The Making of VAREST – A Forest of Dean Photography Book
- James Kelly-Smith
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 19 hours ago
VAREST is a landscape photography book focused on the Forest of Dean, brought together over years of photographing its woodlands, hidden lakes, and historical remnants. This blog post takes you behind the scenes of making VAREST, from the early ideas to the editing and sequencing of the photographs, and the work involved in turning the project into a finished book.
Why VAREST Began
I moved to the Forest of Dean in 2021. Until then, my photography was largely focused on the mountains of Wales, which remain some of my favourite subjects to photograph, or my local countryside close to the Cotswolds. Having the Forest on my doorstep, however, changed my work. The short distances and increasing repeated walks in the area created thousands of photographs, made without any initial intention of forming a larger project.
I was eventually producing a successful calendar, which allowed me to bring a selection of images together each year, and I was also selling individual prints of photographs that stood naturally on their own. Despite this, much of the work existed only in digital form, sitting on hard drives and rarely being revisited, which seemed a bit of a shame.
I realised how similar this felt to the way phone and digital photographs are often consumed (scrolled through and barely noticed) unlike physical photographs, which were once required some time, patience, and eventually found their way into albums that were returned to again and again. This prompted a feeling that there was something more I could do with this body of work I had accumulated.
As I began revisiting the photographs, it became clear that many of them worked together rather than as isolated images, and that a book would be the most considered way for people to spend time with the work as a whole. There was also a personal motivation in that I have always preferred seeing my work in print rather than on a screen. Plus, wanting to capture my portfolio in a physical form.
Initially, the idea was simply to make a book for myself. Over time, and through consistent feedback from people who connected with the work, it became clear that this was something worth sharing more widely and some would appreciate owning. The book format allows the photographs to be experienced slowly and in sequence, encouraging a quieter, more deliberate way of engaging with the images than digital viewing typically allows.
Photographing the Forest of Dean
One of the most important things I have learned through landscape photography is the value of knowing a place intimately. It is something I feel is often overlooked. Living in the Forest of Dean has allowed this to happen naturally, with the landscape quite literally on my doorstep. Year on year, I feel my work has improved, largely through a deeper understanding of the woodland and its natural rhythms, along with being braver in challenging myself and the infinite nature of evolving my photographic skills. Photographing the Forest has been less about seeking out individual locations and more about returning to the same areas repeatedly, often without a fixed plan.
Since moving here, one of the most significant changes in my photography has been developing an awareness of the relationship between the Forest of Dean’s past and the shape of its landscape today. It is a place with a rich and layered history, yet it remains relatively unknown beyond the local area. There is a sense that the Forest has been overlooked or forgotten, and perhaps, to some, that is part of its appeal. Spending time here and being more present in the woodlands has allowed me to better understand this context and how it continues to influence the landscape.
The Forest of Dean is constantly changing, not only through the seasons but within shorter cycles of growth, natural decay, and regeneration. Areas that feel open one year can become rich in trees, flora and fauna the next, while other spaces gradually reveal themselves as light, weather, and time transform them. Photographing the Forest over a long period has meant responding to these changes rather than trying to impose a quick, fixed idea of what a scene is.
Knowing a landscape well also brings an understanding of its conditions, where the light falls, how seasonal changes affect different areas, and where traces of its industrial past quietly remain. By slowing down and observing the Forest over time, the Forest's personality starts to emerge. The gentle undulations in the ground left by historical mining activity, or the faint lines where railways once ran. These are not always immediately visible, but they become clearer the more present you become in the landscape.
This way of working naturally shaped how the photographs were later edited and brought together as a cohesive body of work.
From Photographs to a Book
One of the most challenging parts of creating VAREST was deciding which photographs belonged in the book. Over the years, I have made just over 9,000 photographs of the Forest of Dean (that I chose to keep!), so narrowing that body of work down to the final 80 images was a slow and demanding process. It required returning to the archive repeatedly and viewing the photographs not as individual images, but as part of a wider collection. Some photographs that might not stand out on their own develop a better connection once placed in sequence, while others that worked well individually did not serve the rhythm of the book. Many of the photographs had already been edited and shared, either on my website or through social media, but there are plenty that have not been seen by anyone but myself.
I first began pulling images together for a book around two and a half years ago, but initially found the process difficult and ended up stepping away from the project altogether. In hindsight, this pause was the best decision I made. During that time, I continued photographing the Forest, gradually building a stronger and more cohesive body of work that felt better suited to the book. Even when the project was on hold, the idea of returning to it remained in the background, subtly shaping how I approached the landscape with my photography.
There was also a more personal reason for stepping back. Like many photographers, I experienced a period of doubt and imposter syndrome, questioning whether the work was strong enough and whether anyone would want to engage with it in book form. Taking time away helped to reset that doubt. I spent a bit of last year engaging with people in-person, through craft fairs and photography talks, and the conversations about my work really gave me a sense of pride. When I returned to the idea, it became clearer what the book needed to be, and how my work is perceived by my audience. Limiting the book to a fixed number of images, though, was an exercise in restraint, but it helped give the work focus and tell a story.
Rather than a broad selection of images, I wanted VAREST to function as a carefully curated body of work, one that spoke clearly and consistently about the Forest of Dean. The aim was not to catalogue the landscape, but to present it in a considered way that reflected how I have come to know it over time. While there are books that feature the Forest, there are very few that explore it in this way, and none that present it through the lens developed in VAREST.
Design, Printing, and Format Decisions
This stage of the process was one I particularly enjoyed, although it proved just as time-consuming as selecting the photographs themselves. In reality, the two aspects of the process were closely connected. As the layout of the book began to take shape, it prompted me to reconsider some of the image choices, ensuring that the sequence and design worked together rather than independently.
While this is a photography book, I am conscious that not every reader approaches a book in the same way. With that in mind, I made the deliberate decision to create pauses from the photographs with short essays, selected quotes, and carefully chosen key words. This serves several purposes. It prevents visual fatigue, encourages the reader to pause rather than simply flick through the pages, and helps establish tone and context. Although VAREST is fundamentally a photography book, I wanted it to feel like more than just a collection of images. By combining photographs with thoughtful text, the book guides the reader through a more intentional experience.
The physical format of the book was shaped by two priorities: reflecting the work faithfully and making the final piece accessible. As I predominantly work with A-size proportions and landscape compositions, an A4 landscape format felt like the most natural fit for the photographs. It allows the images space to breathe without overwhelming the page.
While a hardback edition would have positioned the book as a traditional coffee table object, I was mindful that production choices influence accessibility. Opting for a soft cover allowed the book to remain accessible while still achieving its purpose. Havign recieved the proof of the soft cover version, I actually liked the way it sat in your hands whilst looking through the pages.
What VAREST Represents
VAREST is a photography book that has taken time to create and refine. What began simply as an idea to bring together a collection of my photographs gradually evolved into something more personal. A quiet dedication to the Forest of Dean, and a story of my connection with the Forest through my photography. In many ways, the book has become not only a representation of the landscape, but also a reflection of my own interests and motivations as a photographer.
Working on the book encouraged me to look more closely at what draws me to certain scenes. I am naturally drawn to the outdoors, to landscapes that feel slightly mythical and reminiscent of childhood stories, and to places shaped by local history and folklore. Essentially stories, but more so, how landscapes have influenced or have been influenced by these stories, whether historical or fictional. I am curious about how landscapes come to be. How past activity leaves subtle traces in the present. That curiosity forms much of the essence of VAREST. Through the book, I hope readers see not only how I experience the Forest, but also gain some insight into what shapes my way of photographing.
I feel privileged to be able to release a photography book focused on the Forest of Dean. Beyond the local area, it remains relatively unknown, and even those who have heard of it may only think of it as simply “a forest". VAREST is an invitation to look more closely. To move beyond that surface understanding and explore what lies beneath the canopy and within its layered history.
Ultimately, VAREST represents a deep engagement with one place over time. It is not a guide or a catalogue, but a personal interpretation shaped by my wanderings and exploration. The book is an attempt to present the Forest of Dean in a way that reflects how I feel to spending time within it. Quietly, attentively, and with a sense of curiosity.
About the VAREST Photography Book
VAREST is available as a printed photography book, bringing together a considered selection of my woodland and landscape photographs made across the Forest of Dean.
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