Oxford has always been one of my favourite places in the country, if not the world, but experiencing it through a photographer’s perspective is always incredibly special due to all its beautiful hidden corners and stunning architecture.
Some of these hidden corners have only revealed themselves to me within the last few years, during those quiet periods of the COVID-19 pandemic where the usual hustle and bustle of people going about their day was stripped back. The silences left behind allowed the raw beauty of places such as Market Street and St. Aldates to be heard and seen in a way I had never been able to before – and almost certainly never will in the same way again.
It was this unique expanse of “down time” that also allowed me to capture the Radcliffe Camera and Magdalen College Tower, unobscured and free from distraction, from a number of different angles and viewpoints. I have always found them to be magnificent examples of engineering, design and culture, but getting to see them from a new perspective for the first time was quite magical and continues to inspire me even now.
As life began to return back to some semblance of normalcy and the city streets were reawakened, I decided to take an early morning trip to Christ Church Meadows and was able to capture the sun rising through the trees from across the water; the perfect image of quiet tranquillity. I have visited many times over the years, but there was something so peaceful about being there when nobody else was around yet that I was inspired to go back again a few months later, which is when I photographed The Isis at Dawn.
More recently, I was able to visit the small village of Binsey, which is tucked away from the main hub of the city, down a narrow lane. There are very few residents there, but the hamlet is full of life and some breathtaking views – if you haven’t been yourself, I urge you to visit if you are ever in the area. I hear they have an incredible village fete every year, which sounds absolutely delightful!