End frame: Gneiss Boulders, Isle of Harris by Lizzie Shepherd

Gill Moon

Gill Moon is a professional photographer based on the Suffolk Coast. She specialises in landscapes, waterscapes and marine photography and is passionate about promoting a connection with the environment through her work.

Gill has been taking photographs for most of her life but decided to turn her hobby into a profession in 2010 when she moved to the Suffolk Coast. Her passion for the outdoors also extends to the sea and Gill is an experienced sailing photographer working with the national yachting press and sailing organisations along the East Coast.

Gill’s real passion is the landscape and the natural world and she is increasingly keen to help others foster a connection with both. “For me photography is not just about the technical side of taking a photograph, it is about observation, emotion and portraying a connection with the world around you. These are the things that I believe contribute the most towards creating a compelling image.”

gillmoon.com

When I was asked to write an End Frame article, I knew immediately which photographer I wanted to write about, but choosing one of her images was much harder. Picking my favourite from so many outstanding compositions was really difficult because so many of them resonate with me in many different ways. In the end, I chose Gneiss Boulders from the Isle of Harris (by Lizzie Shepherd) because there is so much in this image that fits with my own work, the things that I love and the way I see the world.

I was brought up in the countryside, surrounded by nature, with parents who encouraged and facilitated a connection to the wild. I learned to identify the local wildlife, went birdwatching, drew plants and butterflies and collected rocks and fossils. I was nature connected from a young age, and it is something I feel has really helped with my photography. I think this is part of the reason Lizzie's work, and in particular, this image really appeals to me.

I had the pleasure of meeting Lizzie for a 1-2-1 workshop in the Yorkshire Dales back in 2018, a few months after my Dad had died suddenly and at a time when I was struggling with my own photography.

I was really inspired by Lizzie’s work and admired the quiet beauty that she was able to achieve in her images with her use of light and tone. Her work intrigued me, and I was interested to spend some time in the landscape with her. Despite having the worst weather imaginable (flat, grey and drizzly), I came away from the workshop with a renewed sense of connection facilitated by Lizzie’s attention to detail, particularly around composition, which is definitely something that has stayed with me and influenced my work going forward.

The first thing that attracted me to this image was the geology. It takes me back to my childhood, and I am immediately transported to the beach, standing amongst the boulders listening to the sea. Despite the complexity of the scene and the haphazard nature of the foreground elements, the image has an overall simplicity to it, which I think helps the viewer appreciate all the different elements that make up this landscape.