Ripples Of Elegance

2025

I have spoken often about my diagnosis of autism, and how living in such a noisy world is a profound challenge at times – my photography has become somewhat of an escape from that challenge, and my black-and-white style serves as a peaceful escape from the noise that surrounds me.

I love the contrast between elegant whites and strong, deep blacks, and the swan is a perfect species for this style, the elegance of their white feathers is unrivalled, they are one Britain’s most beautiful creatures. I really wanted to play on that contrast when photographing them in early 2025.

I quickly noticed this thicket of trees on the opposite side of the lake –  I knew this would provide a beautiful, deep black background if I got down to water-level and bided my time. The resulting photograph is better than I could have ever imagined, it’s a very satisfying photograph for me, and a new favourite.