Peter and Ian’s rigour and determination are perfectly captured across Jack’s series, building on – and ultimately epitomising – his joyous, vibrant style. “Being eccentric and visually quirky, the world of giant vegetable growing seemed like the perfect fit,” he says.

Though one of the greatest challenges was maintaining a level of aesthetic consistency, with the series being shot over vastly different seasons and weather conditions. “With our unpredictable weather I was a bit worried their seeds might fail to flourish,” Jack says, “I was also anxious that making pictures in these different weather conditions might make the project feel a bit disjointed.” However, due to Ian and Peter’s expertise, this was far from the case. “Fortunately, they somehow navigated the heatwaves and downpours to grow some herculean produce,” Jack says, “and, to my surprise, I think the pictures also benefited from the erratic English weather.”

Looking back on his 2023, Jack found photographic freedom in the slow, relatively-repetitive nature of gardening. “When the show came around, I’d become friends with Ian and Peter,” Jack recalls, “so it was easy to pull them aside for more formal portraits,” alongside capturing more casual scenes of vegetable admirers. “People were so engrossed with the collosal nature of the vegetables,” he adds, “it was fairly simple to compose these more documentary pictures in a way that I think fits with the earlier work,” as well as his overall documentary style. “I’ve spent years making pictures locally, capturing the quirks of Englishness,” he concludes, “but I’m excited to experiment and take the same approach abroad,” looking to document a camel festival in India across the final months of 2023.

Source: itsnicethat.com