'Majesty’

Artist: Paul Moon

Standing on a side of a deep, dry chalk valley in the Yorkshire Wolds is this majestic but small, wonderfully shaped hawthorn tree. It overlooks a view of the twisting paths and chalk covered track rising up the opposite hillside and beyond into a dense and steep woodland. This valley is Deep Dale - one of many dry dales created after melt water from a previous ice age had cut through the frozen Wolds chalk. These resulting twisting dales are a much-needed haven for wildlife and vegetation, including many dense areas of hawthorn scrub, as seen on the small slope beyond the tree. I’d already photographed the same tree using the same composition during the previous spring when it was coated in white ‘May blossom’. However, this particular visit to the valley, in mid-October, coincided with a sharp frost. Not a common occurrence, but in these steep valleys temperatures can drop dramatically on clear, cloudless nights. Cool blues of the frost-coated grasses contrasted beautifully with the ripe crimson hawthorn berries coating the tree and other bushes, as well as the warm red and gold autumn colours in the distant woodland. I knew the conditions were perfect for the image I’d envisioned when I saw the white blossom-coated tree in the springtime! Discovering, photographing and being in a picturesque landscape can be a massively rewarding experience. I hope that this image conveys my love of nature, colour, form, the seasons and above all my love for my local area. Whilst it is great to witness the wonders of our planet, being able to drive a short distance from home and be in a relaxing and beautiful area always brings me intense pleasure!

About the artist: I live on the Yorkshire Wolds in the UK, near to where I grew up, and have spent nearly 20 years searching, discovering and photographing the wonderful views and subject matter - mostly in these deep dry dales - many of which have been designated as access land for walkers. They are mostly used for grazing livestock and for breeding game birds, and have been relatively undiscovered areas of stunning beauty. This is something I’ve set my heart on changing. I have had my images of the Yorkshire Wolds used by local tourism providers, by the Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail, and recently to complement an upcoming survey by English Nature to designate the Wolds as an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. This is a National designation in the United Kingdom, given to only a few deserving landscapes. I hope my photography in the Wolds will help to highlight this stunning area, and go towards securing my local landscape the AONB designation.

This image was selected from over 200 entries to be part of the Non-Funged Moments and Neal SuperRare Spaces, curated by Neal Gallery and Alpine landscape photography master Dominique Weiss of Wild Free. The competition aimed to highlight natural, classic landscape photography with minimal post processing. The image will be shown in both an online virtual gallery and the Neal Gallery in Beijing, China.