Hokkaido, Winter 2026
I sit here writing this from the comfort of a hotel room, looking across a frozen lake at sunrise. The lake is now pure white from last night’s wild storm, and the wind is still blowing fiercely; one reason I’m happy to be sat here rather than be out photographing. I drink my coffee watching the soft pastel hues of the sky change. I feel relaxed and happy for this morning’s photograph to simply be a memory that I keep in my mind. It’s enjoyable to just take this moment and reflect on the past 14 days here in Hokkaido.
A few days ago, I was in a very different storm, a quiet and calm one. Snow fell heavily, filling every void in the landscape—making trees float as they were held up by the mass of the thick air. With no wind, every sound was absorbed by large, fluffy flakes—it felt like being in a dream. I found a beautiful silence as I sat there slowly being covered in snow, becoming part of this white landscape.
Returning to photograph in Japan’s winter landscapes again this year, I think how this place has helped me build a deeper understanding of the silence I come here to make photographs of. Being more than a simple lack of noise, but an interconnected balance of tranquillity, harmony, and space. A still moment within ourselves, embracing any imperfections, as no moment is truly perfect; just our experience in it.
I hope you enjoy a few of the silent moments I found in Hokkaido this year.
Winter Harmony
Winter Harmony, Hokkaido 2026
This landscape, even with its winter coat, is still complex and busy; often unbalanced, just like our lives within it. Then suddenly there is this rare moment of harmony, where everything aligns and brings us a sense of peace. We feel connected, at one with nature, in a beautiful drama-free relationship.
Stillness Within
Stillness Within, Hokkaido 2026
A pencil sketch within this void of white. It’s rare when a landscape can be reduced down to its simplest form. With such a few elements, everything is more considered. A careful selection of shadow, light, and its placement with the contours of the land provides a sense of beauty, a connection between inside and outside.
Two Snow Grasses
Two Snow Grasses, Hokkaido 2026
Nature producing its own art as it tries to be heard within the winter silence. A perfectly imperfect arrangement; it’s the small imperfections that allow us to flourish and that make photographs real; nature is not perfect nor are we.
Standing in Silence
Standing in Silence, Hokkaido 2026
A tree stands in the landscape just like ourselves, allowing us to project our emotion onto it, feeling like we’re standing there in that moment. A reflection of our interconnected and harmonious relationship with nature, allowing us to respond clearly and appropriately to change between nature and ourselves.
Fine Art Prints
These photographs are available as limited edition prints of 45.
