Ashridge contains more ancient and veteran trees than any other National Trust property in the country. Bisham Woods may have inspired the Wild Wood in Wind in the Willows. Two extraordinary woodlands at opposite ends of the Chilterns, and between them enough subject matter to keep a photographer busy for years.

A UK black and white landscape photographer's perspective on why the Chiltern Hills — quiet, understated, and full of human intervention — make for more honest and rewarding photography than any mountain summit ever could.

The Sony A700 is a camera that was built to be used — and that's exactly why it still earns its place in my kit today. A second body that keeps me in the same Sony A-mount system, fits in the hip pack, and delivers smoother black and white JPEGs than anything I'd spend ten times the price on. Sometimes old is still good enough, even today.

Picking up the Sony A350 again has been like reopening an old chapter I didn’t realise I’d missed. My first digital DSLR after my film days, it brings back the joy of using a simple, stills-only camera — chunky, tactile, with a CCD sensor that gives black-and-white images real character. Slower walks, everyday routes, and a quiet rhythm of photography suit it perfectly. No expectations, no pressure — just a camera that lets me enjoy shooting again.

Can you really do photography on a budget and still get good images? I put that idea to the test with a £110 Sony A-350 from 2008 — proof that you don’t need the latest gear to capture something worth keeping.