About

Through my photographic lens and with an intentional gaze, I consciously frame the world, capturing place and time. This practice serves as a form of meditation, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the moment. I pause to see, observe and experience, waiting until the picture becomes an undivided expression, where the landscape, the photographer, and the image become one.

While the images can stand independently, arranging them in groups, lines, or grids highlights their interdependencies. I recognise the human need to interpret and decode images for meaningful communication. Through photography, I evoke new questions and provoke thoughtful dialogue by challenging and stimulating the viewers' minds, eyes and emotions.

As a photographer, I employ three distinct photographic languages, each examining the concepts of time and place through different approaches. Firstly, fine art photography as a reflection of open space, embracing the creative aspects of solitude, minimalism, and the aesthetics of landscapes, seascapes, and the natural world. Secondly, through time series to capture the impermanence of life, nature, and the wider world. Finally, photography as a visual diary to document rituals and everyday life.

Historical researcher Estelle Slegers Helsen (Belgium, 1965) rediscovered her passion for photography after moving to the UK in 2018. For her, photography is a tool to explore the outdoors and immerse herself in the moment by observing scenes and the changing light. Taking photographs is meditation, a practice that clears her mind. She draws influence from the concepts of solitude, transience and time, which shape her visual language to capture woodlands, hills, water and solitary objects.