The sky at Devil’s Dyke on a warm, breezy day in June feels expansive. Swaths of blue stretching across tumbling hills and plains that merge with the glittering sea. It’s the sky that brings groups of hobbyists together for our photoshoot. Kite flyers, birdwatchers, cloud spotters and star gazers. They all take time to look up. And find wonder and contentment in the skies above. 

THE KITE FLYERS

Martin unravels the rope and a massive pink octopus starts to rise above. The wind catches it and it takes a bit of strength for Martin to hold the rope firm, as the majestic kite hangs in the wind. “The running joke is you turn up at a kite festival with what you think's a big kite, somebody looks at it and the following year, they come back with a bigger one. So that's the endless game that we play.” 

“I’ve got two kites. If my wife sees this. Then I’ve got two,” Collin laughs. “I’ve actually got about 500.”  

“We own so many kites, Dad and I, that we’ve lost our front living room. It’s become storage,” Sabrina adds. Sabrina and Collin met husband and wife duo Martin and Anne at kite festivals, along with Will, a fellow enthusiast. And they became friends.

“The feeling of flying a kite… it’s just joy. It is actual happiness,” Collin says, looking up at his sunset-coloured kite. “You're just so in the moment, and you can't think of anything else. So it's very unwinding.” 

“I always flew a two-string kite when I was a kid and I forgot to stop,” Martin says. Collin nods. “It just takes you back to your childhood. Growing old is inevitable, but growing up is optional.” 

“You get to taste a lot of life just through kites. The kite flying community is so vast,” Sabrina says. “You meet somebody from Tunisia, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, and you're all on the same level because of what you appreciate in kite flying,” Collin says.

Anne packs down the stripy, rainbow kite that was floating above. “I wish that everybody else could see what we see. The sense of community and inclusivity. The young, the old, every religion. All getting on so well. It's a joy.” 

THE BIRDWATCHERS

Meanwhile Becca and Johnathon are pointing out something to the crew. A skylark. “Their family name is really funny,” Johnathon tells the group huddled around watching, “Turdus”. “Fantastic,” Becca laughs. “That’s pretty unfortunate.” 

Johnathon and Becca love birdwatching, particularly in urban areas, and are both passionate about encouraging people to get into it. “It’s euphoric, feeling that you've just discovered something,” Johnathon explains. “And we’re naturally predisposed to connect with nature.”  

Becca agrees. “That connection thing's really key for me. It's this feeling of belonging and contentment.” 

“My advice is to just slow down and look because even if you see a wagtail at the train station on your morning commute and you wonder what it is, you have bird watched. Because you've noticed and you've appreciated,” she explains.  

“The beauty is it opens your mind up and your sight up,” Johnathon adds, turning slightly to watch the skylark. “You are forced to slow down and look up from whatever you're doing, your phone or whatever. You have to slow your body down,” Becca says.  

They both pause for a second. “Bird watching doesn't have a particular look, it can be anyone, you know?” Johnathon concludes. “It’s very generational. It brings people together.” 

THE CLOUD SPOTTERS

Weronika and Paula are sitting on fold-up chairs in the open field. It looks suspiciously like they’re having a sit down, while the crew is beavering away photographing the other groups. The chatter dissipates so it’s just stillness. The girls are actually just looking up. “The most overrated cloud I think is nimbostratus,” Paula says to Weronika as they lean back in their chairs. “I would agree,” she says, smiling to our creative producer. “It’s a really common cloud here so it’s the most overrated.” 

Weronika and Paula are experts in the weather and clouds. “I’ve always been fascinated by clouds,” Paula explains, “ever since I was a kid”. “For me, it was because I realised that snowflakes have different shapes and sizes depending on the temperature and the pressure,” her friend says, “and so I like clouds in cold weather because you can look at the snow, the shape and the crystallisation. That's how I got into it.”

“I love cloud spotting because you can see science in real life, every day of your life,” Paula says, adjusting her sunglasses. “It's a way to disconnect, to look up, to see what the sky is all about.” 

Weronika agrees. “It gives everyone a chance to learn something new about our universe and our surroundings. And it takes you really out of this world.” 

THE STARGAZERS

It’s 10.30pm by the time we photograph Josh, Becky, Nikita and Gina. Patiently waiting for the sun to set on possibly the longest (and hottest) day of the year. Josh asks Becky if she believes in aliens as we stand on craggy rocks, telescope balanced on a chalky edge. “I think with how vast the universe is, there's just got to be life out there somewhere,” Becky smiles. She does believe in them. As does Josh.  

“I think people should get into stargazing because we need to protect the night sky. We could be the last generation to see the stars in their entirety,” Josh says.  

“And that’s a big deal because what I love about the night sky is that it's so good for my mental health,” Becky says. “It lets me disconnect from the everyday and realise there's so much else going on above my head. The fact that I’m small and don't matter, that makes me feel better about things.” 

“For me, it’s that curiosity of trying to understand our place in the universe,” Josh says, as he pulls out a planisphere from his backpack. “I love seeing people see Saturn through a telescope for the first time. Sharing in their joy is incredible,” Becky smiles. “I think the stargazing community is just one of the friendliest, most joyful communities. Everyone is so excited by the smallest of things.” 

“When the sky turns into dusk and into night, it's just the most beautiful thing ever,” Gina says, as she walks over with her friend. “For me what I like about the sky is the changing colours,” Nikita adds. “Nature is peace. And it’s serenity.” 

“It’s almost like an out-of-body experience in a way when you look up,” Becky says, adjusting the telescope. “Curiosity, wonder, beauty, they’re the words that come to mind,” Josh chimes in. We couldn’t agree more.  

If this photoshoot has taught us anything, it’s that there’s a real joy in looking up. In slowing down and appreciating. And taking yourself out of your everyday and into the natural world, even if that is your local park. Something these hobbyists do in spades.  

Inspired to get out and start looking up? We'll have guides to these four hobbies in our shops and you can look at our social channels for your starter pack how-tos. Then put your phone down, head out and tell us what you find.