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Sally Mason
Sally Mason is a landscape photographer based in The Cotswolds, UK. Her interest in photography began from an early age and continued throughout a long career as a film producer in London. Since leaving the film industry in 2020 it has become a full-time pursuit. Creating work that reflects something of her emotional relationship with the landscape is more important to her than a literal representation.
Michéla Griffith
In 2012 I paused by my local river and everything changed. I’ve moved away from what many expect photographs to be: my images deconstruct the literal and reimagine the subjective, reflecting the curiosity that water has inspired in my practice. Water has been my conduit: it has sharpened my vision, given me permission to experiment and continues to introduce me to new ways of seeing.
I hope these features broaden your definition of what landscape photography can be and the value of following what makes you curious in developing your own vision and style. Experimenting is an important part of this and is something that Sally Mason especially enjoys. At the time that she began lengthening the shutter speed and playing with movement, she hadn’t heard of ICM (intentional camera movement). It was simply something that, once stumbled into, spoke to her. Leaning more about her background, I wasn’t surprised to find threads that are apparent in her images, including a fluidity of movement and a delight in the play of grasses. Our photography is about so much more than the visual: it speaks of our own nature and our relationship with the land.
Would you like to start by telling readers a little about yourself – where you grew up, and what your early interests were?
I grew up on the outskirts of north London in a very leafy suburb. The countryside was nearby, and one of my earliest memories is of running through meadows of tall grasses with the smell of summer in the air. From the age of five, I attended dance classes and showed some natural ability. I was soon taking classes 5 – 6 days a week after school and at weekends. My childhood was punctured by the death of my mother when I was 13 years old. My dance teacher took me under her wing, and at the age of 15, I left my academic studies to go to full-time dance school. I studied a range of dance genres, from classical ballet to contemporary jazz. This led to me becoming a professional dancer.
Meanwhile, I was growing up in the 1960’s – with considerable freedom. I was deeply interested in pop culture and influenced by the social and political changes of the era. Music was a huge influencer, and like many of my contemporaries, I went to numerous music festivals and concerts. I hungered to see the world and, at the age of 18, hitch-hiked with a friend to Morocco, travelling around the country for four months. These were exciting and experimental times, and I feel lucky to have been a part of them. Travel became a life-long passion and I have been to some wonderful places – camera always in hand.