“A consequence of female self-love is that the woman grows convinced of social worth. Her love for her body will be unqualified, which is the basis of female identification. If a woman loves her own body, she doesn't grudge what other women do with theirs; if she loves femaleness, she champions its rights. It's true what they say about women: Women are insatiable. We are greedy. Our appetites do need to be controlled if things are to stay in place. If the world were ours too, if we believed we could get away with it, we would ask for more love, more sex, more money, more commitment to children, more food, more care. These sexual, emotional, and physical demands would begin to extend to social demands: payment for care of the elderly, parental leave, childcare, etc. The force of female desire would be so great that society would truly have to reckon with what women want, in bed and in the world.”
― Naomi Wolf, The Beauty Myth
The whole of the moon..
I spoke about wings
You just flew
I wondered, I guessed and I tried
You just knew
I sighed
But you swooned, I saw the crescent
You saw the whole of the moon
The whole of the moon… // The Waterboys
The invisible web of stories...
“The universe is one being.
Everything and everyone is interconnected through an invisible web of stories.
Whether we are aware of it or not, we are all in a silent conversation.
Do no harm.
Practise compassion.
And do not gossip behind anyone's back - not even seemingly innocent remark!
The words that come out of our mouth do not vanish but are perpetually stored in infinite space, and they will come back to us in due time.
One man's pain will hurt us all.
One man's joy will make everyone smile.” —Elif Safak
Being human...
There are truths that last because there are aspects of the human condition which remain constant… portrait sessions with me in south east London ♡
Who are we?
What are portraits made of? To find out please get in touch…♡
Start where you are...
“You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” C S Lewis
Turning you into pictures...
A set of photos created for a local singer/songwriter/therapist who needed a set of photos that bridged the gap between the corporate world and the ‘feeling’ world of being an artist and therapist….
Take the power to walk in the forest and be a part of nature...
Look one of three from a recent personal branding photo session with local singer/songwriter/therapist who was looking to update her website… pls DM me to find out more about about creating bespoke images for your business…♡
Begin at the beginning...
“Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell a story... Make some light.” — Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux.
Portrait sessions with me this September — letting pictures tell your story — pls DM me to find out more... ♡
begin at the beginning…
Lean into the memory...
“She leans into the memory. She stares. She concentrates. What IS it that's she's looking for, trying to get straight at last?” ― Vivian Gornick, The Situation and the Story: The Art of Personal Narrative
Your life is a story — please DM to find out more about how i can document it through my photography and turn your sentiments into pictures ♡
You must learn one thing...
“You must learn one thing:
the world was made to be free in.
Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.” ― David Whyte
Things i love...
One of the things that I love most about documenting families is coming back again each year -- telling your story and capturing your emotions as your family grows up and giving you everlasting memories is one of my favourite things.
Words of wisdom...
From my photo session with the artist Caroline Coon.... pls read her beautiful words of wisdom:
“On 5th August 2016, a white male Der Spiegle journalist aged 45 asked me this, a question fixed in status quo prejudice of independent women: “And your life now, how do you feel about it? You are not married. You have not had children. Do you feel any bitterness?”*
Since I understand journalism and the limitations of print, here is a full answer to this man’s question:
“My life has been blessed. Looking back at both the splendours and miseries I can only be profoundly thankful.
I have benefited from the political and social revolutionary struggles that have provided me with many enlightened, human, civil and legal rights.
I have been free to choose whether or not to get married.
I have been free to choose whether or not to have children.
I have been free to choose whether or not to have abortions.
I have been free to choose my sexual orientations.
I have been free to choose whether or not to have lovers.
Free speech and feminism have given me the freedom to be an artist.
For women in the West there has never been a better time, my lifetime, to live.
My life has been of my own volition.
My life has been everything I wanted it to be, and more.
My life is the antonym of bitterness!
To live my life truly and effectively I gave up the idea that I could, considering my limited talent, trying with hope to better my skills, also be financially wealthy.
To live my own life according to my own independent vision was, and is, richesse a plenty – to which I owe my happiness.
And, as far as I can, for the rest of my life, I intend to support all those who are steadfastly holding on to and improving and furthering this happy, liberationist and humanist agenda.””— Caroline Coon, artist
*Verbitterung?
Caroline Coon, artist
A few things I look for...
👋... here are a few things I look for when taking photos: the in between moments, beauty in the ordinary, the pauses, the spaces...
What do you look for in a photographer?
1 – Image quality/style? The quality of a photographer's portfolio should be the first thing that captures your attention. ...
2 – Personality? You put a lot of trust and faith in a photographer. ...
3 – Value for money/cost? ...
4 – Experience? ...
5 – Recommendations/Word of Mouth?.
Rain Dance
It's looking like a perfect storm
Waiting for the clouds to open
Don't get wet and don't get caught
When it rains it pours — The Lions, When It Rains
Raindance — self portrait
The Silent Revolution
“People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.”
Kent M Keith, The Paradoxical Commandments (The Silent Revolution)
Let the conversation begin...
Family photo sessions with me this summer. Let the conversation begin - send me your dates and what you're after and lets capture some memories for all time...
Performance
“Set up a situation that presents you with something slightly beyond your reach”
“Photo sessions with me // Whether you are an artist, a musician, a dancer, an entrepreneur, or you need a photo for your 'about me' page on your website, or simply a new Linkedin photo, I would love to hear from you.
From a session with local fitness trainer Rob Solly
I create bespoke imagery full of heart that reflects your unique needs and personality // please call me to start the conversation...
Floral prints by me...
“Dare to be naïve.” ― Richard Buckminster Fuller
I’ll be stocking my online shop soon with floral delights — giclée printed on fine art paper 325gsm hahnemuhle photo rag…
