The clocks have fairly recently jumped forward an hour here in the UK, to be honest I wish they could stay this way, I really love the light evenings, I don’t think it’s just me right? All we’re waiting for next is a little spike in temperature and spring will soon be here. Patience I guess, we’ll get there.
With spring around the corner, this is often a time for fresh ideas and sometimes the impetus to produce new work. I’ve often enjoyed this time of year for creating portraits. We’re not quite so wrapped up and cold, people are more liable to stop for five minutes, an opportunity to create a portrait or two in the warm sunlight, or the soft ethereal light that arrives at dusk. With this in mind I wanted to share a selection of portraits I’ve been fortunate enough to create, some of my favourites perhaps. Enjoy looking through.
Dareniesha / Vernon English the 4th - LA Diary
James Gist, Yurok / Yurok Children, in between fishing - Reclaiming the River
Riikka Karppininen / Tim Helle - The North Chose Us
Above are a selection of portraits from three different projects, though with a similar aesthetic, even with the varied locations they seemingly sit well together. I really love the lighting that was present at these settings, these images are very reflective of the quiet, gentle style of portraiture I love to create.
Water collection point portraits - Day Zero
Embera Portraits, Panama - Being Embera
I really enjoy creating portraiture with this grid format of showing the work in mind, this continuity of background allows us to focus more on the individuals, their subtle differences in posture, clothing, or the items they carry with them. The first set are from the project, Day Zero, which looked at the fresh water crises, in this instance the focus was Cape Town, South Africa. The second set shows individuals from the indigenous Embera community in Panama. From a wider project titled, Being Embera.
Farming family, Nicaragua
Traditional Smokehouse / Willard Carlson - Reclaiming the River
I’m very fortunate to work with some amazing individuals at the indigenous led charity If Not Us Then Who? which I have supported and been a part of since in its inception in 2013, in my role as Director of Photography - mentoring and supporting indigenous photographic talent with their practices. During this time I have been invited to many wonderful communities and made some beautiful friendships along the way. When you have a moment please do peruse the If Not Us Then Who? website, learning more of the organisation and the storytellers we support. These portraits are from previous projects I have worked on with this thoughtful charity.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Tate Modern
Artist Sally Muir at her home studio
Uzbek potter, Akbar Rakhimov - The Silk Road
I’ve been fortunate to meet and create a number of portraits with some really interesting artists, I love the process of creating a sequence of images with these creatives, at their studio or among their work, images that give an insight into their worlds, they’re always such wonderful environments to draw ideas from.
Fashion Designer, Nick Ashley
Marylou Anderson - The Song of the Owl
Being out in nature is very grounding, there are connections in the natural world for us all, natural environments are able to shift our mental outlook. I really enjoy walking with individuals and learning of the land they have an affinity with, their connections to these environments. These images above were from two very different commissions, though both were equally compelling moments for me perhaps for slightly different reasons, both individuals love for the land was the common thread.
Jake in the woods - Listen to your Song
Noah - Listen to your Song
I have two sons who I love dearly, we spend a lot of time together and very much enjoy prolonged periods of time immersed in the natural world. Walking, wild swimming, camping under the stars, and fleeting spur of the moment trips away. The last few years have seen me documenting some of those moments, these two portraits are from this time. A working title for this body of work is - Listen to your Song. I have shared some of this work online over the last year, I hope to share more soon.
Thank you for letting me share some of my work with you. If you liked what you saw, my website covers most of the projects mentioned in more detail, with more examples of my portraiture alongside other imagery.
Please reach out if you would like to collaborate, commission or share any thoughts. Until the next newsletter / publication, enjoy the upcoming spring months.
Thanks Joel.
Your work is out of this world. Thanks for sharing.
Seu trabalho é incrível e inspirador, os textos me conecta juntos a imagens, a luz me transmite poesia. Bom trabalhar com você e aprender sempre mais em minhas produções,você é uma grande referência para mim, obrigado por partilhar conhecimentos joel.