Harry is a Norfolk-based photographer who travelled through the British Isles from March 2006 for eight months producing a photographic book, Journey through the British Isles, published by Merrell in August, 2007. Harry started on Unst in Shetland on March 20, 2006.

Monday, March 20, 2006 - Starting in the Shetlands

It's the Spring Equinox today and the weather is just what I'm after, with snow showers bringing beautiful breaks in the cloud that suddenly open up the views to the south. I came over from Aberdeen last night on the ferry to Lerwick and then two smaller ferries today; first onto Yell and now here to Unst, the most northern of the Shetland Isles.

My name is Harry Cory Wright and I'm a landscape photographer and I'm working on a book about the landscape of the British Isles. In Scotland until the end of April, I'll meet my family in a month's time in Berwick-upon-Tweed. We then travel south, camping until the end of the summer holidays.

For the last ten years I have zipped out, from where I live in Norfolk, to photograph Britain and Ireland. I have a young family, Josey Jack (10), Katherine, 8, and five-year-old Mary, and each trip was made briefer by my wanting to come home to see them.

Now we have a new approach. I have a van and a trailer with everything I need and we are taking the children out of school for the summer term. Starting here in Shetland and then threading south, we'll be in Kent by the end of July.

Right now, the heater has gone on the van, which is alarming. I need to create a better system for making tea. The wind is so cold that it hurts just to have my hand out of the glove long enough to take a small picture with the digital camera. I takes 15 seconds to write the file, during which I can't close the lens; it's the longest 15 seconds.

In the meantime I have taken my first two pictures and started the process of finding what I hope will be a deep groove.

Reader comments

Hello, I worked for a company in Glasgow in the late 50's that used a variety of the large plate or sheet film cameras. Some funny experiences. But I know how cumbersome they can be. But the quality is superb, as are your photographs. Robert Danks, Port Angeles, WA USA

Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - Heater working. No food

It snowed overnight and when I left at dawn I was the first to leave tracks on the road to the north of Unst. I wanted to get a photograph of the Keen of Hamar, an extraordinary rounded hill covered with glacial serpentine debris. Very cold again and I had to shelter the camera from the wind with the van because any movement of the big camera will blur the photograph. The sheets of film each cost £30 to buy and process so I can't get it wrong.

Times recommends

• Oasis of the Seas: the Times review
• The 20 best new year party places to stay
• Green Spaces 2009: are you the winning writer?