Here's Beau. We first met her a few months ago when she came into our office with Mum Penny to talk about her shoot. She sat on the sofa, feet not quite touching the floor, and talked about the things she liked to do. Me and Suzi were a bit excited when she said how much she enjoyed metal detecting. We talked about being a detectorist, and all the other adventures Beau enjoys. When we talk to kids like this, we often feel the echoes of our childhood. And when we feel this pull, we always want to incorporate these elements in a shoot. We love meeting these young adventurers. Here's Beau's Life In The Great Outdoors shoot.
At Home With Freyja
Sitting on the kitchen tiles warmed by the sun, I was taking photos of Freyja, next to the penguin doorstop, as the light streamed through the window. It's these fleeting moments that really stay with me.
I know I've said it before, (and I'm going to pre-empt now that I'm more than likely to say it again), I have been so drawn over the last few months to taking photos of children in the home they are growing up in. Freyja had crawled along the hallway, and after that journey, she rested against the kitchen door. We took these photos before she was walking, but we heard last week, she's now taking her first steps. So that journey will be a little quicker now!
Back in 2015, we took photos of Lou and Nick's (her parents) beautiful wedding. It feels such a privilege that we're invited back into lives we've documented, especially when there's a new family member!
Big Black House Design Company
you're like me, walking into Maxine's workspace is like walking into a sweet shop, it's a feast for the eyes. The orange flames of the forge are glowing, the worn wooden handles of tools are stacked neatly in boxes, and the anvil centrepiece catches the afternoon sun.
I was taking photos for a feature about Maxine and her work for the Christmas edition of WI Life. She's a blacksmith, based not too far away from Hebden Bridge, she predominately makes garden furniture and sculptures. Watching her work is meditative. The sounds of the forge as the steel rods hit the flames, and then the metallic smell fills the air as Maxine shapes it on the anvil.
If you'd like to see more of Maxine's work, you can look at her website here, she has a few shows coming up this year too and you can check the dates out on her site.
There's a short film here if you'd like to feel the forge and watch Maxine at work!
