By Sharon Aston
For more than twenty years, I worked as a photographer, specialising in natural light portraits of children and weddings. However when I relocated to Cornwall, my husband’s home county, the timing was far from ideal. The pandemic struck, and instead of building a new photography business, I returned to my earlier profession in care work. The work was necessary but difficult. Wrapped in layers of PPE, constantly conscious of safety, I found myself yearning for something that could nourish both my spirit and mental health.
I had long admired Sarah and Andrew of Rose Valley Farm on Instagram – their devotion to the land, their dream of living in harmony with nature. When they posted an advert seeking volunteers, I answered, and soon found myself potting-on plants and planting seedlings in the fresh Cornish air. No PPE required out in the fresh air, just mud on my hands and a growing sense of connection.
Out of this a friendship blossomed. Wanting to give something back, I began photographing the family and life on the farm: their flowers, their WWOOFers, and the rhythm of a business built on passion. It reignited my own creative spark. The images captured not only the beauty of the farm but also the deep sense of community that flourishes there.
Yet as I returned more deeply to photography, I found myself less fulfilled by hours of digital editing at the computer. My heart pulled me back toward the tactile, the authentic. I had trained on film cameras and always loved analogue processes. When I discovered wet plate collodion – the Victorian technique of creating handmade images on metal (tintypes) and glass (ambrotypes) – I knew I had found a new path I had always adored; this aesthetic of Victorian pictures.
Wet plate collodion is one of the earliest photographic processes, invented in 1851. It requires a portable darkroom, because every stage must be done on the spot: coating the plate, sensitising it, exposing the image, and developing – all within about fifteen minutes, before the collodion dries. There is no second chance, no later editing. I use Victorian cameras with brass lenses, and each plate is a unique object, alive with the imperfections and beauty of its making. The process is slow, messy, magical. Each plate is unique, archival, and steeped in history. Working in this way feels deeply aligned with Rose Valley: timeless craft, human hands, nature at the centre.
Living in Cornwall also feeds my inspiration. The rugged landscapes, the vast ocean, and the wildness of the elements draw me in. Wet plate collodion allows me to capture that raw beauty in an unfiltered way – there is no retouching, no digital perfection. The plate simply holds the truth of the moment, just as it is. This mirrors the life at Rose Valley, where nothing is contrived: Sarah and Andrew’s warm welcome to WWOOFers, the daily rhythm of farm life, and the authenticity of their dream.
It is an honour to photograph this lifestyle – not just as fleeting images, but as part of history. These handmade plates will last for generations, a record of people, place, and purpose. They hold the beauty of flowers, honest work, and the joy of community.
One of the great gifts of Rose Valley is meeting WWOOFers from all corners of the world. Each arrives with their own story, and yet they weave seamlessly into the family, helping Sarah and Andrew move their dream forward. It feels like stepping back into a lifestyle of bygone times, where community and shared labour were at the heart of daily life.
Since finding wet plate collodion, I haven’t looked back. The process connects me to the land, to the people around me, and to a slower rhythm that honours both history and the present. At Rose Valley, surrounded by flowers, friendship, and the timelessness of nature, I feel both inspired and at home.
We’d like to give a very special thank you to Sharon for agreeing to write this article for us after we spotted these beautiful photographs on instagram. We have squeezed as many photos into the article as we could because it was hard to leave out any of the images Sharon sent us.
Sharon is available for commissions. You can get in touch and see more of these amazing photos on: Sharon’s Instagram page @sometimesthesea
Discover more about WWOOFing opportunities at Rose Valley Farm.
Disclaimer: It should be noted that hosts receive guests solely as part of an immersive learning experience, in line with WWOOF UK’s educational charitable aims. Visitors participate in the host’s lifestyle, in order to learn. There is no formalised or contractual agreement and the residential visitors (WWOOFers) are free to come and go at will, so are not considered workers. WWOOFers are absolutely not a substitute for paid labour. Any mention of the words ‘work’ or ‘exchange’ in reviews, articles and other content created by our membership is language chosen by the author and not sanctioned by WWOOF.
