THE CHURCH in the Field is an iconic sight for train passengers passing Idsworth between Petersfield and Havant but few people will have seen it under such a dramatic sky.

The first rays of dawn streaking towards the star-filled South Downs sky silhouetting St Hubert’s Church is one of the stunningly artistic pictures by renowned landscape photographer Matthew Pinner in his new book, Hampshire in Photographs, published by Amberley.

Matthew was inspired to start photography when his grandfather left him a tripod.

He often gets up at dawn or stays up until summer sunsets to capture images of the natural world in vivid colours throughout the year. There are many striking sky-scapes in the 126 images, which cover all the county’s rural areas as well as the seaside, and are split up by seasons.

Among East Hampshire scenes pictured are sunrise and sunset over Petersfield Heath’s Pond, fields at East Meon and the National Trust estate at Hinton Ampner, near Cheriton.