'The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.' ~ John Muir

Embodied poetry is in large part an evolution from Christopher's second book (written under a pseudonym), The Cycle Diaries, which drew heavily from the interrelationship between existentialism and movement. He is interested in developing an integrated methodology of poetry into storytelling initiated by a connection he feels, in particular, to woodland areas of Dartmoor’s Teign Valley where he grew up. The woods are depicted as liminal spaces in fairy tales opening the way for personal transformation, often as a place of danger as the character leaves the familiarity and safety of civilisation, which he finds intriguing. Visually, he aims for an implicit sense of mystery and melancholy, like that captured in early cinema's silent black and white movies, while considering the Japanese concept of 'ma' (negative space) to explore absence among form as an integral part of the subject. He takes a notepad with the intention of complementing each picture of various scenes, sketched through the written word while taking long walks laying the basis for a poem or haiku, which sort of mirrors the technique of shooting an image in RAW before post-processing. The spontaneous nature of the walk, in a high contrast woodland environment, required some patience and experimentation with various camera settings before settling on shooting in manual with auto ISO so he can still use exposure compensation to capture a cinematic effect.

Christopher describes his technique as follows: ‘Balance helps emphasise emptiness.  This is assisted by use of leading lines or some focal point to the image; an object in isolation works well – a dialogue with the viewer and its surrounding solitariness. Initially, I went a bit mad post production using “everything” but have since simplified the process. I avoid histogram clipping – especially in the highlights but shadows can sometimes work. I make use of exposure sliders with some clarity/texture/dehaze to crispen the image slightly (contrast adds drama). Finally, I make use of the s-curve to accentuate a cinematic effect.’

When presenting intertitles alongside the images, he prefers to use an Art Deco style of font (such as Limelight or Broadway) to reference early cinematic influences, which he also feels add to a kind of tension between nature and modernity. Influenced largely by the soundscapes of drone and dub techno, he aims to present his images with on-site field recordings and spoken word to create an immersive experience. He hopes to exhibit a body of work in 2027.

(Future projects: Christopher is increasingly interested in the haunting beauty of emptiness as a consequence of the neoliberal society we live in, which he plans to explore through integrated stories of abandoned boats and buildings close to where he lives on the Devonshire coast.)

River Teign (Dunsford Nature Reserve)

dead leaves
pass by
rock

Bridford Wood

shadows cast over
broken twigs on woodland path -
the afternoon sun

Christopher is also exploring embodied poetry through silent, monochromatic films.