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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.
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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: |
CapturingEvie
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