Land and Nature - Andy Hughes Research

Photographer Andy Hughes is a member of the ‘Surfers Against Sewage’ campaign. A keen surfer, he has supported the campaign by providing them with images to further their cause. He has photographed plastic on our beaches since the 90s capturing various items of rubbish along our shores. He decided to contact people living and surfing in South Wales to compare their experiences. Between 1999 and 2006 Hughes was consumed by making images of the plastic waste that made its way to the beaches he surfed, resulting in his project being published in this book.

Hughes likes to photograph his objects at sunset as it creates a juxtaposition between the natural beauty of a sunset and the rubbish that ends up on our beaches. The way he focuses on one object up close forces you to think about the harm we are causing without the image shocking you so much that you look away.

He also manages to capture a large variety of objects. When I think of plastic washing up on beaches the first items that come to mind are plastic bottles and straws, but Hughes has found more unusual items like a glove. This makes you think 'What else are we throwing into our oceans?'.

We have decided to use Andy Hughes' images as inspiration for our first shoot which will be focusing on plastic without any human presence.