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It is really important to me to share the stories behind these images and so here is the first.
This image taken in 2018 shows Kyle, his mother Carine and his dog, Charlie at their home in Southend-on-Sea. Carine had a normal pregnancy and carried full term but devastatingly, Kyle was starved of oxygen during childbirth which resulted in severe Quadriplegic Athetoid Cerebral Palsy. Nobody could have predicted this and Kyle’s family have had to come to terms with the loss of the life they expected for Kyle and the reality of the huge challenges they have had to face due to his medical conditions. Kyle requires 24 hour care. He cannot walk, eat, communicate or take part in any activities without the support of others and very specialist equipment like the walker in this image – things which are not easily come by and need to be fought for, begged for or fundraised for if Kyle is to be ‘able’. Sadly, this is the case for so many. Despite small changes we are still living in a society where we obsess over luxury items while others struggle for the simple facilities which enable them to fulfil their basic human rights. Carine is incredible and has battled hard to ensure that Kyle has the same opportunities that his sibling and friends enjoy. Kyle is an incredible character and is described by his mother as determined, stubborn, cheeky, feisty, adventurous, funny and clever ‘but’, she says, ‘sadly for him, he’s stuck in a body that doesn’t work for him at all.' Now 12, Kyle is as determined and fearless as ever. I have recently seen photographs of him on adapted skis in the Canadian mountains where the family have since relocated. I thank them wholeheartedly for sharing their story and hope that this image will represent those families in the UK whose lives have become something very different and far more difficult than they could have ever imagined.
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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: Tracy:
Making and maintaining friendships is not something I find easy. I met Tracy on the 'school run' with the commonality of children the same age we shared anecdotes about our morning dash and the struggles of our childrens' homework. l was lucky enough to discover the humour and kindness of a fellow mother who was unperturbed by my quiet awkwardness. Unexpectedly, on her wedding day last year, Tracy was taken ill only to discover that she had developed lung cancer. Enough to break any family, I have seen this wonderful woman plan, support and organise her family in preparation for the two major operations she went on to have, in an attempt to keep life as normal as possible. I have witnessed family and friends then rally around to care for and support her in the aftermath while she struggled to keep her head above water. From the outside, I observed Tracy emerge from this trauma with incredible strength, dignity and positivity. When she asked me to photograph her scars as part of her journey, I accepted without hesitation. A scar is a mark on the skin which is left after a wound has healed. It is a symbol of strength, courage and fragility. A lasting reminder of what has been endured to hold onto the precious things that life has to offer. To take an image of this scar, I feel, is to capture a tiny piece of Tracy's story which I too can hold on to. To me, such images have the power to become building blocks in my own life. Saddening, humbling, informative, uplifting they offer opportunities for self-reflection and self-development which I hope continue to make me a better person. Wednesday 10th October was World Mental Health Day. The subject of mental health is of huge importance to me and something which I have begun to explore through my photographic work. In our stressful lives, it is easy to isolate ourselves in an attempt to protect us from the fears and anxieties we experience; but this coping mechanism can often be counter productive. My Dad is in the process of creating a 'Men's Shed' space for people who may wish to find purpose or companionship, to come together in shared endeavour to create things, make friendships and generally support each other. Part of the process involved in creating this space is to convert a section of his barn into a workshop, for which he needed to concrete the floor. Concrete is strong, secure, unfaltering, tough; some of the things that we may strive to be to cope with everyday pressures. However, the best way to make concrete, it seems is with planning, support, effort and time. This weekend, my Dad organised a work party of friends and family to help to concrete the barn floor. He had the right materials, he set time aside to concentrate on the job and then enlisted some much needed support. With a promise of bacon rolls and strong tea, the willing workers set about the tasks they were given with positive energy and smiles on their faces. Together, they communicated, laboured, mixed, poured and shaped the fluid concrete, leaving behind a smooth and settled expanse (and a few biscuit crumbs). So, the little message for us all: We may not always feel it, but we all have the ability to find strength inside us. We just might need to make the time and ask for support for it to become concrete. For support or information about mental health visit https://www.mind.org.uk UK Mens Sheds Association are the support body for Men's Sheds across the UK. Men’s Sheds (or Sheds) are similar to garden sheds – a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making and mending. The difference is that garden sheds and their activities are often solitary in nature while Men’s Sheds are the opposite. They’re about social connections and friendship building, sharing skills and knowledge, and of course a lot of laughter. 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. It was incredible to shortlisted by FotoDocument for the Marilyn Stafford Fotoreportage Award in association with Olympus.
For those that are not already aware, I wanted to show in more detail the project I have been working and the incredibly important issues it raises. Mr Wright started out as a project of personal discovery and quickly became a photo essay, documenting the joys and struggles of a family with a child who has severe and life limiting disability. When planning my project I was very lucky to make contact with Rachel Wright who writes, speaks and trains professionals who care for children with disabilities. As a nurse, she has a wealth of knowledge and as a mother of a child born with severe cerebral palsy, a wealth of experience. The incredible Wright family took the difficult decision to openly allow me to observe their intimate daily life and show with great honesty how unexpectedly different life is for them and many families like them. I am continuing to document the unimaginable 24 hourly challenges they face every day which are becoming frighteningly more substantial due to declining services and funding for support. My project has also brought me into contact with the Disabled Children's Partnership (DCP) who are a coalition of charities who support families such as the Wrights and I hope that my images will inspire you to support their campaign; The secret life of us. Some images from the shortlisted photo essay, Mr Wright:
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... |
CapturingEvie
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