as they as supported me for 25 years as woodworker. Tragically they are struggling against the fungal infection known as Ash Dieback (Hymensoscyphus fraxineus), which threatens to wipe out 95% of our native Ash population. In the images the trees are sometimes hard to make out, existing as ghosts, or shadows in their own portraits. The pictures are both a lament in their passing and a celebration of the otherworld wonder of these remarkable trees. The colours have been manipulated to invite a different way of seeing, to evoke a variety of responses. We know insects, other mammals, fish, and plants, perceive light and colour differently. Artists too constantly explore this dimension. It feels important to call up a sense of other worlds, other possibilities as reminders that within this repetition of the daily cycle, lie opportunities for new beginnings and different relationships with the natural world. All the images are in negative from, with highlights being darker than the shadows- holding the light with the dark is part of the day’s journey and a vital part of our own human story.

Tim is an artist, craftsman, woodsman, and founder of The Wild Circle, hosting retreats in Nature. For 25 years Tim has worked as a professional Yurt Maker, visiting Mongolia and Central Asia to meet yurt makers and learn the craft. Throughout this time he has been fortunate to live on the same piece of land in Cornwall, growing trees and maintaining the habitat for the rare Pearl Bordered Fritillary butterfly. Tim also trained as a photographer, and was taught by Martin Parr and Paul Graham among others. Although Tim has exhibited in London and had a collection of photographs bought by the Museum of London, this recent work, celebrating the Ash Tree, marks a return to photography after a long absence