Skógafoss is arguably the most aesthetically perfect waterfall in Europe. But its breadth and height needs some foreground context to lend perspective. We worked with wild Icelandic ponies to try and introduce this ingredient into a well-known amphitheatre of noise and power. It’s a very challenging brief and the window closes as soon as the first tourists arrive at 9 am. This image transcends all the others from the trip and offers a dreamlike portrayal of Iceland’s raw and wild beauty.

The Camargue, France – 2013

The wild horses of the Camargue have been well photographed and I am always conscious of taking hackneyed images. Once I had immersed myself in the character of the location, my instincts were to try and capture something that leant on the abstract and emphasised the herd, rather than working more conventionally with individual horses. In particular, I wanted to use the marsh water as an ethereal partner to the white horses and this required working against the light with a slow shutter speed (1/50 of a second). This is a low-percentage shot as the position of their heads can spoil or make an image and these horses are most unpredictable. On the second evening, after much trial and error, I think that we got there!

Skógafoss, Iceland – 2018

Iceland is so raw, so geologically angry and so unique that a visiting artist is truly tested to do it justice. On location, intense cognitive processing is required to examine how best to convey the enormity of the visuals that greet the eye throughout daylight hours. The shorter the distance between the brain and the eye, the greater the chance of working towards an image that is as awesome as the location. I think we may have finally achieved our goal. I am very happy with this image.

I have been fortunate enough to visit Skogafoss waterfall many times over the years and I am in no doubt that it offers the best opportunity for a creative narrative of any of Iceland’s numerous waterfalls. It may not be the widest, or most thunderous, but the immediate foreground is the most easily accessible. From the riverbed below, the visual is dramatic and clean. This is “Game of Thrones” country and from the right angle – and I have explored most of them over the years – it is perhaps the finest backdrop I know in Europe.

Prior to 2018, I have, for various reasons, never nailed the preconceived image. The main reason being that it is technically and logistically a challenging assignment and I have not been good enough. It is a real test of balancing working distance against lens choice and I have made a few errors in the past. The smaller the lens, the better. It is always the case even if the spray from the waterfall soaks both you and your gear.

An issue with filming in Iceland is that whilst permits are easy to obtain, exclusivity is not. Waterfalls such as Skogafoss will not normally be closed off to the public if filming is taking place. As a result, the only time to have exclusivity there is before the tourists arrive in their droves, which is normally from 8 am onwards. But in the early morning, the waterfall, which is tucked tightly into the cliffs, is always in shadow and often a good two stops of exposure darker than the open areas 200 yards away.

There are always compromises here. On this occasion, we were able to work longer into the morning as the high winds had prevented many tourists from taking days trips from Reykjavik. Nevertheless, it was still fairly dark, so I knew my depth of field would be marginal but as long as the subject matter is sharp, I think this actually helps the image. I don’t think I have ever taken a picture before in which the subject is less than 1% of the image and yet everyone’s eye is immediately grabbed by that one point. That was always my intention. I have had this image in my mind for a few years. I could just never get a beautiful horse in the right position at the right time. It is a beautiful horse – we chose well.

The song from The Rolling Stones is world famous and I think this frame captures the essence of the imagery that the lyrics may evoke. There was an extreme storm that morning in Southern Iceland and I knew the beach to work from – the black one near the village of Vik. I think the foreground and the background complement each other perfectly. The narrative is consistent throughout the layers of the image – which was the goal.

Devon, United Kingdom – 2020

“This photograph, taken up river at low tide on the Bantham Estuary in Devon, was hatched in my mind when I scouted the location alone the previous week.

I needed a day when sunset would be coupled with low tide and mathematically that only happens once every two weeks. When shooting west, a low tide was necessary to be able to work the estuary on foot and a low sun would allow for shade.

Finding the day required just 60 seconds research on the internet, but of course there could be no assurance that the weather on the optimum day would be good – especially in the UK. Without sunlight, there wouldn’t be a picture – I would not have enough light to freeze the action and secondly there would not be enough contrast between the subject and the background. I needed a beautiful evening and a sky free of cloud.

But that day our luck was in and I was able to shoot the running stallion at 1/3000th of a second. This was enough for every drop of water to be pin sharp. The configuration of the spray and the shape of the water was always going to be random, I just had to try and focus on the horse’s head. It was a low percentage shot, but this one frame was almost exactly what I had in mind.

I would like to thank my friend Nicholas Johnston for allowing me to work on his stunning estate and also providing the help we needed on the day.”

I needed a beautiful evening and a sky free of cloud. But that day our luck was in and I was able to shoot the running stallion at 1/3000th of a second. This was enough for every drop of water to be pin sharp. The configuration of the spray and the shape of the water was always going to be random, I just had to try and focus on the horse’s head. It was a low percentage shot, but this one frame was almost exactly what I had in mind. I would like to thank my friend Nicholas Johnston for allowing me to work on his stunning estate and also providing the help we needed on the day.