In at the Deep End

 

I am working on a new project. I got the idea while preparing an application for a bursary and while my application wasn't successful, I wanted to continue with the project regardless. As soon as I had written the proposal and shaped my ideas behind it, I knew I had to do it.

I have been debating whether to show any of the work-in-progress I have made so far. The project and the way I'm taking the photos is different from what I have been working on for years and while it still has something of the fragmentary and every day that you can see in some of my other work, it is an alien thing, which makes me feel insecure and vulnerable, not just about shooting it in the first place but also about sharing it with anyone. There is this voice in the back of my mind asking "what if none of it is any good?"

I suppose that's the inherent risk with anything creative we might take on and usually there is no way to know until we see it through. Sometimes maybe not even then.
I took a chance and applied for the bursary for example, which didn't come through and maybe that knocked my confidence a little, too.

But for a while I have been in my comfort zone and longed to push myself a bit more. While this isn't the kind of experimentation I thought I would do, I'm finding the process just as interesting as I am finding it daunting. If nothing else, I hope I will have learned something about myself and photography by the end of it.

- Lea

 

New Growth

 

I’ve surprised myself this spring. After years of mostly shooting with film cameras, I’ve gone back to digital.

I haven’t given up on or abandoned film but due to issues with low stock and the increasing cost of film and developing that has made the future of film photography seem suddenly uncertain, I realised I needed something in addition to my analogue set-up so I could continue to do the work I wanted without being held back.

The slowness, the grain and not least the mindful aspect of shooting and working with film has been integral to my work for years. But I have also felt myself increasingly limited by the slowness of manual settings and the less-than-versatile speed of whatever roll I’m shooting, as well as yet more price hikes, and it’s made me think twice about whether a shot should be taken and prevented me from taking chances, experimenting and shooting as freely as I would like without worrying about the risk of failure or the cost involved.

Technology is important to the extent that it will allow me to create the images I want and so I have chosen a camera that can compliment what I’m already working on with film, while giving me just a few more options for creativity and experimentation. I’ve never been a gearhead but in terms of a tool, I’m looking forward to finding out what the new camera might be able to provide as I move forward with photography.

- Lea

London, May 2023

 

New in Print

 

Photo credit: WorkHorse Collective

This week I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the launch of WorkHorse Collective's latest WerkHaus Zine that I'm featured in, this time under the theme of "Wild Things". I also had the anticipatory pleasure of waiting for my copies to arrive in the post and then the surge of pride as I saw my own photograph along with the other featured work.

I was featured in issue 2: Still Life after I saw an open call out for submissions during lockdown and I have been very happy about working with WorkHorse Collective again and to have work in issue #4.

If you like photo zines or contemporary photography, I can definitely recommend getting a copy, as I think this latest issue is the best one yet.

You can buy the newest zine, as well as past issues on their website here:
https://workhorsecollective.co.uk/

- Lea

 

News Update

 


2022 was a year taken up with a multitude of things, including trips to Yorkshire, Sweden and Denmark but was a bit of a quiet year photography wise. In terms of creative work 2023 seems to be making a comeback and I have few pieces of recent news to share:

Analogue Wonderland shared a few of my photographs on their Instagram account back in December as part of their regular Sunday Feature. You can find the Instagram post here and if you would like to see the full set of images I have now added them to the projects page on the website here.

Ilford Photo runs a monthly series of interviews with photographers on their website and for their 66th interview they are featuring me, alongside some of my B&W film work. You can find the interview here if you would like to read it.
Taking part in the interview made me realise I haven’t shown any of my B&W photography on the website so far, so I will make sure to change that in future.

In non-photography related news, I’m also thrilled to share that I have recently been shortlisted for The Disabled Poets Prize 2023 for my poem Paper Houses. The prize announcement is taking place on 18 March at the Deptford Literature Festival and is livestreamed, BSL interpreted and live captioned. If you would like to attend the online announcement you can do so here.

Update: The poem won 2nd placed at The Disabled Poetrs Prize 2023, which mean I can now add award winning poet to the list of ways I could describe myself.

- Lea