TOM LEIGHTON - PHOTOGRAPHER / PRINTMAKER / VISUAL ARTIST

My work explores the forms and structures found in both natural landscapes and built environments. I photograph geological formations, plant structures and architecture, looking for patterns that reveal how these environments have developed over time.

The images begin with photographs taken in real locations. Coastal rock formations, botanical environments and urban architecture often provide the starting point. These photographs are then developed further in the studio, where I use composites and colour adjustments to bring out details or reorganise the visual structure of the image.

Sometimes this means emphasising textures that are already present in the landscape. In other cases, images from different locations are combined to create entirely new environments. Rock formations might take on the appearance of distant landscapes, while fragments of buildings can be rearranged into new city structures.

I am interested in the way photography can move between observation and construction. It allows real environments to be recorded, but also provides the flexibility to reinterpret them through editing and image building.

Across the different series, the aim is to encourage viewers to notice the patterns and structures that shape the world around us. Natural erosion, plant growth and architectural design all create intricate forms that often go unnoticed until they are isolated within an image.