Carl spends a lot of time planning each image before shooting in order to choose the best ingredients to replicate larger scale shapes and forms within nature.

‘I begin by drawing a very conventional landscape using classic compositional techniques as I need to fool the viewer into thinking it is a real scene at first glance,’ he says.

‘It is the realisation of what the real ingredients are that brings a smile, and for me that’s the best part.

‘Although I’m very hands on with my work, I do use model makers and food stylists to help me create the sets.

‘Normally I set them up on an 8ft wide by 4ft deep table top, though the foreground is only about 2ft across and the background 8ft across due to the wide angled lens.

‘In the last year, I have refined the technique and these new pictures are better than the earlier ones, although things like the Salmon sea are still very popular.

‘Now I tend to be doing more elaborate and difficult things and the process is getting faster.’

Carl began his career by going to art college with a view to becoming an illustrator as he had a talent for drawing yet quickly discovered that his ideas and creative eye was better suited to photography as a faster and more exciting medium in which to work.

After leaving college he set up as a still life photographer working for design and advertising agencies, but always had a fondness for landscape photography which he pursued as personal projects.

However it is Carl’s commissioned work which has proved to be most successful.

After putting together an advert for Sainsbury’s last year, he has since put together ‘Cheesescapes’ for a cheese company in the Lake District, whilst Findus commissioned ‘Fishscape’ – a Fishing village from Sweden where everything is made out of fish.

Whilst Carl’s work is often based on realistic settings, his new work has enabled him to use his imagination, with scenes such as Garlicshire.

‘This is a fairy tale scene that is a little like Lord of the Rings,’ explains Carl.

‘I met a guy at the Hampton court show last year who ran a garlic farm in the Isle of Wight and they have a big garlic festival every year.

‘There were huge elephant garlics and I looked and thought I could make a little house out of them.

‘So I have made a little scene which is like a fairy tale and away from the more realistic looking scenes that I usually go for.’

With interest continuing to rise, Carl still has hundreds of scenes he would like to create.

‘I am exploring all different types of food and places so there is definitely more to come like Venice out of pasta or American landscapes or Australian landscapes.’

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