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I recently acquired a projector and was able to finally view a collection of slides I had been given which were taken by my late Uncle during climbing expeditions in the 70's and 80's.
My Uncle was a strange and unfamiliar enigma to me. He was much older than my mother and we saw him quite infrequently when he made a trip to visit the family from his home in Cheshire. I know that walking and climbing was his passion and we believe he climbed all over the world including Austria and Nepal. I have heard stories about him being air lifted off a ledge after falling and breaking his shoulder but I don't remember talking to him about his travels being so young at the time. In my older years, my Uncle had become unwell due to debilitating epilepsy which had affected him since his youth and so conversations remained limited. As a child I don't think I felt any connection to my Uncle but as an adult I feel the pull of family connection and a great desire to know my history. I knew that I wanted to create something using the images he had taken. To view the places he had travelled to through his eyes, the paths he had walked and to discover whether he had a particular talent for photography that I might have inherited was exciting and thought provoking. It was quite mysterious and haunting to see the photographs projected onto the walls of my studio. There were no images of my uncle at all, which I guess was to be expected; just incredible views - it was like looking out through his eyes onto beautiful landscapes I had never seen before. I wanted to connect with this somehow and become part of this history. Here are my images:
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The chilly mornings have arrived so it has been pleasing to take 5 minutes to reflect on a wonderful, if all too brief, break in Dubrovnik, which marked the end of summer and my return to work.
Against a backdrop of immense green mountains, the turquoise waters and grand domes are the stuff of postcards - hence the huge popularity of the city with visitors. However, if you can see past the huge numbers of tourists, there are as many tiny details to behold which are equally as gratifying. Not usually one for cityscapes, I was notably drawn to the ancient walls of the famous Old Town and inspired by the juxtaposition between the man made structures and the natural wonders of the surrounding landscape. The smooth polished limestone against blue sky, small plants finding life between the vast brickwork, swifts curling through the straight narrow streets.... Rainy days are a great opportunity to look back at what I have been doing over the last few months. Whilst doing this I came across images from one of my favourite days back in June, which I slightly overlooked because I was so busy either side. Often the simplest things, like a walk along the estuary with one of your favourite people are absolutely the best things. All images ©NicolaParry
Jacqui was the winning bidder on my Leigh Art Trail Secret auction commission and she was keen to have a portrait which evoked the work she had viewed in the trail. When discussing the brief for the piece I was very excited that Jacqui was keen to have a figurative image which expressed her as a mother. This was a huge decision for her to make; as I am sure is the same for most of us, to put ourselves in such a vulnerable situation with our body on display is a very frightening prospect. We often talk about the force fed images of perfection in the media but there are certain inevitabilities of pregnancy and childbirth which are a part of our physical history and should be celebrated. As a mother of three boys, the youngest being 18 months old, Jacqui looks incredible. She wanted to celebrate the fact that her body has facilitated her beautiful family which I find both heartening and empowering. We discussed how we could capture this in a way that Jacqui felt comfortable and which was not graphic. Just a simple, beautiful image which could be combined with some of her favourite flowers. In a short and private session we were able to achieve exactly this I am so very pleased that Jacqui feels happy for me to share one of these images. 'After chatting with Nicola, it soon became clear that I wanted something that celebrated my body and the changes to it since becoming a mum...
I loved the idea of it but when it came to the 'sitting' I was a little bit terrified... However, Nicola was very patient and kind; she listened to me, reassured me and gave me time... she [then] guided me gently into poses I felt comfortable with... I am so pleased with the final images that she has created. I feel like she listened and understood what it was that I wanted and created pictures that expressed it beautifully.' Jacqui. Panorama, tonight on BBC1 @8.30pm meets families who spend their lives caring for children with complex disabilities. The Wright family, whom I have been following for the last 9 months, is a family who deal with these issues every day and struggle with limited resources to provide the everyday care and experiences we all take for granted. Last week I was able to accompany the family on a camping trip in the woods and I was completely in awe of the organisation, team work and commitment I observed to make a trip such as this possible. I personally find the planning and packing for such a weekend taxing enough with two young children of my own but to be able to plan for and achieve such a task with an additional child with severe complex needs who requires 24 hour care is unimaginable. Sleeping, feeding, changing, medication, washing, access are just a few of the things to be considered and the extra equipment to make it possible must have made a list as long as the motorway we journeyed on to get there. When looking at these images and on watching the Panorama programme, perhaps we might all think about the unexpected impact on their lives when their children were born and consider the support needed to make these and other such simple and valuable family experiences possible for them.
My initial workings for her portrait were based on research about her name and on the basic things she had told me about herself via our correspondence. I was able to listen to the music she produces before we met which I felt was a great insight into her artistic soul. When I met Raven, she had great depth of character and it was a pleasure learning about her life, her passions and her values. Whilst we chatted I took some natural photographs and set up a few poses. I then took some long exposure shots to capture some movement and texture. The session was relaxed, fun and very informal - a real pleasure. I then set about choosing images and piecing them together to form a representation of Raven as I had interpreted her. I created quite a few drafts over a week and then left these for a few days. On returning to work on them, I scrutinised each draft and gathered my favourite elements together to create the final image..... but I occasionally do the odd wedding for friends. It is a real honour to be trusted with such responsibility and although the pressure is on, the images are very rewarding, particularly when your loved ones are the main focus. So it was lovely to have my images featured in the blog of The Old Parish Rooms - a beautiful, intimate venue in Rayleigh, Essex. You can read it HERE.
Well, I've not created a blog post for quite a while.
I have been busy updating my website and have transferred my blog over; so welcome, or welcome back to CapturingEvie! For any new followers, my blog started with my desire to capture the essence of my beautiful daughter, Evie and the life sphere that encompasses her, on camera. This little sphere now also includes my son and, because I often explore my photographic work through the everyday activities and places we visit together, the blog has evolved to encompass my general photographic exploration and development. To enjoy, inspire and to set the scene for future posts, a little image of the children in the 'garden' with their Nanny from our most recent visit to North Essex... |
CapturingEvie
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