Karen Thurman
"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order"
- John Burroughs.
Despite (or maybe because of) spending my formative years in the grey concrete jungles of the Far East, I fell profoundly in love with Mother Nature and now use photography to encourage people towards reverence for her. Inveterate nomad and landscape photographer, I am most likely to be found in one of two places: camping in our tent or in my beloved darkroom developing and printing images of the forests and woodlands that are so magical to me.
I started photographing in my teens, a pastime I shared with my Dad. Now a professional photographer, I work in large format black & white, using the lack of colour to highlight nature’s abundant, glorious textures, tones and shapes. Largely self-taught, I have also studied with celebrated master printers including John Blakemore and Bruce Barnbaum and am working on a multi-year project, On Your Doorstep, documenting the immense natural beauty to be found in commuter belts and other non-iconic locations in the UK. I have an MSc in Environmental Decision Making; my thesis was on sustainable forestry certifications.
Gentle meanderer
Skipping along rocks
Wandering a path through trees
Where will I go next?
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 20" x 24"
Edition 6 of 25
Heart of Oak
Hiding in plain sight
If they stopped for a second
How much they would find
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 12" x 16"
Edition 3 of 25
Woodland path
Magical woodland
path invites gentle amble
autumn canopy
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 12" x 16"
Edition 2 of 25
Mountain Majesty
Would you ever know
that I was in the car park?
Such beauty was there
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Platinum/palladium print
Image Size: 12" x 16"
Edition 1 of 10
Source of life
Dappled sunlight plays
around my reaching fingers
seeking nourishment
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 12" x 16"
Edition 1 of 25
Safe Haven
My rough textured skin
wellspring of clean water and
scratching post for deer
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Platinum/palladium print
Image Size: 12" x 16"
Edition 2 of 10
In the Forest
Canopy of life
swaying gently in the wind
light, shadow combine
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 12" x 16"
Edition 1 of 25
Hidden Treasures
Pathway to heaven
Through swaying grasses and sand
Treasures await you
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 16" x 20"
Edition 2 of 25
Barriers
Shadows in the sand
fence posts keeping out the deer
wind-created textures
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 12" x 16"
Edition 1 of 25
Line in the sand
What were you doing
before the sun and the sea
left just your remnants?
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 12" x 16"
Edition 1 of 25
Stairway
The sun casts its light
the sand creates a stairway
the grasses look on
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Platinum/palladium print
Image size 12” x 16”
Edition 1 of 10
Man’s hand, nature’s will
marriage of unbending rock
to spilling rapids.
Artist: Karen Thurman
Part of my On Your Doorstep series highlighting the beauty of nature in easy to reach places
Hand printed by the photographer
Silver gelatine print
Image Size: 16" x 20"
Edition 2 of 25