I’m not a religious person but I do think that if there were a God, then he or she is in the details – in the way that things are constructed, touching all points of the universe. It’s something you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s the unknown.

That unknown is what I look for when taking pictures. The unexplained, what’s inside the house with the curtains drawn, who lives there, what do they do, how do they think about the world. Why is that place abandoned, what happened here. Who was here before me. Who walked along this track and where does it go. Should I be here, who owns this place. How can I connect with the environment around me. Do those horses know I like just being near them. Do these places hold the memories of people. Did something bad happen here. Did someone’s ideas not come to fruition, were they disappointed. Is life inherently disappointing for most people. Are our attempts to stop the natural erosion taking place on our coastlines futile. Should we abandon our cities. Can we be self-sufficient and live off the land. Why do we want material wealth. Why is our home so important to us. Do we need to eat animals.

These are just a few of the things that are in my head when I go and take pictures.

Derek Henderson

January 2018