Two of Norfolk’s best-known photographers have teamed up to stage an exhibition of images capturing the county’s unique landscape.

Entitled PhotoEclectic, the show opens at St Margaret’s Church, Norwich on April 25 and features work by former Professional Photographer of the Year David Morris and John Higgins, who specialises in panoramic images capturing 360 degree views of scenes ranging from Norwich city centre, to the rugged north Norfolk coastline.

The pair decided to join forces after meeting at Cromer’s Garden House Gallery, where they are both artists in residence.

“Although we photograph many of the same places, our approach is very different,” John said. “But, because we are both fascinated by Norfolk’s amazing and captivating light and we both try to get that unique take on what might be a very familiar scene, I think our work complements one another’s perfectly.”

David, who was named Professional Photographer of the Year in 2009, last year won the reportage section of the Black and White Photographer of the Year competition for his image of a pair of Cotswolds sheep farmers.

Work by David featured in the exhibition includes landscapes ranging from a black and white image of foaming waves battering the rocks on Norfolk’s rugged coastline, to a photograph of a storm-filled sky looming over Cromer Pier, as well as a selection of images from an ongoing European “Bar Life” project.

“I am an available light photographer,” David said. “And that means that I work with whatever I’m given, whether it’s the glorious big light of the Norfolk coast, the misty first light of the Broads, or the dark, atmospheric interior of a smoke-filled bar in Amsterdam.”

After studying graphic design at Hull College of Art, Yorkshire-born David worked for a number of London advertising agencies before embarking on a career teaching graphic design and advertising.

He then worked as a senior lecturer at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College, before becoming a freelance lecturer.

Since moving to Cromer in 2003, David has divided his time between working at universities in the UK, Holland and Italy and concentrating on his own work.

He recently embarked on a series of portrait studies of interesting and unusual individuals at Cromer’s Red Lion Hotel, which he plans to use as a studio.

“Because the Red Lion faces the North Sea and has huge plate glass windows, the quality of light is ideal for portraits,” David said.

Norfolk-born John, who says he spent 20 years as a “computer nerd” before giving up his job as an analyst programmer to become a full-time photographer, first picked up a camera as a teenager.

“I was inspired by the Norfolk coast and countryside then and the county continues to inspire me now,” he said.

“What is wonderful about it is that It is forever changing and the spectacular skies are, quite literally, the mountains of Norfolk.”

Born to Scottish parents, John has spent many hours taking pictures on the islands of Mull, Skye, Iona and Islay, also photographing Aldeburgh and Southwold in Suffolk.

“I look for what inspires me,” he says. “Because if there is some notion I have about taking photographs, it is that if you only take pictures that others approve of, then you will never do anything original.”

John came up with the idea of a two-man show after meeting David at Cromer. “We were introduced by a local art gallery owner and, because we both take landscape photographs of the “big view”, I thought exhibiting together would work well,” he explained.

“What is nice about St Margaret’s is that it is a big venue with unusual light and I think bringing contemporary work into a Medieval setting is a fantastic idea.”