Suffolk photographer Edward Wright's images capture Constable Country in new light thanks to infrared technology

After years away in a big city environment in London, Edward Wright found a new appreciation for Constable Country when he returned home during the first Covid lockdown.

Isolated in rural Suffolk, he was inspired to use his burgeoning photography skills to capture the timeless quality of the county’s landscapes – made famous by the renowned landscape painter John Constable.

This has led the photography student to create a unique collection called 47 Days in Constable Country, built from landscape pictures taken over seven weeks, around his home village of Pentlow.

The project uses the technique of infrared photography – a filter which blocks most of the visible light spectrum, to create a false-colour image with a dream-like effect.

Edward, who is currently studying for a master’s degree at the Royal College of Art, said: “Back in the first lockdown, I came back home and ended up doing quite a lot of walking, as most people did.

“At that point, I had been away for three to five years, so I had just forgotten how beautiful Constable Country is.

“I wanted to do something a bit different. I stumbled across infrared photography while researching different techniques and thought it was fascinating.

“It’s interesting how the countryside and the landscape is almost out of time. I sort of disappeared into the wilderness.

“You can go a long while without seeing any people or animals. It’s quite isolating, but also beautiful. That’s what I was trying to capture.”

After posting his collection online, Edward, of School Road, extended the concept further, by self-publishing an A6 booklet, titled A Little Book of Infrared Landscapes, which can be purchased via Amazon.

The University of Westminster graduate expressed his ambition to establish a career in fine art photography, with a focus on “capturing the complexities of society, while removing individuals from occupying the frame”.

Edward added: “When I started out with photography at A-level. I picked it almost as a filler subject, but ended up really enjoying it. I just decided to roll with it.

“My other projects have been more archaeological, or looking at interiors, but all of my projects are about the scenes that surround us, but without the people in them.”