about me
In so many ways, my love of photography comes from my lived experience.
Working with people on their journey, riding the highs, clawing back from the lows. We’re all growing and photography gives us a voice to be able to tell of the connections we value the most.
Like most of us, I’ve always taken pictures. From disposable cameras, APS, (which existed in my life as briefly as my mini disc player) my first compact digital camera and of course, a venture back to polaroid. Sometimes I reflect on the boxes of film I had developed in my later teens and how I disregarded so many pictures as not ‘good enough’ to blutack on to my uni room wall. Yet now, despite having no idea where so many of these ended up, I know I would love them. For their messiness and grain and imperfection.
For all of it.
For me, photography answers an overwhelming urge to tell the story, to turn the feeling into something tangible, something longer term.
Our access to photography these days is phenomenal. We can feel the feeling and have the picture in seconds and I am here for it. I have tens of thousands of pictures on my iphone and I’m not sorry.
Yet there is another perspective, one that says you know what, you can’t be everywhere. Whether you’re parenting kids or running an event or building a business, having someone to support that documentation is not only incredibly helpful, it can result in something magic. By bringing me in as your photographer, you’ll finally see the whole picture.
“Yeah,
still you said be yourself, You'll turn out alright”
Roo Panes - ‘Little Giant’
On my personal camera roll…
When people ask my about my style of photography…
I’m a lover of deep contrast. No matter the project we are working on together, I am looking to bring out the depth of your story in your images.
I’m also here to offer variety - we don’t all need the same things at the same time.
I love movement and blur, to me there’s no such thing as a perfect or imperfect photograph.
There are only photographs.
working with me…
My aim is to make it as easy as possible and to me, this whole thing is a partnership. I know that it’s hard handing over control of how your image is taken, I know that kids get sick and things will need to change, and I know that different people will need different things on different days.
I totally get the juggle. I’m a mum of two boys who I’d say are small, but they’re not really these days. I was a teacher for 16 years, working my way from the early days as an NQT to finishing in senior leadership and I’ve made some big life changes to be able to build this business from scratch.
I volunteer as a trustee for international adoption charity Blue Bear Family Foundation and for mental health charity York MIND. I feel like there is very little I haven't seen in terms of children and people. Though of course, I know to never say never! I love to be outside, and I’ve never valued this as much as I do since the pandemic. I read a lot, I shop too much, and am happiest when by the sea.
Alongside my building my business, I recently completed an MFA degree in photography. Going back to uni after years as a teacher was both tough and completely mind-blowing - the things I learnt about myself and the world went far beyond anything I could have predicted. I’m a big advocate for lifelong learning, what we need to stretch and challenge us changes and this has a big impact on my thinking around photography and ultimately on my approach to working with you.
My MFA research specifically focused on photography and motherhood. It’s a huge conversation and one that I'm so passionate about - it’s vital and I firmly believe we need to be having it. I write more about this on my instagram page - pop over and follow me here.
You can also read more about how my final research project did not end up going the way I expected, and what I learnt from that here.
Things I am - open / adventurous / messy / a lover of a strong chord change / flexible (less so physically!) / nostalgic / full of feeling / a noticer of tiny moments / a seeker of balance / happy in the company of dogs / a wearer of nordic socks in all seasons
Things I’m not - uptight / judgmental / into awkward posing / a person who can stand ketchup / a lover of standing in a cold swimming pool with my kids / a person who’s hair can cope with any level of humidity / yet completely convinced about whatsapp voice notes
