WE ARE; The RPS Women in Photography Magazine June 2023

WE

Muralla Roja © Linda Wride

RPS WIP Committee

Chair: Teri Walker

Events/Online Talks: Emma Le Blanc

WE ARE Assistant Editor: Alice Chapman

WE ARE Designer: Allyson Klein

WE ARE Production Assistant: Poppy French

WE ARE Editor: Vacant

Website and Facebook: Sue Wright

Member w/out Portfolio: Frankie MacEachen

Member Advisor: Julie Derbyshire

Social Media - Instagram: Victoria Stokes

WSPOTY Development

Irina Petrova Adamatzky

The RPS Women in Photography (WIP) Group’s objective is to facilitate the celebration, education and collaboration of female and female identifying photographers.

We are not a genre. These are our stories. We are the discussion that drives a greater awareness of the importance of women photographers past, present and future.

Membership to the WIP group is available exclusively to RPS members.

Visit our website for more information about who we are and what we do.

www.rps.org/womeninphotography

©2023 All rights reserved on behalf of the article contributors. No part of this publication may be reproduced or copied in any form without the express written permission of the RPS Women in Photography Group Editor and the copyright holder.

In This Issue

5 June Cover Runner-Ups

6 The Meaning of Being Different

By Debbie Todd, WIP Member

12 Eye Mama: Poetic Truths of Home and Motherhood

An interview with Karni Arieli

27 June Cover Runner-Ups

28 Washed Up

A photography exhibition by Wendy Carrig, WIP Member

30 Deadheading: A Representation of Self

By Clare Park, WIP Member

40 Exploring the Female Identity

An interview with Rŷanna Allen

48 A Visit to the Chin People of Myanmar

By

Thin Thin

Yee,

WIP Member

54 How to do Bubble Photography

By Kelly Zhang, WIP Member

From the Women in Photography Group

Welcome to the June 2023 issue of WE ARE Magazine.

I’d like to begin by thanking all of the Women in Photography members who entered our June Covers Competition to have their images featured on our covers this issue. Congratulations to Linda Wride whose image Muralla Roja was chosen for the front cover and to Debbie Todd whose image Tilly Keep Your Hands To Yourself features on our back cover. For the competition, we asked our members to shortlist ten images by voting and then the magazine team chose the final two. To celebrate those who were shortlisted, we are pleased to include those images on pages 5 and 27.

This is such an exciting special interest group within the RPS. With more than 50% growth in membership since this time last year, we are one of the fastest growing groups in the society. There have always been women in the RPS going back to the early days including the renowned British photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Women photographers are key to the ongoing success of the RPS and we’d like to thank all of our members who have been with the RPS and joined our group as well as those photographers who have joined the RPS just so they could become a WIP member. It’s important that we continue to focus on female and female identifying photographers if we’re going to gain gender parity in this industry. Thank you to everyone who supports us in the work that we do.

I hope that you enjoy the articles in this issue. Please do get in touch if you have any recommendations for articles for future issues by emailing me at wipchair@rps.org

All the best,

Teri Walker Chair, RPS Women in Photography

June Cover Runner-Ups

Two Way From a Square Foot of Sky © Clare Park

Julie Neptune Brewery from Brewsters focused on women in the North of England working in beer © Marge Bradshaw

Self Portrait with Reflected Light © Anastasia Potekhina

Confetti Wings © Linda Bembridge

The Meaning of Being Different

By Debbie Todd | Images © Debbie Todd

What does it mean to be different? How would you feel if you never saw anyone who represented how you look or feel in the world around you? This thought inspired me to create a project around people with differences and disabilities to start the conversation of inclusion within photography.

I tend to photograph people who look “different” as I love to see what makes us unique and I was just sick and tired of seeing people who all looked the same. Studying photography has reinforced my thoughts and I did my final major project looking at idioms and sayings and how they relate to people living in the world around us

For years, people with disabilities have been cast

into the shadows, and although it is getting better, disabled people make up a small percentage of the modelling world. So, what exactly is a model? A body that is used by an artist to create work? A person who represents the ideal human stereotype? Thankfully the world is moving towards a more realistic idea of how humanity is seen. The use of social media means that people who would never have been represented by the media are now coming to light on their own private platforms, and the majority of the world is loving it.

Modelling agencies are now being created especially for those who don’t look like the usual representation of the human form - international agency Zebedee for example. People who never

thought they were model material are now finding the confidence to put themselves out there. This needs to be encouraged and nurtured as it is a basic human right to be yourself and be seen and accepted within society and it also promotes inclusion.

To me, models can be anyone but historically they have been the body beautiful. Looking back at the models that donned the catwalks in the past, we are heading in a much more healthy and realistic direction.

The Meaning of Being Different project was based on the fundamentals that everyone, without exception, can be a model. If you have a body (no matter how different it is from the norm)

you should be represented. Representation of a diverse range of people encourages acceptance and inclusion and breaks down barriers, not just in the photographic world but within society.

Some of these barriers can be language and this project explores idioms that have been used for centuries. Sayings such as "keep your hair on” is a common expression when someone is in a panic. Hannah Harpin has no hair so how might this affect her? This is not to say don’t use these sayings, but consider that not everyone has hair, but they still need to be represented. Some of the sayings are tongue in cheek and others have a deeper meaning such as the image of Jono holding a skull that depicts the idiom "a face only a mother could love". This idiom is perfect to

represent his feelings as his parents left him at the hospital after his birth, but his adoptive mother chose him as she loved his face, so it has a double meaning.

I have been working on this project for almost a year now and photographed around 50 people from around the UK. It started out as the basis for my Final Major Project and contributed in my receiving a first-class honour. I have now carried on with it during my master's degree at the Northern School of Art. It has been shown as a series and individual images at several exhibitions and publications. The work has been shortlisted for awards such as the AOP student awards, the Photography Show Diversity Award and highly commended for the Bar-Tur Student award 2022.

I aim to cover as many people as possible and would love it to be exhibited more and eventually to make it into a photobook which will share a bit more information about the subjects and their experiences. Hearing about all of these

experiences has really impacted me and my practice and given me passion to try and photograph people who don’t usually get the spotlight shined on them like they should. This project doesn’t cover every difference, but it tries to be diverse and includes people born with differences and people who have had to accept changes as a consequence of an illness or accident.

Lewis woke up in hospital to be told that he had lost his eye. The trauma is immeasurable but being part of projects like this can help people come to terms with it and build on selfconfidence. Others have a lot of confidence. Take Tilly Lockey for example, who sees her difference as a superpower. Born healthy, Tilly contracted meningitis as a toddler and had both of her hands and some toes amputated. For years her parents battled to get her prosthetics that were functional and aesthetically pleasing, so she could feel equal to her peers and live a normal life. She had been given hooks to use

instead of hands at one point. She worked with a prosthetics company to develop the hero arm and is now a singer and television presenter. She firmly believes that if she had hands she would not get noticed as much as she does with her futuristic digits.

Some people have faced prejudice because of their differences. Hannah, from a small town in Yorkshire, was severely bullied, but now she has a modelling contract and is in award winning images so her confidence is back where it should be. She has also met lots of other models with differences, so she feels less alone. Her saying is "keep your hair on” as she has no hair due to her medical condition.

I photographed a little boy called Frankie, who has Down syndrome and some health conditions. His mum, Kelly, told me how some people had been rude to her asking her "what is wrong with him?” This negative language, probably without any real thought, impacted her as there is nothing

wrong with her beautiful boy and they probably never meant it that way. She has also had hurtful comments on the internet with someone telling her that she should have had an abortion rather than bringing her son into the world. This shows how much hate does exist in the world, and why we should strive to represent people with differences so that they can be equal.

Of course, some people have differences that can’t be seen as easily such as hearing and sight loss or autism for example. I have photographed Sami, who studied to be a fashion designer, a number of times. She has diabetic retinopathy and has lost most of her sight. Sami has a guide dog called Betty but still people assume because she has bright hair and wears really creative and bright clothing that she isn’t blind. She has encountered some negativity, but she is still very positive about living an independent life and is an active model in the north-east.

Outside of sayings, language can be a confusing

factor when working with models. The word "difference” can cover most things but really, we are all different, special and unique. I’ve found out, during some research, that some photographers may worry too much about language. I always tell myself that if you’re reaching out to a model who isn’t someone you have worked with before, not to worry too much about language - we are all human. I do understand that it can feel daunting, and I usually just explain the type of photoshoot I’m interested in doing and how the individual fits in with that, or sometimes I just tell them how cool they look. I have been known to approach people in the street, sometimes shouting "you look really cool” which can be a conversation starter. My practice is based around being a student, so I have done a lot of collaborating but there are many reputable agencies, some specialist, that can provide an easier way of reaching out to these models.

Generally, I try and have a conversation when I first contact someone. Once you have some

information it can go a long way to building a healthy and respectful relationship, as with all models.

To use a model with a disability / disfigurement / difference - whatever you want to call it - is so important in today’s society. The world isn’t full of perfect slim blondes; it’s full of perfect humans who deserve to be represented. When you book your next model, please consider the meaning of being different and help us create an inclusive world full of images of beautiful, individual humans.

The Meaning of Being Different is ongoing. I am also starting a new project focusing on child organ donation. If anyone is interested in seeing my work, or would like to be included in my projects, please contact me through one of the links below.

www.debbietodd.co.uk

@debbietoddphotographer

Eye Mama:Poetic Truths of Home and Motherhood

Karni Arieli in conversation with Poppy French for WE ARE Magazine.

I had the opportunity to speak to Karni Arieli when she was in the thick of it with the printing and promotion of her long awaited book, Eye Mama: Poetic Truths of Home and Motherhood; the arresting 200 image book which accompanies Karni’s longterm project, social movement and open collective virtual space started during lockdown, Eye Mama Karni spoke to me from the Bristol studio she shares with her partner Saul Freed with whom she also directs commercials, music videos and short films.

Karni was warm and extremely passionate about the “mama gaze” and her project.

We got into talking straight away and as two mamas with small children, we of course started off discussing the childcare juggle, community, birthing in a pandemic and how it is not possible for us to discuss photography without discussing motherhood.

Playing with the Shadows © Paula Brandao

We’re supposed to be talking about photography and we’re deep into talking about motherhood.

Well there is always an intro like this whenever I talk to anyone about Eye Mama because this is life in Eye Mama.

I'm in a situation with my son who, obviously I love very dearly, but he's in that stage where he’s not into me. It’s all about Daddy and his grandmother. I feel like I'm just not quite doing anything properly; not finishing anything, giving that enough of my time. I probably was like that before I had a baby as well, but now it's bigger, louder, more prominent.

Absolutely. My kids are saying, “When's Eye Mama gonna be over”? The ridiculous thing is that the project on motherhood is taking me

away from motherhood. The juggle that I've had to do for Eye Mama: I’ve never founded a project; I've never been a curator; I’ve never done a community outsource project. I didn't know what it entailed. I think if I knew I would never have gone on this journey. Now that I know, I have no return. Just like with a kid, I've given birth and I have to see it through, How do I juggle kids who still need me, my own space and time, my day job, as Eye Mama doesn’t pay? And yet I've done this project that now has thousands of followers and turned it into a book, and I have to promote it with little resources. I often feel like I'm failing at everything. But sometimes I feel like I'm succeeding a bit at something. That's enough to push me through most of the time. In the end, what would I give up? Not have kids? Not work at home with my partner on my film? Not make Eye Mama? No. So there's going to be a compromise.

One Day-old Misia and Me © Jadwiga Bronte

When you look at anyone who does anything that's meaningful, or time consuming, they say they wake up at 4am and do their work before the kids are up or work until midnight. There's no way around it, you're going to be overworked. You're going to always be compromising because I think child rearing was originally not meant to coexist with working.

It’s so refreshing to hear you talk about the truth behind creating the Eye Mama book. It feels to me like the whole project from fruition has been about sharing the truth and honesty about motherhood and child rearing.

Eye Mama is about sharing truth and beauty, not just the tough parts or imperfections but also the hugs and the connection; all the stories that are personal. Each story is very different because it comes from a particular photographer; from a particular mother. I think sharing your own story

is a superpower. Women often don't realise that sharing their own story and being in control of it, in a way, is so empowering to yourself as an artist and as a mother.

Let’s move on to discussing the landscape of photobooks about motherhood and the huge gap in the market that there seemed to be before the pandemic.

Eye Mama is a professional portfolio by photographers who happen to be looking at the topic of motherhood. That’s never been done before, at least not at this scale. There is no other portfolio looking into the home and motherhood by mothers who are artists. There is HomeTruths (Photography,MotherhoodandIdentity edited by Susan Bright) which is a great book, but only features very established artists. I was wondering how come that never got taken further?

Untitled © Noa Maccabi

What's different about Eye Mama is that it's democratic and inclusive. Anyone who considers themselves a photographer and / or a mama can submit images. They don't have to prove they've been published. They don't have to show that they've had an exhibition. They don't have to be of the calibre of certain artists. They just need to be an artist and a photographer of some professional format. Also the genres mix, there's not many platforms that have photojournalists, art photographers, portrait photographers, and very established and unknown artists in the same place.

I’m trying to level the playing field. We’re not going to do what all the male gaze platforms have done historically, or even just the very high art curation platforms where, if you haven't had two books and two exhibitions, you don't exist. Part of the motherhood penalty is that you couldn't exist because you weren't able to attend and show yourself and be there and push and shout, because you are caring, and since that caring doesn't matter to anyone, it's behind closed doors. You've never been acknowledged for that either.

Some curators were against me working with women who were less well known. It would have been easy to just pick up the well known women and put them on my platform, but that's not going to be making change. What I wanted to do is pluck women out of obscurity and out of the unknown, who have submitted to me, and actually it's more exciting to me to find those women, because that's where the real curation is. I feel like if you are going to make a platform for women these days, you should flip everything on its head.

Absolutely, you’ve been a real explorer in that sense. Did you find Instagram to be a useful tool in building the community, with photographers using the Eye Mama hashtag to get their work discovered. Was it key for setting up the platform?

When it came to setting up the Instagram page I was petrified and I delayed it as long as possible. I ran it by Alessia Glaviano (Head of Global PhotoVogue) and she said that it sounded cool. She thought it had something in it and encouraged me. I couldn’t avoid it in the end, I had to set up the

Father and Son © Leah DeVun

Mother and Daughter © Asia Werbel

Instagram account because I only knew ten women who I could reach out to. That's not going to be a project. So I put ten women up on the Instagram, asked them if I could repost, tag them, and then set up the hashtag. Two years later, we've got 50,000 submissions, 17,000 followers from 50 countries and 4,000 images were submitted to the open call from 1,000 women. It grew very fast and it's been a blessing and a curse. The strength of social media and Instagram has been the community and the word of mouth. Women in the middle of the night write to me "I'm really struggling with breastfeeding and here’s an image". I became therapist, social

worker, friend, curator and photographer to all these women who were suddenly my sisters in a community of women who are both mothers and artists. They became my psychic family, as Gloria Steinem calls it, the group that you select that you can connect to. I was collecting more and more of them, and they were so grateful, especially in the pandemic, to be showcased. They were giving me a lot of feedback and reassurance that they really needed the platform, that there was a place for their images that hadn’t previously existed.

At first, when you have ten followers, nobody

Mum and Dad © Jade Carr-Daley

wants to be part of your platform. Then you have to reach out to people. Through them, the energy slowly built the momentum. Then you get an article, in the British Journal of Photography, in Vogue, Creative Review and The National Geographic, which was the big one. Then you get a lot more women coming to you (which includes non-binary, trans women, anyone who identifies as a woman).

That’s really interesting that you’d created a space where everyone felt they could come to you with their images; their story.

It didn't come to me immediately, but with IVF,

child loss, abortion, miscarriage, adoption, fostering, all of these things had to be part of the Eye Mama narrative. That's why I didn't call the project motherhood, because I feel motherhood is very much related to the historical take on motherhood - the male portrayal of what motherhood is and what society's concept of a mother is. So I detached from that by using the word “Mama”.And the word “Eye” is crucial. I and eye, what your identity is, what your eye is. In the sense of narratives, we really wanted to keep it wide open and said “send us your struggles”. Being a mama is also the struggle to be a mama or not be a mama.

Self-portrait with Harris and Lewis (147 days) © Arpita Shah

Divided Body, Indonesia © Shindy Lestari

Our focus is on all different types of family; single mums, same sex couples, and anyone who identifies as a carer who lives with children rather than only people who are giving birth. Separating that element out of it has been crucial. The weird thing is that I had to give myself permission to grow and change the rules all the time because we started off in one place, but when you've learned things for a year and looked at images for a year, I was being educated by my own platform. After making the platform, I felt much more connected to someone for example in Indonesia, because I chatted to them in the DMs (direct messaging on Instagram). Once they send you images, you feel like you know them. I'm a middle class, white Jewish mum in the UK. I'm half Israeli so I'm a foreigner in the UK. I don't feel quite British but I don't feel completely detached. This platform has helped me empathise and connect a hell of a lot more than I did previously, also with the struggles of motherhood, which I didn't have personally and you don't always connect to those stories if you don't see them. So, I suddenly get sent hundreds

of these images, whether it's cancer, IVF, child loss, abortion, marriage breakup. In some ways, it's a lot to take on, I have all these visuals, and I would sometimes break down because it'd be too much. But then there's the balance of it, there's a lot of amazing things that you see; a lot of power and strength.

Having all these images, it must have felt almost impossible to curate them to the limitations of a book format. How exactly did you go about it and how did you make the decisions on what needed to be represented?

It was clear we needed to represent everything. But of course, when you sit down with 4,000 images, and you have to get to 200, you have to ask what you’re going to lose. We created a jury: Ana Casas Broda; Aldeide Delgado; Alessia Glaviano; Charlotte Yonga; Elinor Carucci; Kana Tanaka; Sarah Leen; Smita Sharma; and Ying Ang - nine amazing women of eye and heart. They’re all included at the back of the book. They helped me get to the longlist. EyeMama can only include women who are empowered enough to

Matt Giving Me an Injection © Rachel Cox

take a self portrait and who have a camera. Developing countries, Muslim countries for instance, are going to struggle more with getting those images out on social media. We have loads from South America, and we're getting more from Asia. As the platform grows, so does the diversity and inclusion. I'm really proud of getting to places like Malaysia, Indonesia and India, which was not easy to get to as a platform with no funding, no team, and only a social media hub. This meant the open call was crucial. We did that on Picter. It was funded by MPB. I knew I had to do that to get from Instagram to the book as you have to get all the images officially signed off

and at the correct resolution.

I then got the number of images to 400 through deciding what narrative matters - which countries, what diversity. The flavour of Eye Mama is showing the light and dark of photography, of mama life and of care. It’s a peephole into homes worldwide; what do things look like behind closed doors? We are trying to highlight care and empathy but also to look closely at the details, the imperfections, the beauty, the hardships and all that duality and juxtaposition. The light and dark of photographyyou can't have one without the other and motherhood is the same.

Of my Body © Sapphire Anderson

I got to know everyone, so probably up to 200 women. They’re like my sisters, and I really wanted to include them. How do you not include them? How do you lose an image about cancer, IVF or divorce? It’s not just an image, it's a story. That is really hard. That's why I also want to make an archive project. The book is the beginning. So, from the seed idea, it took three years to the day to get to the publication of the book.

When you had that first seed of an idea did you know there was going to be a book?

I knew that a book would be an historical artefact that I could have on the shelf. I would like it to be looked back on in 100, 200, 4000 years, if we survive that long! Then you see all these Eye Mama stories, told by women, as opposed to the historical male gaze that we've had on our shelves. Men went to war; men were photojournalists. It was their stories being told, the same as it is in cinema but that’s slowly changing to a female gaze. We want to tell our own stories, we want it to be from our point of view.

This is not anti-male, we need them to support motherhood and care. This is saying we need to highlight what mamas are doing just like you would any other underdog. That's really crucial in the project. So, when you ask how I curated it, I had to make sure that it was all the unseen stuff. I wanted the visual pleasure to be there so that people would be drawn in. If I'm alienating people, if this is just for mother artists, I'm not doing the work. Motherhood isn't just for mamas, it is for humanity. We're all children to someone. Therefore saying motherhood is for mothers is really silly. It's like saying race is only for people of race or disability is only for the disabled. That is a very backwards way of looking at things. What we have to say is, this will affect us all and we would be a better society if we do look at these things.

What I'm trying to do in the book is to make sure there is visual pleasure, enough to draw people in; to make people want to look. Then once you've drawn them in, you can tell them any story you want. That's the trick of photography and any

Pandemic Fruit © Rowena Meadows

visual arts. You want to make sure you draw everyone in so that children and men and nonparents, non-carers, non-women, anyone can just pick up the book and enjoy the mama gaze. That’s the storytelling of great photography and then the undercurrent slowly seeps in. What are we actually looking at? Is this hardship; what's this identity? Then hopefully you get some empathy and connection. Through empathy and connection can we get a shift in the perspective of the whole concept of what care means?

It won't just happen from one book. But if there's one book and then one exhibition, ten articles, fifty podcasts, a hundred TV shows - that shift is slowly going to change. Instead of having one storyteller, you're going to have a hundred storytellers. Fifty of them will be women, and fifty of them will be mamas, and that's a much more diverse, inclusive way of looking at the world. In history, especially in a pandemic or historical times, you want storytellers, and that includes different races, different ethnicity, different sexuality, and different stories from the makeup of life, whether you’re a carer or not.

I see a lot more writing happening about motherhood now. I see more conferences. I see more women publishing books, and photo festivals trying to highlight women and the mama gaze. When all of these things happen together,

there will slowly be change. Look at what's happening in the States, and even here, with abortion rights. What’s happening everywhere in the world. There's no equal pay for women, and no free childcare. I'm not going to go into government. But what I can do is highlight other women's work. I felt my calling was to curate this gaze. I had to give myself permission to curate what I love; to make the book I wanted to haveI wanted to see - in the best way that I could at this particular point in time. In ten years’ time, I might make a different book. The book doesn't include everyone. I haven't promised to include every woman who's ever dealt with motherhood, I can't, it's out of my capability. I made it in this gap when my kid was five. I just about had my head above water. I often say you're in a storm or in the forest when you have young kids and you're not going to make a project, you're only going to survive. You might photograph your own reality if you're lucky. But usually you're just going to be in survival mode.

How have you found the wider photographic community and who has been supportive of the project?

I can't say only women were supportive and men weren't or the other way around.

The photographer Rankin was the most brilliant

Dad and Daughter © Sophie Harris Taylor

Neighbours Tomatoes © Lisa Sorgini

surprise. There's a lot of bad sides to Instagramthe trolling and the censorship. Censorship is horrific for women and mothers. We got loads of images taken down of breastfeeding. We still do and at one point our whole page got taken down. That was heartbreaking after all the work I put in. The book was completely paid for by TeNeues, but they don't pay for anything on the platform. The community exists in free form, which is quite tricky, because TeNeues are just looking at the book, whereas actually, the book is nourished and funnelled through the community. It's been tricky to manage, I'm still figuring it out.

Rankin called me in to be photographed, because he was doing this project called Unseen about censorship on Instagram. That includes lots of unseen communities - trans, non binary, and women empowered platforms that all got censored. I really didn’t want to be photographed

by Rankin. I'm too old and too tired. And Rankin to me was the male gaze, what am I going to do there? Actually, it was a misconception; l did what other people do to me. People think I’m just all about “go mamas" and all into nappies, and motherhood. No, I'm into photography, and what motherhood means. I was putting one and one together and decided that Rankin is this, that and the other because this is what I’ve seen in the media; this is how he's perceived, instead of assessing him when I met him.

Anyway, I went to him, and he took a portrait of me, which was great. He really let me do whatever it was I wanted to do. I’m terrible in front of the camera because I'm really self conscious. He did a really great job. First of all, he made me feel good, he saw me, he talked to me and didn't ignore me because I'm a forty something year old woman past her prime for most male gaze opinions. He was very supportive of the Eye Mama project and thought the platform was one of the most impressive he’s seen. He really encouraged me to keep going with it. To hear that from Rankin was really empowering. He saw the power of the work. I think he realises moving forward that he can use his power to empower others. He helps a lot of people get visibility, including Eye Mama. He connected us to TeNeues. He put a good word in, and then I pitched it to them, and they liked it and took it on. I owe him the publication of the book. Sometimes all it takes is a good word from one person with influence to get you in the door.

This has been a rollercoaster. It hasn't happened in a day or an hour. I've had times where I was on the floor crying in disappointment, being disillusioned thinking it's too slow, thinking I have no money and why am I doing this? And then I remember that there are so many grateful mamas.

Eye Mama: Poetic Truths of Home and Motherhood is printed by TeNeues.

eyemamaproject.com

@eyemamaproject

Mother, Ten Years © Mikaela Martin

June Cover Runner-Ups

Self Portrait Shadow © Anastasia Potekhina

Autumn Tapestry © Liz Sherriff

Leni © Annemarie Jung

Self Portraits with Reflection in a Window © Anastasia Potekhina

Washed Up

A photography exhibition by Wendy Carrig part of JAM on the Marsh, 4-16 July 2023

Wendy Carrig’s thought-provoking exhibition Washed Up brings attention to a significant topic of our time and provides an example of human impact on nature. Shown as part of JAM on the Marsh, a multi- arts festival taking place in Kent’s atmospheric Romney Marsh, Wendy’s photographs will be on display in the picturesque medieval St George’s Church, Ivychurch and online on www.jamconcert.org

The beautiful but alarming photographs show items found and left on the beaches from Dungeness to Dymchurch. Wendy’s exhibition is a powerful comment on our culture of waste, drawing the observer in with its beautiful compilation of discarded objects, ranging from plastic lighters to bottles and cartridges. At the

same time the photos confront and challenge the viewer, promoting reflection of and discussion about the status quo.

“I moved to the coast about twenty years ago and soon became a passionate beachcomber, attracted to the man-made flotsam and jetsam of sea-worn metal and brightly coloured plastics. There was so much of it I could choose objects based on theme or colour. The quantities did of course bother me, but at that time discarded plastics were a hidden threat to our oceans. It was always my intention to create with my collection, and when the ocean plastics crisis hit the headlines I knew I wanted to make a visual statement.”

Find out more about Wendy’s artwork, her artistic process and inspiration in a special ‘Meet the Artist’ talk at 6pm on Fri, 7 July at St. George’s Church, Ivychurch.

The church is venue to several concerts, with the festival audience having the unique opportunity to explore the art ahead of or after concerts. St George will host performances by The Joe Stilgoe Trio and the Sacconi Quartet, as well as a celebration of the songs by Noël Coward.

Wendy’s show is one of four exhibitions at the festival, all free to visit, putting local artists in the spotlight: John Ballard’s Turning Tides shows large-scale paintings inspired by the Kent coastline; Penny Graham’s Raku-fired pottery

depicts Earth from Earth, inspired by images from the International Space Station; France Tetreault displays three large abstract canvases inspired by Debussy, Messiaen and Stravinsky, performed in A Day in Paris. Throughout JAM on the Marsh audience members can purchase sections of France’s artwork, which will be cut from the canvas on the final Sunday.

JAM on the Marsh is just one hour from London’s St Pancras, including a shuttle bus from Ashford International station. The festival takes place within easy reach of London and encourages its audience to choose a convenient, sustainable way to the venues.

For more information and details visit: www.jamconcert.org

Form Re-Formed 2017 © Debbie Green and Clare Park

Deadheading:

A Representation of Self

By Clare Park

“It would be inaccurate to suggest her focus is introspective - her photographs can be seen as depth soundings…. an uninhibited chronicler of her own body and her life, speaking for her own self and beyond that for all those caught in the flux of bodily and emotional change”— Life’s Work by Mary

Powell,Creative Review

Clare originally trained as a ballet dancer. She went on to learn a great deal from the international fashion photographers of the 1980s, as both model and aspiring photographer.Later she veered away from the fashion industry tostudyphotography at the Royal College of Art and beganexploring self-portraiture, developing this work through narratives of her own life journey.The expressivity of the body lies at the heart of both her personal and collaborative work.Clare’s distinctive style is evident in the posters she devises for theatre companies, such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, as well as for editorials, portraiture and books. She has exhibited extensively and has work in the National Portrait Gallery and the V&A RPS Collection.

I was thrust into the world of 1980s fashion under the tutelage of the legendary Vogue editor Beatrix Miller. I began to understand the paradoxes within this global industry: a world both commercial and niche, demanding and erratic, glamorous and at times dissolute. This new role, centre stage as a model, afforded me the chance to develop an objective and discerning eye. My thwarted dance training, at the Rambert School of Ballet, had given me an understanding of the physicality of the job, and how clothes and makeup are about transformation. Fashion is theatrical, fast moving and high stakes.

For my first few years of modelling, I was a recovering anorexic stepping out of the dance world, and at the same time a size-appropriate subject – or object – for the fashion industry to swallow up. This gave me the opportunity to examine and decipher the social code, the "norm" of the stereotypically slender body in both the dance and modelling worlds. Having

watched many young bodies and minds become increasingly damaged by these industries, I was prompted to regain possession of my own health. On a contrary and positive note, the fashion industry helped me grow –mentally, emotionally and physically. It gave me access to travel, exposure to the arts and creative people, awareness of current trends and plenty of life experiences. It was a useful apprenticeship, teaching me about physical psychology and human behaviour.

In my mid-twenties, prominent fashion photographers, particularly Terence Donovan, David Bailey and Norman Parkinson, actively encouraged my emerging photography. Yet I remained primarily inspired by dance, especially by the visionary choreographer Pina Bausch. Her work increasingly formed my aesthetic benchmark and ultimately took me away from fashion and towards a broader range of photographic subjects.

Madonna’s Wig from Shadow Dress, a self portrait 2008 © Clare Park

Deadheading i, a self portrait 2020 © Clare

I eventually made the awkward transition from model to photographer at the Royal College of Art (MA photography RCA 1986–89), where I was increasingly pushed outside my portraiture comfort zone in order to express myself more rigorously. “Don’t overlook yourself”. This comment made by Professor John Hedgecoe, founder of the photography department at the RCA, prompted consideration. Two key visiting tutors, curator Zelda Cheatle and photographer Mari Mahr, simultaneously inspired me to develop new work, creating atmospheres of experience and memory negotiated through my body. I also responded to other female artists, especially Käthe Kollwitzand Paula Rego, deeply moved by the poignancy of their art fuelled by intimate life stories.

I started by opening my boxes of memories, both literally and metaphorically, and began a self-portrait series referencing my past, often difficult, histories. I experimented with compositions and symbolic props, building and

connecting ideas from diverse source material, keepsakes and personal memorabilia, and literature that resonated with my subject matter. One book, HolyAnorexia by Rudolf M. Bell (The University of Chicago Press), posed a haunting question: “…istherearesemblancebetweenthe contemporary anorexic teenager in her singleminded pursuit of thinness, and an ascetic medieval saint examining her every desire? Both contemporary anorexics and “holy anorexics” seek autonomy in culturally defined ideal states: energetic slenderness today, spiritual purity in the Middle Ages."

These early "gatherings” formed the foundation for all the self-portraiture that has followed. I acquired an armoury of props and cherished artefacts that found their way into both my collaborative and commissioned work. I have continued to use, re-use and add to them over the years. They remain necessary vehicles to locate meaning within images.

Deadheading ii, a self portrait 2014 © Clare Park

Clare Park

Once I had understood that narrative photography could portray the lived experience, my first set of reflective black and white selfportraits Contradictions of Anorexia and Motherhood evolved, featuring bread, the paraphernalia of ballet and significant letters from my mother worried by my ill health. It seemed natural to put myself into the frame, rather than create still-life imagery. I discovered that a ten second timer gave me just enough time to jump into shot and adopt the physical position I had imagined. Giving myself any longer would of course have made it easier to achieve; but I found that speed could preserve the dynamism that is lost in the settled body.

Working within the constraints of asquare-

format Rolleiflex, my methodology was, and still is, toletthe photographsblossom from frame to frame, through spontaneous and intuitive physical adjustments, without mirrors or aids to the composition, until fully satisfied with the emerging narrative.To some extent it is guesswork; and yet the rigour required, combined with my history in movement, renders this two-way production imaginable and achievable.

Author Naomi Wolf bought one photograph from the series for the original cover of The Beauty Myth. This image led me to re-use the wrapped head and naked form concept during my first pregnancy, indicating that the unborn child was dictating my body size and shape, in contrast to

The Beauty Myth, a self-portrait 1989 © Clare Park

my previous physical state that had been full of restraint and self-criticism. The RSC controversially used one of these photographs as the poster for Measure for Measure and so began my image creation for theatre productions.

Running alongside my self-portraiture has always been collaborative work. I use a similar methodology infused with personal props and recurring themes but always aiming to distil chaos and refine the story into as pared down an image as possible using whatever camera and technique suits the narrative.

Together with artistic collaborator and movement specialist Debbie Green, I have

foundinspiration inphotographymotivated by our lives, with one or both of us in front of the camera. The book Breaking Form: Re-Formed resulted from three decades of picture making with Debbie’s husband Buz Williams, incorporating images of enduring friendship, the friendship between our families and our joint histories intertwined with Parkinson’s disease, theatre and dance.

The pictures provided a context in which Buz could communicate in his inimitable style when control was diminishing in his everyday life. A portrait of Buz won the RPS IPE 153 in 2010.

Since his death in 2014, Debbie and I have continued to shoot images on selected themes:

Doppelganger from Breaking Form, Buz and Parkinsons 2003 © Clare Park

Anne Gruenberg with Clare’s reflection

evocations of our realities – losses and frailties, curiosity and optimism.

Our starting point for a new sequence of pictures may be agarmentoragesturebuttheimagesoftentakeonmore thanonemeaning;wemayintendonethinganddiscover another three, despite drawbacks or sometimes because of them.

My practice focuses on personal life narratives, from birth to death, but this is not approached as documentary photography. It is essential that the subject is always an active participant in the creative process of telling their story. Further layers of communication and collaboration may evolve when I enter the frame, often with just my hand or a shadow, or as co-player in the scene. The interconnectedness of working one to one is a detailed and uninhibited way to make pictures.

The book ASquare Foot of Sky: a reawakening in words and images 2019–2021 emerged as a response to the poetry ofAnne Gruenberg, taking the reader on a journey from breakdown and despairto reconnectionand redemption after her thirteen years of incarceration. The project encourages consideration of the vital role of nature, creativity, and collaboration in healing. A portrait of Anne from the book, Taking the Stage, was recently exhibited in A Multifaceted View: RPS Women in

Photography

As life moves on, so does my imagery. It is circumstantial, as in Deadheading, an enigmatic scrutinising of self. The loss of my mother in 2013 prompted a monthly selfportrait series over a one-year period and won the AOP Awards Personal Life Series for a second time.

I journeyed alongside my mother as fellow traveller. I watched her sinking more deeply and silently into the pastel bedding, immersed in music and glimmering end summer light. Following her death when coherent life patterns melted away and lemon zest wounds clawed, I decided to break into my mind month by month and spontaneously capture a mood, an observation or persistent feeling. The series provided me with a solitary stage where I made brief entrances and exits.

During this time I recklessly lost a precious dress to the sea after many years of featuring it in all kinds of photographic assignments and projects. I had always carried this blue dress in my camera bag, fascinated by the way the material resembled the cyanotypes of ferns made by Anna Atkins in the 19th century.

A dress can be provocative: it can expose and transform the body; it can conceal and protect; oritcansimplybediscardedandbecomearelic from the past. In uninhabited spaces I am spectator and interpreter, body and sign, image and representation. In a broader sense I express the anxiety surrounding unattainable standards of beauty and portray my feelings of how people are reacting with increasingly obsessive behaviour in their attempts to measure up.

The dress inspired me to ask sitters to bring favoured garments or keepsakes to shoots. I find that self-consciousness lessens when a relaxed atmosphere is created through some form of personalisation. Play and improvisation then become more possible between all participants.

The pandemic shifted my work back to a more surrealistic form of self-portraiture, using the theme of curtains, and afforded me the time to delve into my archive and begin compiling a visual timeline in the form of small-scale prints for exhibition and a book.

Over lockdown, childhood and family curtains became a symbolic prop to help me express feelings of aloneness. Curtains are used to reveal and show as well as conceal things, to let light in and shut light out. For me they symbolise a relationship to truthand nothing represents truth better than light.

Since then, I have continued to explore the human psyche and the effects of a fragile world on the body, always referencing and reconnecting in some way to earlier work and letting long-standing projects move along at their own pace.

"What Clare portrays in her self-portraits is through movement. She draws on body intelligence from modelling and dance but is not trapped by classical ballet physical instinct; she enables form and line to speak for her. Clare becomes a performer for her camera: she improvises within the frame, free, un-censorial, but in control, her performance and photography both expertly crafted."

–Debbie Green, collaborator

Nourish from Curtains, a self portrait 2020 © Clare Park

Exploring the Female Identity

An interview with Rŷanna Allen | Images © Rŷanna Allen

Rŷanna Allen is a British-Caribbean photographer who explores themes of identity, femininity and beauty with a documentary-led approach. Born and raised in West London, Rŷanna grew up understanding the importance of community and togetherness, reinforced by her parents, grandmother and aunties; fuelling her strong desire to dissect her Caribbean roots and identity. She picked up her first camera at the age of 13 using it as a way to capture friends, family and the mundane things in life. Since then, she has focused on using photography as an outward source of expression referencing her personal experiences, mainly focusing on her own feelings on femininity and female identity and using it to shape a picture that celebrates representation and the beauty of difference.

Rŷanna speaks with Frankie MacEachen for WE ARE Magazine.

You were awarded your Photography BA (Hons) from University of theArts London in 2019.Did you discover your genre / style while studying or is it something that is developing over time?

I'd say it’s developing over time. I wouldn't say I have put myself in a category because photography is an art form. You want to try and experiment with different types of genres or

different types of mediums as well. In that sense I try and keep it as vague as possible. But I decided that the topic I wanted to explore while I was at university is mainly femininity; it just came across quite naturally. I did an essay in my second year on Laura Mulvey to do with voyeurism and surveillance photography. Just looking at her text, it sparked something in me to try and identify or analyse my own relationship with femininity. And that's where my work progressed over time; looking at womanhood and femininity and all aspects of what that means.

So talking about influences, who would you say have been your main influences in your work?

I'd say my own experiences have had a major influence on my work, and also the experiences of people around me, my family and my friends. The way I reference colour for example really boils down to the mood that I’m trying to portray. In terms of the way imagery is captured, I’d also say contemporary female artists like Christina Ebenezer, Nadine Ijewere and Olivia Lifungula. The way they use colour and highlight intimacy is very consistent, using identity as a fuel for their work and merging it with fashion.

Your website says that your work on femininity specifically focuses on your own feelings on femininity and female identity, using it to shape a picture that celebrates the beauty of difference.Can you speak more about that for us?

It's funny, because my own feelings on femininity have always been a bit of a weird topic for me, which is why I decided to explore it all those years ago, My experience has been

very tricky because when I was growing up, I always saw myself as not exactly feminine or ladylike and I didn't conform to those ideas of what feminine was. When I got older, I just kept on hearing this ringing voice in my head from my family and friends saying “you must be more ladylike”. And it aggravated me at the time because in my head, I thought I was just trying to be myself. I didn't know what that meant. So when I came across Laura’s text, I started analysing the female gaze, and looking at that made me try and analyse what I thought about femininity. In university, I realised that in my head there's an intrinsic side, and as I say, glamorous or extreme, just like an outside presence or femininity. So, in my work I wanted to explore that. I focused on the idea that it comes from being nurturing, caring; expressing your divine and feminine energy from the inside. And then there was the outside perspective and what that looks like specifically relating to beauty

and how we're supposed to present ourselves to the world. I think that's what I wanted to explore. And naturally just relating to myself, I felt it made sense to relate that towards black femininity, specifically because the representation at the time made it difficult to see someone that looked like me. I think that the influence and presence in seeing a lot more people representing that it is beautiful to see actually.

Looking at your Allure project, I was reminded of the classic girlhood sleepover. Do female rituals and rites of passage play a part in your own feelings about female identity and femininity?

I think subconsciously they did, especially growing up and watching all those movies about coming of age and seeing girls being themselves and indulging in beauty with that aspect of putting on makeup around each other.

I think naturally, or subconsciously, that was always in my mind.And, again, relating to when I was a child, I always felt like an observer, like a spectator watching from the outside in. And there's something that I always, not necessarily aspire to, but just relate to, at least in a sense, and I just felt like I couldn't. I definitely would say a rite of passage and rites of passages relate to my work in that sense.

How did the project Converse Is Where the Home Is come about and how much creative freedom did you have in puttingthe project together?

Content Lab was a collaboration with Converse, which was formed under the bracket of University of the Arts or London College of Communication (LCC) specifically. They created groups of alumni and students from LCC to create our own unique campaign with a

small budget to produce work around the release of new trainers at the time. The group I was in found it very difficult trying to work around schedules with deadlines coming up quickly. We decided to go our own separate ways and all used the same concept we came up with together to produce our own work. The Converse is Where the Home Is project is the result of that. What our group initially decided to do is to focus on Converse being a staple brand, as well as the shoe itself, and explore how home was related to the Converse; how we can capture that feeling of home, which resonates for a lot of people. I decided to focus on my family and friends and interview them about what home meant to them, and document their response through imagery that best depicted their answer with video portraits and stills. Whether the images were captured outdoors or indoors, you really got to see every individual’s sense of home and comfort. Each time I captured my friends and family, I incorporated the shoe into each look.

On your website,youtalk about capturing the "multi-layerednature of people and individualism through colourful motifs and visual storytelling”, how important is choosing a colour palette to support the theme of a project? What is your process for that?

I think it's quite a natural thing. It's important to understand the person I'm photographing depending on whether it's my own personal project, or if I'm photographing someone specific. I like to have an understanding of the type of person they are, who they are, so I can use that insight and information they've given me to choose the colour palettes that match what they've told me. I feel like colour plays an integral role in my work. I go for colours that are not necessarily bright, but I would say punchy, if that makes sense. Something that's appealing to the eye and at the same time,

represents them. With my own personal projects this has some connection to me and my own feelings or experiences. I feel like that plays an integral role in how I decide to navigate those stories as well.

As we are publishing this interview in the late Spring, it seems a good time to talk about the Nature Feels project. You talked about how the images portraygrowth, love and new beginnings. Could you talk us through how the project came about?

Yes, absolutely. I struggled at a point in my life with depression and anxiety. It was a very hard time just trying to lift myself up and get myself out of a place of sadness. The project for me was understanding and coming to the realisation that I am no longer depressed. And I'm no longer in a place of just feeling sad with myself and feeling depleted. I feel happy, and I'm really happy, proud and grateful that I'm here. I’m proud of where I've come from mentally. So, it was about new beginnings, understanding how far I've come, and the fact that this was the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. I felt like it resonated a lot with springtime. I wanted to align it with the season because it was about new beginnings and growth. Flowers are starting to come out and bloom. And that's exactly how it felt for me in my journey with depression and putting that to rest and starting anew. In terms of colour palette, it played a very big role in what I felt, especially the particular colours of green, like the emerald colour in the backdrop. I think with that colour, it specifically reminds me of a forest and I can smell the feeling around me. I was very particular in how I wanted to use colour in that project; the warm tones of the flowers juxtaposed by the whole idea of forest green. I tried to be as precise as possible with the use of colour.

What's next for you and your photography?

I'm planning a trip to Grenada which is where my family are from on my mother's side. I plan to document my grandma's home, and the people of Grenada so I can feel more connected to the land and to the stories that she's told me as a child.

Because it's my first time going there, I feel maybe I have put too much pressure on myself and the whole journey. I know realistically it's going to hit home a lot. My grandma told me so much about it so it feels like I’ve already been there. I'm really looking forward to it. I want to document Grenada in its truest perspective and see where that takes me. I think where I'm at right now, I'm very much into dissecting my own identity and my own roots and heritage. And that's pretty much a way forward and fun to do; just going somewhere and taking the camera and being free with it.

You haven't really settled on genre. You're fairly new to photography. How do you hope your photography will develop? You've got your trip to Grenada, but do you aspire to do photojournalism or documentary or fashion?

It’s really difficult to know. I still very much enjoy focusing on femininity and the fashion aspect that naturally comes with that but, at this point in time I feel a shift towards photo documentary that really comes with exploring home and my own identity for me. I don’t think I’ll ever be able

to give up fashion and portraiture, so right now I need to find a way to merge all of my interests into my work. It’s a weird one because a lot of people can argue that they don't really go together but I think they do.

You'reverynewtothephotographyindustry. You’ve talked a little bit about not having people wholook like youinthe fieldandhow that’s felt. Are there any other challenges that as a woman photographer, you're running up against already? Something

you’ve had to overcome or been challenged by as a woman in this industry?

I feel as though because I'm new, I haven't really experienced much but I do see it with a lot of my friends; being the only woman on set, or not being acknowledged because of the fact they are women, and it is sad to see. I am seeing a growth in women photographers, and it is something I think is needed, because I feel like a lot of industries are quite male dominated. I think it's a unique perspective that you can get from having

a woman behind the camera that you can't get with a man. For example, I feel you can tell when a woman has captured an image by way they capture female bodies. It should be appreciated a lot more than it actually is.

The statistics show us that at educational level, the ratio is more than 50% female to male. When you look at working professionally, it drops drastically. We’re losing women from the educational to the professional side. So somewhere in there, women photographers are

not making the transition to become professionals. I wondered if you'd seen any of that lack of support in your early days?

Not me personally, again, because I'm new. I make a conscious effort to surround myself with female photographers and work alongside female photographers. But I have acknowledged that it is a male dominated industry. I'm just trying to keep my head up, just keep on moving forward.And I guess it's just not losing a part of yourself in the process as well. I think it's just always good to centre yourself

and try to analyse certain situations and be able to move forward and look for other women to support. I'm really grateful because I am in touch with a lot of women photographers, and they are so supportive. It’s funny, we hear a lot of people in the industry always talk about how hard it is to get into photography, which I'll never argue against. But I surround myself with a lot of really great and supportive people which really helps. Honestly, I’m so grateful for that.

https://www.rycollective.com/ @ry_collective

A Visit to the Chin People of Myanmar

By Thin Thin Yee | Images © Thin Thin Yee

Freelance photographer Thin Thin Yee was born in Yangon, Yangon Division, Myanmar, in 1973, and graduated from Yangon University, Yangon. Her early career was in a printing services business. In 2010 she started studying photography at the Myanmar Photographic Society (MPS).

In 2019, Yee started learning about international photography contests during an online course with teacher Thigh Wanna (FRPS, FPSS, MPSA, GPSA, EFIAP) from Singapore, and started applying for international photographic distinctions. Under his guidance, she has received her LPSS, APSS and BEPSS from the Photographic Society of Singapore and her BPSA and QPSA from Photographic Society of America (PSA) from 2020-2022. Her love of entering photography exhibitions also continues to grow. She has entered three photo exhibitions (2017, 2018 & 2019) as amateur Woman Photographer in Myanmar.

She spends her spare time enjoying her hobby of travel photography.

I like to travel and explore places I have never been to. In early January 2020 I contacted a photo tourism company to go to the Lang Nuu festival, which is a harvest festival of the Chin people, and travelled to Kanpetlet, Chin State, where the festival is located.

We leave Yangon around 5:00 pm and follow the Nay Pyi Taw expressway from the Mithila intersection to Kyaukphataung Canyon. We arrive at Kanpetlet around 6:30 in the morning. It's about an hour’s drive from here to Kanpetlet and there are many twists and turns. It is a good road. From here, you can also go by private car to Vittoria Mountain, also known as Natma Mountain (locals call it Khon Soom - mother of

mountains).

Kanpetlet town is really a small town built on a mountain. The roads are narrow and it is not easy for the car we were travelling in. We arrive in the area where the event was held, and the car is parked in a large space at the entrance of the city. From there, we have to walk around. After breakfast, we listen to the photo tour leader explain about the region and go to the field where the ceremony is held. There are traditional houses that are close to the city and easy to get to. In the grounds where the Long Nu Festival is held, there are galleries displaying products from the Chin region. There are many traditional tribal galleries, so we go in and out

one by one and walk around the fairgrounds and take pictures. In the fairgrounds, there are groups playing drums and dancing so it is crowded and lively with lots of people, colours and different clothes. It is very unique to see the ethnic people wearing various accessories on their heads. After spending two hours at the fairgrounds and having lunch, we continue to a small village called Sao Long at the foot of Kanpetlet.

There is a cow to be sacrificed to the gods that is tied to a pole carved with flower buds, being fed. Knowing that he is going to be killed soon, we feel very bad for him. The opening ceremony begins with the children's dance in the area. They play traditional dances with drums. It's unique and feels spontaneous. On the other hand, the purpose of holding the divine offering ceremony is being explained in detail.

The Long Nu festival, or Harvest Festival, of the Chin people is celebrated every year in Myanmar. It is a time for thanksgiving and

celebration after a successful harvest season. During this three-day event, members of the Chin community gather together to enjoy traditional music and dance performances as well as to partake in cultural activities such as sports competitions and religious ceremonies. The highlight of the festivities are offerings made to ancestral spirits that are believed to bring good luck for future harvests. This centuries-old tradition continues today with many families still gathering each year during this festive occasion to honour their ancestors while celebrating another successful harvest season.

Normally, offering to the gods is done with prayer to the gods that you worship, for success in agriculture, abundant food and water, business profits and good health. Everyone prays with the shaman. Before slaughtering the cow, the shaman blows a horn and slaughters a chicken first. It's the first time that I have seen a bull slaughter held with such a ceremony. As soon as the shaman gives the signal that the

time is running out, the man who is going to kill the cow shoots the first arrow. Two or three arrows follow. With a loud gunshot, the big strong bull falls to his knees. It is a very powerful experience for the Chin people and visitors.

Every Chin tribe is different. Northern Chins do not have this tradition. The same is true for the practice of injecting ink on the cheeks of women. Not every tribe does this. Although the population is not very large, out of 135 ethnic groups in Myanmar the Chin tribe is the largest with 53 groups. Traditions are also slightly different. After the ceremony, we eat cow's leg, salad and soup. I didn’t dare to eat because I thought it would be the offspring of the cow that had just been killed. I taste the juice a little bit. It's pretty strong. On the way back, we have two minibuses for our group ride in so it worked out pretty well.

After driving for more than half an hour, we arrive at the foot of Mount Victoria. Because it's

a rare encounter, they stop the minibus for a while and I take some memorable pictures. This is the place to come again to climb the mountain.

It is only 27 miles from the foot of this mountain to our camp. We park the minibuses in a small village before arriving at Min Tug and walk to Nido Village on foot. Before reaching the village, we stop for a while at a building that looks like a boat built at the viewpoint overlooking the city of Min Tug and call in a local girl who will guide us. It looks like there is a guest house here too. Not long after we arrive, two foreign tour buses arrive and the tourists take pictures. When we finally arrive at the village of Aye Ywa it’s about 10:00am.After a short meal break at the house, we began our journey from the foot of the village. It takes about an hour to walk down to the foot of the mountain.

The road is a dirt road; just big enough for a motorcycle. There are no more guards, and it's

scary to ride a motorcycle. There is nothing special or beautiful about the road. There are hardly any big trees. There are many corn fields. Eggs are also farmed commercially as well as red rice and millet for making head juice; an alcoholic drink. Not long after I start walking, I see two old grandparents sitting by a small tent enjoying the sun.

It's the same at the next place; a beehive house with a tin roof painted green. The door is painted red. On the front of the house, a woman sits in the sun, wearing a traditional blue shirt and a yellow headband, taking a potion and relaxing. Next door there are dried grains used for making head juice. The villagers have planted small fields. It looks like they are living their lives peacefully, raising livestock and farming on their own. Because transportation is difficult, it is not developed as much as it could be.

The economic situation seems to be good here. There are only ten houses. Another special thing is the tent where their food is stored in an iron box on a pole so that the rats can't climb up to get it. A tent was placed on top of the large slabs of stone. This must be the method that has been

used since ancient times. It will be a little late to eat from the iron box. At the entrance to the temple, there is a unique Christian church. It looks like most of the locals worship traditional spirits though. They still roll the tanaka on the cheeks of the young Chin women to tattoo them. The main purpose of coming to this village is to take pictures of women with tattoos on their cheeks. Many of the older women still have dark spots (like small boxes) on their faces. The strange thing is that the layout of the boxes is different. They may become the last generation of cheek-tattooing clans. If you look at the houses of the Chin people, the skulls of their hunting victims are proudly hung on the front wall.

Three nights and four days of my trip to Chin State is over. This vacation trip will definitely be one of the most memorable of my life. I was able to record the customs and cultures of the Chin people. I hope to go again if I have the chance in the future.

@thinthinyi2010

How to do Bubble Photography

By Kelly Zhang

Kelly Zhang is a young photographer based in New York, USA, specialising in abstract macro photography. Inspired by the scientific phenomena behind soap bubbles, Kelly began photographing them in 2022. Kelly has received several awards for her work, including first place in the 2022 American Association of Physics Teachers High School Physics Photo Contest and Honourable Mention in the 19th Julia Margaret Cameron Award. She shares her creative process for photographing soap bubbles with WE ARE Magazine.

Introduction

I have always been captivated by the ethereal beauty of soap bubbles.The iridescent hues, rich textures, and fascinating interaction between spherical and amorphous shapes have always held a special allure for me. When the pandemic began and the world came to a standstill, I found a unique opportunity to dive into my passion for soap bubble photography. With ample time, I experimented with various techniques and setups to capture the exquisite beauty of soap bubbles and explore the scientific phenomenon

- thin-film interference - that determines their formation and behaviour.

In this article, I will share my journey and insights into the fascinating world of bubble photography. We will explore the art of soap bubble photography, discuss the best practices for creating bubbles, and delve into the challenges and solutions I encountered. By the end of this guide, you will have gained the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the enchanting realm of soap bubble photography.

The Beauty of Soap Bubbles (1/160, f/16, ISO 200, 90mm) © Kelly Zhang

The Science Behind the Soap Bubbles

The colour of soap bubbles is an example of thinfilm interference. White light reflecting off soap bubbles produces a swirling pattern of colours.A soap bubble is an air-filled sphere surrounded by an extremely thin film made up of a sheet of water encompassed by two layers of soap molecules. Light behaves as a wave, much like ripples from a stone thrown into a pond, and different colours of light have different

can attract and hold water molecules from the surrounding environment, adding thickness and longevity to the bubbles, which makes them easier to photograph. The best mixture ratio for water, dish soap, and glycerin is approximately 7:2:1.

Bubble domes or wands: soap bubbles can be photographed as semi-domes or flatly through a wand.Asemi-dome bubble can be created at the opening of the solution bottle when air is blown

wavelengths. White light is a complete mixture of all the wavelengths of the visible spectrum at equal intensity. When white light shines onto the soap bubbles, the light reflected from the outer soap layer interferes with the light reflected from the inner soap layer. Depending on the film's thickness and the light angle, the reflected light waves can interfere destructively or constructively with each other, causing the iridescent colours on the soap bubbles' surfaces.

Creating the Perfect Soap Bubbles

Bubble solution: the foundation of great soap bubble photos lies in the quality of the bubble solution. Commercial solutions can be unpredictable, so I recommend creating your mixture by hand. A tried-and-true recipe uses distilled water, dish soap, and glycerin. Glycerin

into it using a straw. Bubbles can also be made with various wand shapes and sizes, producing different bubble effects. You can also create your wand using wire or pipe cleaners bent into the desired shape.

Setting up the Photography Environment

Lighting: using a flash for bubble photography is essential for achieving proper illumination and taking more captivating and dynamic images. A flash provides a directional light source, allowing you to control where the light falls on the bubble. This control lets you emphasise specific features, such as the bubble's iridescent colours, patterns, or textures, and create dramatic effects by manipulating shadows and highlights. The flash can usually be set up vertically, with the light directed downward.

A Semi-Dome Bubble (1/160, f/16, ISO 200, 90mm) © Kelly Zhang

Soap Film (1/160, f/16, ISO 100, 65mm) © Kelly Zhang

Background: a black or dark coloured backdrop works well, as it offers increased contrast, minimised reflections, simplified composition, enhanced colours, and versatility with lighting setups. These benefits contribute to creating visually appealing and impactful images that showcase the beauty of soap bubbles.

Tripod: a tripod is crucial for stability and sharpness in your images, especially when using macro lenses. It also allows you to free both hands to manipulate the bubbles and the wand.

Camera Settings and Techniques

Macro Lens: a macro lens is ideal for capturing the intricate details and patterns within soap bubbles while providing sharpness, shallow depth of field, optimal working distance, and versatility. Most of my soap bubble photographs were taken with a 90mm f/2.8 macro lens, which

allowed me to maintain a comfortable distance from the bubbles without disturbing them.

Aperture and depth of field (f/16 – f/22): narrow aperture and a deep depth of field can increase the sharpness of the image. This can be beneficial when capturing the intricate details of soap bubbles or creating images intended for large prints or high resolution displays.

Shutter speed (1/160): use a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion of the bubbles and eliminate motion blur, capture fleeting moments, control lighting,andreducecamerashake,assoapbubbles are constantly moving, floating, and changing.

ISO (50 or 100 or 200): keep the ISO as low as possible to reduce noise in the image.

Focus: manual focus is recommended for precision and control, especially when working with macro lenses. In low light conditions autofocus systems

Typical Bubble Photography Setup © Kelly Zhang

may have difficulty focusing on transparent or reflective subjects like soap bubbles.

Challenges and Solutions

Bubble stability: bubbles are delicate and can burst easily. In addition, other factors like wind and air movement could worsen the situation, destabilising the soap bubbles. Usually, a soap bubble may last less than 30 seconds. However, you can create a more stable bubble solution by adding more glycerin. You can also experiment with different bubble solution component ratios, as some may help create stronger bubbles.

Reflections: bubbles can act as mirrors, reflecting unwanted elements from the surroundings. To minimise reflections, ensure that the background is uncluttered and that any light sources are diffused. You can also use a circular polarising filter to reduce glare and reflections. Most of my

high quality soap bubble photographs were taken before dawn under low light conditions. Moreover, the surroundings were quiet, which minimised interference and allowed for better photography.

Timing: capturing the perfect bubble moment can be challenging due to their unpredictable nature. Be patient and take multiple shots to increase your chances of capturing the perfect image.

Focusing: focusing can be challenging in soap bubble photography, which arises from various factors, such as a shallow depth of field when using a macro lens or shooting close-up. The transparency and reflectiveness of bubbles can confuse the camera's autofocus system, making it hard to lock onto the subject. Low light conditions, which are often preferred for soap bubble photography, can also hinder autofocus performance. To address these challenges, use manual focus for precise control and a tripod to

Abstract Soap Bubble (1/160, f/16, ISO 50, 90mm) © Kelly Zhang

stabilise the camera. Exercise patience while waiting for the bubble to settle into the desired position, improving focusing accuracy.

Advanced Techniques and Variations

Abstract bubble art: experiment with abstract compositions by focusing on the swirling colours and patterns within the bubbles. For instance, you can blow on the bubbles to swirl and blend the colours even further. This technique can create images reminiscent of galaxies, oil paintings, or even stained glass.

Multiple exposure: combine soap bubble photography with multiple exposure for a creative and surreal approach. Layer several exposures on a single image to create a dreamy, otherworldly effect. To achieve the best results, use a flash to fill in the light, underexpose each image, and shoot against a seamless backdrop. A shutter release cable and tripod allow for ease and consistency. Blowing the bubble while taking photos can further enhance the dreamy atmosphere in the image.

Bubble burst: capturing the moment a soap bubble bursts is an exciting challenge in bubble photography.Abubble bursts extremely quickly, and since soap bubble photography often takes place in low light conditions, it requires advanced techniques to capture the scene properly. Utilising sound triggering modes and controlling the bubble's bursting time by blowing it can help you capture a stunning bubble burst image successfully.

Post-Processing Tips

Contrast and saturation: enhance the colours and patterns within your soap bubble images by increasing the contrast and saturation in postprocessing. Be careful not to overdo it, as excessive adjustments can make the image look unnatural.

Sharpening: apply selective sharpening to the bubble's edges and patterns to emphasise the intricate details. Be cautious not to introduce noise or artefacts due to over sharpening.

Noise reduction: if you had to use a higher ISO during your shoot, apply noise reduction in post processing to minimise grain and maintain image quality.

Creative edits: use editing software like Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom to make creative adjustments, such as adding textures and overlays or even combining multiple images for a unique composition.

Conclusion

Soap bubble photography is a captivating and rewarding genre that challenges photographers to capture the wonder of these delicate spheres. With patience, practice, and the proper techniques, you can create stunning images that showcase the enchanting world of soap bubbles. By following the tips and techniques outlined in this guide, you will be well on your way to mastering soap bubble photography. Remember to experiment with different bubble solutions, wand shapes, and lighting conditions to find the perfect setup for your unique style. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the process of capturing these magical, fleeting moments. Soap bubble photography offers a unique opportunity to expand your skill set and explore new creative avenues. So grab your camera, mix up a batch of bubble solution, and start capturing the mesmerising world of soap bubbles. Happy shooting!

@kellyzhangphoto

Bubble Burst (1/160, f/16, ISO 50, 50mm) © Kelly Zhang