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Estelle Slegers Helsen

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 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.

newtraces.uk

The sea is a vast expanse, seemingly empty. This emptiness calms your body and mind. However, the sea is often unpredictable, shifting from exceptionally violent to remarkably tranquil or any temperament in between. It provides a sense of peace as you walk along the shore and breathe in the fresh air. As you gaze into the distance, the sea frees your mind of thoughts.

In Leaving the Land, photographer Estelle Slegers Helsen takes you on a journey along the coast and captures what your eyes see as they move from land out to sea. Her photographs evoke the liminal place where land and sea meet. The square format constrains the wide-angle view and triggers your imagination.

Through long-exposure photography, she creates a soothing depiction of the sea, embodying stillness, serenity and simplicity. The images evoke dreamy scenes filled with abstract geometric patterns that our eyes can’t see and our brains can’t imagine. Moving objects and people become translucent or disappear. Waves and water transform into an ethereal seascape, creating a misty, magical world that contrasts with static elements like piers, lighthouses, groynes, breakwaters, rocks and offshore wind turbines. The visible becomes invisible while your eyes focus on what you can’t see.

Humberston, Lincolnshire

Seahouses, Northumberland

Craster, Northumberland

Chapel St Leonards, Lincolnshire