Author and photographer Dale Gravett, who lives in Buckhurst Hill, is exploring the mysterious Creatures That Lurk In The Deep, Dark Forest.

The book, which was published March 31 this year by Austin Macauley, is a “photo fantasy” about the creatures that at first glance are mostly unseen in the branches, trunks and leaves of the forest trees, until people observe a little closer.

Dale says each picture in his story is accompanied by a line drawing around it in order to aid the reader’s recognition of what he sees.

There are descriptive verses next to each picture but he encourages readers to look more closely at the pictures themselves to see if they can spot any other insects and minuscule creatures that he may have missed.

Dale’s interest in unconventional photography began while he was growing up in Port Elizabeth, in South Africa. He studied graphic design and photography at the Port Elizabeth Teknicon before working as a photographer for a number of years.

He married an English wife in 1999 and they moved over to Delby, in Yorkshire in 2002 with their three children.

Now they live in Epping Forest and Dale admits that as a parent, he has to prioritise providing for his family and working for a living, and so his photography now takes a backseat to his job in a church.

However, his snapping passion has still always remained and now he hopes to encourage other people to appreciate their natural surroundings.

He says: “I was inspired to write the book after being out with the family one day taking pictures of tree roots for an unrelated project in Epping Forest.

“I suddenly became aware of the number of faces peering at me from the trees, so I took some photos, downloaded them and realised their possible potential.

“My hope is that this little book will encourage the child in each of us to discover, or rediscover, the joys of a simple walk in the forest.”

Details: dalegravett.com