IF you go down to Wytham Woods you might find Elizabeth Lettmann taking pictures of trees.

The pensioner has been photographing the woods outside Oxford for the past 10 years.

Now her pictures are to go on display in a special exhibition at Oxford University’s St John’s College.

The Jericho resident volunteers as an official photographer for the woods, on behalf of Oxford University, which has owned and maintained the natural space for the past 75 years.

Ms Lettmann said: “I go to the woods first thing in the morning and sometimes stay till dusk.

“I try to capture the beauty and serenity of the trees to record the changes of the season.

“I work with the researchers photographing their research projects.

“The exhibition features my science photos in one part and the artistic photos in the other part.

“I will be trying out quite unusual things like printing an almost life-sized image on material taking up a whole wall.

“I will also provide an image of the forest floor for the entrance of the exhibition.

Ms Lettmann, who is in her 60s, went to Guildford Art School where she specialised in animation and worked as a painter on The Beatles Yellow Submarine film.

She then went to work for the BBC and was one of the first female assistant film editors.

She added: “It was very difficult then for women to get jobs other than secretaries.

“After that I went to The Royal College Of Art, where I specialised in special effects,

“I went on to work on the flying sequences in Superman 1 starring Christopher Reeve, who I met on set.

“I worked for many years making documentaries for various TV channels, and lived in India and Costa Rica for a few years.

“I first went to Wytham about 30 years ago because I had a boyfriend who was a researcher there. I used to travel up to London each day to work on current affair programmes and then at the weekends I would go to Wytham Woods.

“Those days spent in the woods really made me appreciate nature, ecology and the beauty and stillness of the woods.

“It was such a contrast to my hectic life in London.”

Ms Lettmann added that she also photographed plants in the woods and the scientists and researchers conducting their work, and visits the woods as often as she can.

She added: “I go to the woods more in the summer – I try to spend the winters in Spain – but I sometimes go two or three times a week.

“It’s a magical place – it’s quite a sacred space.

“Apparently there was once a walk through the woods which people who needed healing would go on.”

Ms Lettmann said Wytham Woods conservator Nigel Fisher invited her to compile photos for the exhibition to mark the 75th anniversary of the university’s ownership.

The exhibition will take place at the college in St Giles in the Kendrew Barn between 12 noon and 6pm from Saturday, February 17 to Sunday, February 25. Entry is free.