Fieldwork by Finn Hopson | My Photo Bookshelf
Being local to Brighton and the South Downs in the UK, I’ve long followed Finn Hopson’s landscape photography, admiring his photos of the Sussex Coast and the surrounding area both online, and when in the local area, visiting his gallery along the Brighton seafront to see his work in person.
It was during one of those visits to his Gallery when I picked up Fieldwork; the first of a trio of books Finn plans to release featuring the photos he has taken in and around Brighton and the South Downs.
Author’s synopsis
How many ways can you look at the same thing and see something different? How many times can you visit the same place and find something new?
“Fieldwork is the result of twelve years spent collecting different versions of the same thing. It’s a scrapbook of shapes, patterns, colours and light which define the South Downs. My approach is not about finding a singular ‘decisive moment’ but instead deciding to be there for as many moments as possible. This is a place that speaks to me more deeply than anywhere else, and this is my attempt to compile a kind of visual dialect to describe it.”
The book features more than 100 photographs of the South Downs, accompanied by a selection of words from the ancient Sussex dialect which evolved to describe some of the subtleties of this unique landscape.
”These pictures are not a definitive collection of iconic locations, or a compendium of must-see spots. Instead, my hope is that others who know the Downs will recognise something of their own experience, and those who are yet to visit may feel somewhat intrigued by the prospect.”
My thoughts about the book
As mentioned in the synopsis above, this isn’t a book full of iconic, recognisable views of Sussex, but a collection of well-crafted, photos of some of the many beautiful views of the South Downs taken during countless visits to this ancient landscape. In traditional style, the book starts with an introduction written by the author and in Fieldwork, Finn talks about his connection with this landscape, providing the perfect backstory to his book.
After the introduction, the book gets straight into the pictures of the South Downs, perfectly depicting the natural and man-made geometric shapes in the landscape. With only a scattering of words from the ancient Sussex dialect providing convenient places to pause throughout the book, the design is clean and uncluttered; just the way I like it.
Maybe it’s because I know this landscape well, but what I particularly like about the work in this book is how at first glance, it’s made up of a collection of impressive photos of the landscape but as you flick through the pages, you start to see a deeper story being told in the work. The South Downs is a hive of activity with walkers, workers, animals and various forms of agriculture and Finn has subtly included much of this activity throughout the book, which not only helps to portray the impressive scale of the landscape but tells a deeper story about how important the landscape is to so many.
This is a well-sequenced, high-quality photography book and even if you’ve never visited the South Downs before, this expertly crafted collection of photos is still able to take you on a journey through what is an incredibly unique and captivating landscape in the southeast of England.
Book Details
Hardcover
Size: 300mm x 240mm
Pages: 144
Photos: 105
Availability at the time of writing: Still in print. Available from the author’s website: https://www.finnhopson.com/photobook-products/fieldwork