OUT OF BOUNDS

CORNWALL, UK, 2025

Light makes or breaks a print. You could photograph the same subject at the same angle, same composition, same distance, but at a different time of day, and end up with a completely different frame. 

When I first found this wall of tape tied around one tree's neck to another, I had a problem. The midday light was flat. There was no contrast. No punch. No starkness that I'm drawn to as an artist. Although the subject was struggling to show its presence in this light, I knew if I was persistent and came back in the evening, it might've found its voice. 

When I came back at sunset, I was pleased. The midday clouds had retired, and a golden beam of light shone onto the tap like a spotlight on a singer. I wanted to isolate my subject from its background, and this light allowed me to do so. 

I always lean toward a pure, uncluttered background. Especially on my subject-heavy prints. When there's narrative and context, like a vast mountain range in the background, I'm sure to include it in the frame. But when the background causes tension, I remove it. 

"I ALWAYS LEAN TOWARDS A PURE, UNCLUTTERED BACKGROUND. 

–JACOB J. WATSON-HOWLAND

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