I'm no fashion photographer but I enjoyed a chilly shoot in Bristol's Ashton Court at the weekend to photograph the new hoop scarf range by my friends Forage Design.
A fun time was had by all, though we were happy to get into the warm to complete the indoor shots! Selected images below. Do check out www.foragedesign.com too - they have a wonderful range of jewellery, scarves, bags, hats and more that would make ideal Christmas presents. Thanks to my gorgeous model, Florence May.
1 Comment
I'm offering a 16"x12" print on top quality FujiFilm Crystal Archive digital photographic paper, with frame, mount and all P&P included for the ludicrous price of £40!
Choose any image from this site, select matt or gloss and frame it in either black, white or natural wood-effect (see photos for examples) 1 for £40, 2 for £70 or 3 for £100 - stock up for Christmas! Please note - these frames are not solid wood and use perspex rather than glass, hence the cheaper price. A range of other sizes/framing options are available too and the below are just examples - get in touch for more info! So, so gorgeous... Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo. “We do not belong to those who only get their thought from books, or at the prompting of books, -- it is our custom to think in the open air, walking, leaping, climbing, or dancing on lonesome mountains by preference, or close to the sea, where even the paths become thoughtful.” - NIetzsche That magic moment, suspended forever in monochrome, where they actually could fly. Their whole bodies grinning with the sheer thrill of it. Salty sea air and a leap of faith.
Some of my favourite things combined. Colourful houses in my beloved Bristol, seen through the remains of a pint of cider on a warm sunny day and transmogrified into a fake polaroid (such a guilty pleasure!)... I've come over all nostalgic and it was only last month!
Sometimes it's good to break away from your usual style and experiment, just for the hell of it.
This week I've enjoyed playing around with some more abstract ideas, in line with my reflective mood. They feel quite fluid and dreamlike - a contrast to my usual need to accurately document places and faces. These ones began life as the shadows my houseplants cast as mid-August evening sunlight poured in. The air feels like Autumn today, and the notion of summer sunshine seems dreamlike in itself... "99 is not 100"
I was utterly floored by Lucy Walker's documentary film Waste Land recently. This amazing work was nominated for Best Documentary at the Oscars. Criminally it didn't win, but it HAS picked up a string of well-deserved awards including at Sundance and the Amnesty International Human Rights Film award at the Berlin Film Festival. I loved it. Can't stress it enough. My little heart ached, danced, giggled, raced and broke all in a few short hours. Afterwards I was exhausted and wanted to sit quietly and gather my thoughts. I challenge you to feel nothing as your eye scans the man-made rubbish mountain; as a woman speaks of finding a dead baby amongst the trash and her own son dying aged three; as you're reminded of the resilience, strength, dignity and humour human beings are capable of even in the most devastating of circumstances. The participatory nature of the art project (which the film documents) struck a chord. It belongs to them all, from rubbish collector to world-famous artist. Each is integral to its success. Each one has hopes, dreams, fears and pride. Do watch it if you can, please, and let me know your thoughts... Seamus Murphy is a poet with a camera who has captured the essence of life in one of the oldest countries in the world. It is a humanistic view of a misunderstood country and a rare glimpse into the Nations soul" said Phillip Jones Griffiths and I couldn't agree more. Beautiful and well worth half an hour of anyone's time. Visit: A Darkness Visible I love this piece from the Invisible Photographer Asia blog
Bruce said - "Man, the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system" They said -At the end of the day, photography is never about the craft and the tools, it’s about humanity" Read it in full here - www.invisiblephotographer.asia/2011/05/28/brucelee-tao-of-photography A Marvel of Ants by Bence Máté I went to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition recently at the Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery. Just stunning as always. I urge you to check it out. It's on 'til June 5th and, as if you needed another reason to love Bristol, it's absolutely FREE (it cost about a tenner if you visited the exhibition in that London...!). The Frozen Moment by Fergus Gill (15-17 yrs category) Some of the images are mind-bendingly gorgeous, and the youth categories are particularly impressive - if I can make images like that when I'm 60 I'll be happy, but these photographers range from TEN upwards! Amazing. Its next stops on tour after Bristol are Cardiff, Redcar, Paignton and Luton and you can also see all the winning images online (but they're much better big and up close!) Three of my images (below) were selected for Open Photography 2011 currently exhibiting at the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol, alongside photographers both well-known and amateur. The show looks fantastic - the volume, quality and variety of work is incredible and it's an honour to be involved. Most works are for sale and most would look just lovely on my living room wall - if I actually had a living room wall at the moment! They'd definitely look good on yours though!
The show runs until April 5, with a Free Admissions day on March 12th. I highly recommend you head down there if you're anywhere nearby. Visit www.rwa.org.uk for further info. My old workplace Studio Upstairs is a truly special place. It's a unique therapeutic arts charity, dedicated to 'exploring complex human experience through the practice of art' - and finally someone has made a short film that encapsulates it's essence! Studio Upstairs is a wonderful, buzzy, creative and accepting space which helps people work through mental health problems and drug/alcohol dependencies using visual art, creative writing, drama and music in it's studios in Bristol and London. It's also criminally underfunded so if you would like to donate to it's vital work please visit www.studioupstairs.org.uk Check out the fantastic video below made by Insomnia Films and the Media Trust for a little slice of life in the Bristol studio... I just got back to the UK after a fabulous four months living and working in Nepal.
I ran a ten week participatory photography project called Mother Tongues in partnership with the Women's Foundation of Nepal (WFN) working with women living at their shelter who have been victims of extreme domestic violence. The project wasn't without it's difficulties, but overall it was a rewarding experience for all involved, with some truly stunning images created by the women (who had literally never held a camera prior to our workshops), and the creation of a postcard from their images which will be sold to generate an income for WFN and the shelter where they live I've made a site which explains the project in more detail, and contains galleries of the participants' images. Take a peek - www.mothertongues.weebly.com It's nearly that time again! There's a tacky side to Valentine's Day but, well, love's quite a nice thing really isn't it? Flowers will die and chocolates will make him/her fat. Why not show the one YOU love that it's forever with a long-lasting print of my best seller 'Love Is Forever'? You'll be spreading the love even further afield too as 15% of every Valentine's sale will be donated to the Women's Foundation of Nepal Available as a standard or panoramic print, and unframed or framed in a choice of black, natural wood or white. Get in touch to order, quick! I'm not much good at keeping this blog/news (blews?) bit up to date. Totally rubbish, in fact. I resolve to put this right in 2011 so that my Mum will have something fresh to look at when she checks my website (or is anyone else out there? Hello... is this thing on..?!) I've been busy checking out other people who are good at staying up-to-date though and have recently become a little bit obsessed with the duckrabbit blog. It's almost unfailingly witty, interesting, irreverent but relevant, to the proverbial point and bang on the proverbial mark. Blog aside, their photofilms really are something special - beautiful in their simplicity. I've been inspired to try something along similar lines. If there are any rich benefactors reading - I would really like to attend one of their training workshops when I return to the UK in a few weeks. Feel free to email me! They posted a really fantastic photofilm by photofilm.eu the other day. I loved it, so thought I'd share. Bright Brass tells the stories of three street children who play in a brass band in Kinshasa (Congo, DRC). It's beautifully made and if you can watch it without a lump in your throat then possibly you have a big chunk of coal where your heart should be. Let me know what you think. BRIGHT BRASS from www.photofilm.eu on Vimeo. I'm living in Nepal at the moment, in Boudha, just outside Kathmandu (the photo on the left shows my evening commute!) I'm volunteering with the Women's Foundation of Nepal and running a Participatory Photography project with a group of women from their shelter. The project was inspired by my attendance on an excellent training course run by PhotoVoice in London in September and it's been amazing seeing the women's excitement taking their first ever photographs... Nepal is a photographer's dream. You can check out my current set on Flickr until I manage to update this site! Please feel free to contact me if you'd like buy prints or for more information about the Participatory Photography project I am running. The sixteen Bristol A Second Look 2010 finalists have been announced and my image has made the shortlist. Taken at Blaise Castle estate in January, one of my favourite places for a head-clearing stroll in Bristol, I couldn't quite resist calling it 'Blaise of Glory'. Ahem. The brief of the competition was to produce an image that shows - * unnoticed aspects of Bristol, * what we might otherwise pass by, * the small things we might take for granted, * details with hidden interest or beauty, * places which people might not normally be able to see. Voting is open to the public until October 1st and you can vote HERE Second Look is a photographic association set up & run by volunteers. Founded in January 2008 by six Bristol photographers, Second Look is intended to promote creative photography by organising events, and providing a showcase for photographic practice. They hope to raise the profile of photography as a public art form and to provide a platform for photographers to promote and develop their work. I'm of no fixed abode at the moment, housesitting my way around the UK, and I'm really enjoying how much it stirs me to take new photographs and experiment. The simplicity of a tiny new shoot on a mossy tree in Wales; the peaceful bits of London; lazing cats; the way a candle lights a glass of white wine… New surroundings always lead to inspiration and insights for me, and I've been getting some interesting shots, and having some interesting realisations about past, present and future! It's also a reminder of the importance of balance in life - to be able to adapt as readily to ones surroundings whether it be urban sprawl and smog or the life-affirming green and fresh air of my homeland Wales… Oh and if anyone needs a house / pet sitter in September, get in touch! 'Me & Dad' from The Dad Project by Briony Campbell Whenever I'm in central London, I visit the wonderful Photographers Gallery - it's tucked away just off Oxford Street and is a delicious haven away from the madness. Coffee, cake, photography - what more could I wish for? Last month I checked out the Fresh Faced & Wild Eyed 2010 show - an annual competition for recent graduates - and was moved almost to tears by the startlingly honest and brave Dad Project by Briony Campbell. In it, she documents her final weeks, days, hours and eventually seconds with her Dad - ‘This is the story of an ending without an ending. This is a relationship I am still exploring. This is my attempt to say goodbye to my dad, with the help of my camera. Being a good daughter to my dying dad was tricky. I struggled to find the right balance between dedication to his needs and distraction from my grief. At first, the idea of introducing a camera into this already un-resolvable equation seemed unwise, but eventually I think it became the solution.’ In the wrong hands, these types of projects can make you cringe for all involved but Briony's juxtaposition of words and images, displayed simply but beautifully, really struck a chord. Keen to see more of her work, I checked out her website - www.brionycampbell.com - and discovered plenty more where that came from. A collection of bold, colourful and brave images. There is a solemness to her work, and yet often a slightly cheeky undertone. Her strength lies in her portraits - she seems to really capture the very essence of her subjects and I find myself returning again and again to her documentation of her travels in Africa, amongst others other beautiful images. Have a look for yourself - let me know what you think. Bristol seems to be awash with amazing photographers at the moment, so it seems only fitting that we should be in the middle of the first ever Bristol Festival of Photography (or Bee-Fop as I like to call it).
Venues all over town are taking part and there's some stunning work. There are only a few days left now but check the website for more info - www.bfop.org Welcome to my new website and blog! I've tried to keep it as simple as possible, to let the images speak for themselves. I'd love to hear your feedback. In this 'ere blog section, I plan to add snippets of images, music, videos, news, views - anything that seems worth sharing, but certainly not a rambling account of my day. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. |
Very occasional updates, recent work, news & views.... Connect with me on Twitter or Facebook for more up-to-date thoughts and happenings!. Categories
All
|