Matt Oliver United Kingdom
I’m a Sheffield-based photographer with more than thirty years’ experience in commercial photography. My personal work focuses on the landscapes and woodlands of the Peak District, exploring our connection to place through trees, seasonal changes and quiet moments. I share this work through fine art prints, books, exhibitions, writing and workshops.
My photography comes from spending time in places and getting to know them. I return to familiar woodlands and landscapes throughout the year, noticing how changes in light, weather and season reveal something different each time.
I’m particularly drawn to trees and the character they bring to a landscape. Working slowly gives me time to notice the quieter details: the shape of a branch, the relationship between a group of trees, or soft light picking out colour and texture. I want the photographs to convey something of how it feels to be there, while leaving room for people to bring their own memories and experiences to the work.
My project Forgotten Souls, published as a book through Kozu Books, explores silver birches growing in landscapes once shaped by industry. Through these trees, I imagine connections with the people who once worked there, bringing together my interests in nature, memory and the history of a place.
I use a medium-format camera and produce fine art prints using archival papers and pigment inks. Seeing the work on paper is an important part of the process, bringing the detail, colour and atmosphere of the photograph into a finished piece.
