Interview - Paul Horsman: Call of the wild – pictures that capture the forgotten places

Born and bred in Harrogate, his earliest memories are of family picnics in the Yorkshire Dales where, as a boy, he went armed with a plastic camera he got free with a packet of cereal.

Photography turned from a hobby into something of an obsession, and while until recently he worked full-time in construction, his heart was always in the hills just a few miles from his home.

"Those childhood picnics planted a seed that has lasted and grown, in one form or another, throughout my life," says Paul, who next week will see the opening of his first solo exhibition.

"As I pass through the last few areas of wild Britain, I try to use my photography to portray the raw power and delicate beauty of our

natural world.

"Our increasingly urbanised world makes it more important then ever before for us to be able to reach back and become engrossed in a more natural environment, to become comfortable with our natural roots and find tranquillity away from the pressures of daily life.

"For me, photography is the engine which drives me to observe the small details and the grand panoramas which combine to produce our stunning landscape. I'm never happier than when I'm completely immersed within the environment around me, soaking in the true atmosphere of a location."

Until recently, much of Paul's work has been focused on the impressive vistas of both the Dales and the Lake District. As a mountain climber, as well as photographer, he has captured everything from dramatic sunsets behind Ingleborough to waterfalls cascading over rocks, from the vantage point of the explorer, in a collection entitled Northern Heights.

However, in recent months his sights have turned to the forgotten corners of the countryside.

"A little while ago I was up in Swaledale and came across a derelict barn. In its own way, this crumbling building was just as poignant and as beautiful as the big mountain shots I'm used to taking. Over the next few months, I began noticing other little areas which were little tableaux to dereliction and home to the last vestiges of historic industries."

While Paul normally works in film, for his Remains of the Dales collection he has been persuaded to use a digital camera, and the resulting black-and-white images are an atmospheric testament to times and people long gone.

"I'm very much a traditionalist when it comes to photography," says Paul. "I love the simplicity of film where what you shoot is what you get, but for this project I really wanted to heighten the images by taking out some of the colour.

"Remains of the Dales is very much a work in progress and I'll be looking to add to the collection."

Now photography takes up the bulk of Paul's days and even when the heavens open he can often be found cutting a lone figure in some remote corner of rural Yorkshire.

"I'll go out in all weathers," he says. "I don't mind the rain and sometimes it can make for incredibly dramatic pictures. When the snow hit a few months ago, I was in my element. On Christmas Day, I went out with my camera and was up in the Dales for six hours. I knew that there would hardly be another soul around, and they're the moments you live for as a photographer.

"I've been fortunate enough to be in a position to give up full-time work. Being a landscape photographer doesn't pay a fortune, but there are compensations.

"Who wouldn't want to get up each morning and think they can spend the rest of the day surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain?"

Images from Northern Heights and Remains of the Dales collections will be on show at the Pocklington Arts Centre from April 2-30. A smaller collection of images will then be exhibited at Anstey Galleries, in Harrogate, from May 4-30.

For more information about Paul's work, visit www.escape2thewild.co.uk