There is a whole spectrum of beauty and life that we miss because (a) we often race around life way too quickly and (b) we don’t have microscopes for eyes! Through my photographs I aim to capture and share the magical feeling I have when I look down my microscope at tiny, wonderful things in nature. My aim is to give these overlooked little beauties a stage on which they can bedazzle and captivate you, as they have me. For me ‘sandgazing' is a beautiful, fascinating, meditative, never ending treasure hunt. Every single grain has had a remarkable journey through time. Many of my samples are from friends and family, some are from other sandgazers around the world with whom I have traded sand. The process of collecting the grains is an adventure and a joy. Every grain seems to me to be a precious, unique sculpture. I love to carefully choose and single out individual grains of sand and bring them to life by lavishing time and attention on them. I doubt there are many diamonds that have been prepared with as much interest, care and love. Once I have selected a grain (which can often be tricky!) I play. I experiment with different interesting backgrounds and lighting techniques. I usually work by candle light and sometimes even use fire to light my work. I don’t use photoshop and only use post production techniques for colour correction and to achieve an honest replication of what I see and feel through the microscope. I achieve the more mysterious effects with mirrors and glass, sometimes I suspend the grains in droplets of water or on backgrounds of ice. Fire, earth, water and air. I believe the four elements when put together on a tiny scale in micro make a very simple, very zen recipe for ethereal beauty. Sand is amazing. And the most amazing thing is that although it is one of the most abundant substances on earth most of us don’t know what it looks like. What else might we be missing? So many people are staring at the skies and travelling miles and not realising there is a spectacular spectrum of beauty and life to explore right under their noses. "The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper"
W.B Yeats
