Marc Hermans
Not long after having travelled in Scotland for three months (see my earlier 4x4), my wife and I decided to move house. We left the densely populated western part of The Netherlands to live in De Achterhoek, literally translated as the Back Corner. At least for Dutch standards, this is a beautiful area and living here allows me to create work without having to travel. There are even a few hills!
It has become a habit to visit the woods around our house at least once every week. I already feel very attached to my environment and to see the woods change on an almost daily basis is truly fascinating and inspiring. Photographically speaking, my style has changed somewhat. Whereas in vistas I tend to prefer front to back sharpness and lots and lots of crispy detail, my woodland pictures generally lose focus towards the distance. I find this painterly effect helpful in suggesting depth, emphasising the soft quality of the light that I favour, and in reducing the enormous amount of data.