THIS month, Haverfordwest-born photographer David Wilson appeared on ITV’s Face to Face, talking to Adrian Masters about his art and his writing.

Well-known for his atmospheric photography and the many books he has published, Wilson is inspired by Pembrokeshire’s rolling hills and rugged coastline. He bought his first camera at age 17.

‘Landscape photographer’ conjures a notion of an intrepid hiker, but Wilson calls himself “An Unlikely Photographer”. When he was 18, he broke his neck and back in a motorbike accident, resulting in months in hospital and years of psychological trauma, until counselling provided a reset.

Wilson revealed that he had never studied photography and takes no interest in technology, but it’s all instinctive. “It’s like a revelation - it all makes itself known to you.” He emphasised what makes a ‘good’ photo is subjective, but “the important thing is that there’s a certain person out there who looks at it and sees what I see.”

“About 20 years ago, I got back into photography; I joined Tenby camera club, which was fantastic. I was around people who had the same sort of passion for it and it went from there.”

Wilson’s photography is about storytelling. “The photography has always been based on human imprint on the land… this is why I keep getting drawn to things like abandoned farms.”

He took a gamble on making a living from it, after his late wife Anna saw something in the photos he was taking and persuaded him to “give it a go.”

“She deserves to be acknowledged as the person who inspired me to do something worthwhile in my life.”

It was a brave decision, especially as Wilson’s father had defeated an impoverished background with a strong emphasis on financial security.