Russell Davis of Rayne, Essex

Russell Davis is a man like many within our District’s community that has started to appreciate the beauty of our environment that little bit more since the pandemic. “COVID has really made me appreciate what is on our doorstep which often we are too busy to see. One positive to take from COVID is to continue to explore and appreciate what is local to us”.

Russell Davis is an Essex lad through and through, growing up in Maldon before moving to the Braintree district over a decade ago settling in the picturesque village of Rayne. CommunityAd had the pleasure of a chat with him about his love of the place and his stunning photos which often delight us on social media.

 

So, Russell, you’ve clearly got a love for the place, why is that?

Rayne is a small but vibrant village. We have a real variety of wildlife locally including redkites, deer, buzzards, kestrels, sparrow hawks, pheasants, owls, wood peckers, and our surrounding scenery and countryside is just stunning. I love the fact my 3-year-old daughter can look out the window to see deer running across the field.

 

As well as the charming countryside the community itself isn’t bad, is it? There’s a real nice sense of community here, isn’t there?

Rayne really does have a thriving community and you can see from local social media posts the local residents are proud of our village. There are many volunteers who regularly carry out litter picking to keep our village clean and fly tipping is a hot topic with residents quick to report these issues as well as dog fouling by a minority.

 

It’s not a bad place to be locked-down, is it, Braintree/Rayne?

We have been really lucky with what is on our doorstep, COVID has encouraged me and many of our fellow neighbours to rediscover our beautiful local countryside.

 

It must be nice to see the world opening back up, though?

Yes, it definitely is, and I am looking forward to discovering new places to photograph, but it’s been a real pleasure to explore my local area over the last year.

 

What’s your favourite season as a photographer?

That is a tough one, I love spring for the explosions of colour with plants and new born wildlife. Autumn for its stunning and amazing colours, and winter for its bleak and dark contrast.

 

When did you first pick up a camera and what inspired you to do so?

I was about 5 years old and my parents bought me a 35mm camera. When my father died in 2010 I inherited his camera and it re ignited my passion for photography. My love of photography seems to be infectious and our daughter who has just turned three received her first camera from Santa this Christmas.

 

What bit of advice would you give to any novices starting out in photography?

Point and shoot and just enjoy it. There is no right or wrong and everyone has their own style of shooting.

 

Russell Davis often shares his sensational snaps on the public Facebook group ‘Rayne Essex’, but keep your eyes peeled in your local Braintree magazine for if his pictures grace our pages once more.

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