Sussex photographer captures stunning pictures of forest through the seasons

Like so many in his industry, Craig Payne's work dried up during the Covid Lockdowns - but he decided to put his spare time to good use.

Craig- from Danehill - has been taking pictures of the natural world for 15 years and grew up walking Doug, the family Jack Russell, on Ashdown Forest. When snow fell in 2019, Craig visited again and rediscovered his love for the Forest. He thought he could bring his particular skills to document this remarkable landscape.

Now - three years later - he has produced a book capturing the wonders of Ashdown Forest. He has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise the £4,000 to have the book published in the next four weeks.

Through The Seasons on Ashdown Forest is a photographic book studying the seasons on the much-loved area, home of course to Winnie-the-Pooh.

There are more than 100 photographs in the book, as well as a series of limited-edition prints and greetings cards available.

Craig said: "This all started on January 16, 2019. It was a bleak wet day and I decided to visit the Forest. That led to me visiting the Forest over 150 times during Lockdown.

"It became my life and I absolutely loved capturing various scenes and exploring the Forest. It was great coming back so many times and looking at the differences of the four seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter.

"It was extraordinary seeing Ashdown Forest during Covid. The Forest became a beacon of the natural world for people to get out and reconnect with nature. For many of them - and indeed me - it was a great escape and so important for my mental wellbeing."

Craig, now 33, sees the book as a Legacy of the Forest during Lockdown. He said: "I am very proud to have produced for the public a book to capture how so many of us see Ashdown Forest. I am hoping it will raise awareness of the Forest itself as well as a reminder of how life changed during Lockdown.

"It has been a constantly evolving project as I took so many pictures over a long period of time. I am so pleased with the outcome, very proud indeed."

James Adler, CEO of Ashdown Forest, says the Book is an amazing representation of the Forest. He said: "We are immensely grateful to Craig for the outstanding work he has done over a three-year period. The result is a book which documents an ancient landscape in a remarkable time. The images are simply breathtaking."

Go to Through the Seasons on Ashdown Forest by Craig Payne — Kickstarter to help Craig's fundraising.

Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its origins lie as a medieval hunting forest created soon after the Norman conquest of England.