Research - Joe Cornish

Joe Cornish.

Joe Cornish was born in Exeter in 1958. He studied art at Reading University, where he first came under the spell of photography. After graduating in 1980, he worked as an assistant for four years in London and Washington DC. A few years of penury as a young working photographer followed.

Joe moved to North Yorkshire in 1993. After a decade shooting 35mm and 6x6 film, in 1995 he started working with a Horseman SW 612 wide-angle camera. After another year he switched to 5x4. It was a move that allowed Joe to develop the style that characterises his work today.

Joe Cornish - a photographer at work, published by Envisage Books, explores Joe's philosophy and working methods. A joint collaboration between Joe and Eddie Ephraums, it is a unique record of Joe's working approach.

The style of photographs are portraiture, the title of the work is Life force which is important as Joe is establishing the importance of woodland and the way trees and woodland show us growth and life.

The works were made in early June 2009 over a four year project for the book Joe Cornish – A Photographer at work. The composition of the works in lundy bay woods of which there are three in the book have been stated to be “to firstly seek out the underlying structure, secondly seek out the things that appealed to Joe such as expression and gesture and thirdly, make sure the light was right".

I like the images as they remind me so much of playing in the woods as a child and how I used to imagine the tree trunks as people and made shapes and images with the Ivy. Joes work is inspirational to me as he create shots of beautiful places that truly reflect the beauty of natural landscapes and trying to reciprocate the photos myself show what a hugely talented man he is.

Lundy Bay Woods.

Dunstanburgh