‘This Month I’ve Mostly Been…’ September 2025

This month has been busy! Kids back at school, plenty of commissions to keep me occupied, so not a lot of time for leisure, but I did manage to lend my eyes and ears to a few things worth shouting about.

As always there are some affiliate links that will bring me a bit of money if you make a purchase.

This month I’ve been reading…

“Mummified” by Angela Stienne

A very thorough, interesting and often controversial history of Egyptian mummies as they journey from the tombs of ancient Egypt to museum displays in France and Britain. Rather than simply detailing how mummies were made, the book sheds light on how these bodies were used for medicine, medical curiosities, status and even entertainment.

Stienne invites readers to question not only the scientific and historical curiosity around mummies but also the ethical implications of displaying human remains for public viewing. I came away from reading thinking more deeply about my connections to the thousands of displaced people now stored and cared for in museums across the world, what that says about our colonial past and also what it says about our present attitudes to the millions currently displaced across the globe, much like mummified bodies, through no fault of their own.

This month I’ve been watching…

‘Platonic’ (You can watch this on the excellent Apple TV+ streaming platform, free trial here if you click)

Starring Rose Byrne as Sylvia and Seth Rogen as Will “Platonic” is a comedy series about the non-romantic but deeply supportive friendship between Sylvia, a stay-at-home mum of three, and Will, a recently divorced beer brewer and bar owner. The show explores their reconnection at midlife crisis points, and presents us with a comedic look at the challenges of balancing family, work, and a personal life without any of the usual “will they, won’t they?” when characters of the opposite sex share a connection.

Above all of this though it is very, very funny!

Finally this month I’ve been listening to a lot of…

‘Hear as the Mirror Echoes’ by Herbal Tea

‘A Danger to Ourselves’ by Lucrecia Dalt

‘D-R’ by Akhira Sanyo

‘Sametou Sawtan’ by SANAM

Thanks as always for checking in, see you at the end of next month for another short list of more things that have piqued my interest.

Image Set: ‘Big Strong Man’ Creswell Derbyshire

What an awesome show to be asked to photograph. An amazing evening of powerful theatre courtesy of  The Growth House. 'Big Strong Man’ is excellent, thank you for the team for asking me to capture the performance.

Big shout out to Tyler Turner for recommending me!

Image Set: First Art ‘Out and About’ sessions, Clay Cross

A series of images from a recent shoot for First Art at their Clay Cross 'Out and About’ Sessions. I love working on these types of events, lots of activity to photograph and wonderful people to spend the day with.

This Month I’ve Mostly Been…(August 2025)

This month has mostly been about family holidays and time off, so plenty of down time to dip into various things I thought might be worth sharing.

As always there are some affiliate links that will bring me a bit of money if you make a purchase.

This month I’ve been reading…

‘Show Your Work’ Austin Kleon

This is a great book for creators, artists, and anyone looking to share their creative work with the world. “Rather than focusing on self-promotion, Kleon champions the idea of generosity over genius, encouraging readers to open up about their creative process, share something small every day, and let others learn from—and be inspired by—them.” This book is set out in bite sized chapters that are easy to refer back to and never feels preachy, just full of great ideas!

'Afonydd: Poems for Welsh Rivers’ Various

This is a really accessible book of poems that celebrates the rivers flowing through the heart of Wales. Fifty poets share their work in both Welsh and English, each poem capturing the magic and movement of Welsh rivers. Reading this book really made me feel like I wanted to be outside, exploring the landscape, experiencing the kinds of sights and sounds that are brought to life so vividly in this collection.

This month I’ve been watching…

'Daughters’ (2024)

Daughters is a 2024 American documentary directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, following four young girls, Aubrey, Santana, Raziah, and Ja'Ana, as they prepare for a special Daddy Daughter Dance with their fathers in a Washington prison.

“The film offers an intimate look at the bonds between fathers and daughters strained by incarceration, focussing on the girls’ anticipation and emotional journeys leading up to the event. Over eight years, the documentary observes their lives before, during, and after the dance, providing extended insight into their relationships and the long-term impact of separation from their fathers. The documentary intentionally avoids focusing on the crimes of the fathers, instead choosing to humanize them and spotlight the effects of the prison system on family bonds, especially the emotional experiences and resilience of the daughters. It highlights the challenges families face in maintaining connections during incarceration, and the significance of moments of physical connection, forgiveness, and healing.”

You can watch this one over on Netflix

Finally this month I’ve been listening to a lot of…

'Private Music’ Deftones one of my all time favourite bands are back with a bang!

'The Clearing’ Wolf Alice Album highlight for me is the track 'Bloom Baby Bloom’.

'Refugees of the Symbolic Network’ Cerpintxt This album is an atmospheric phenomenon, I love it.

'Interior Live Oak’ Cass McCombs If you’ve never heard of Cass, I’d recommend working your way through the entire back catalogue before getting to this gem

'Murmuration and Stasis’ Fredrik Rasten Something from leftfield…excellent if you’re needing to focus but like some background “noise”

(August definitely felt like more of a “music month”!)

Thanks as always for checking in, see you at the end of next month for another short list of more things that have piqued my interest.

Image spread: The Squares Project

Some images from a recent shoot for Platform Thirty1 and the Greater Creative working party. The squares project has seen the local community make over 5000(!) crochet squares which will form part of displays across Blackwell Parish at the end of the year. It was certainly an impressive sight to see at the first sorting event.

‘Concept’ Northampton 2025 - Image Set

Last week was so much fun, I loved every minute of 'Concept’ at NMPAT delivering Arts Award for Pedestrian. The staff team worked with 8 young people to help them to write, record and produce their own original pieces of music whilst completing Arts Award Explore.

Here’s a selection of some of my favourite images from the sessions.

A family break and reflections

A much needed break with family took us to Wales. I completed my PGCE in South Wales and spent a lot of time between Newport and Cardiff but spending a week on the coast was something else. What a beautiful landscape to explore.

It’s also felt like a great opportunity to get out with the camera and just make images for the love of the craft, and whilst not working to a “brief” for a change, looking back at the images I’ve selected here I really get the sense I was almost notetaking and generating ideas for future projects. I can’t wait to get back to my desk and start working up some of the drafts I have in my head.

This Month I’ve Mostly Been…(July 2025)

Another busy month of work and family life, looking back on it I didn’t read, watch or listen to much but what I did get  around to delving into is, in my eyes, definitely worth shouting about!

There are some affiliate links that will bring me a bit of money if you make a purchase.

This month I’ve been reading

‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ by Mohsin Hamid

I’ll be honest, I bought this book because I was drawn to the cover and the title, I didn’t even read the blurb and against the odds it turned out to be a wise purchase! The book centres on the central character Changez, a young Pakistani man who graduates from Princeton University and lands a prestigious job at a top valuation firm in New York City. At first, he seems to have achieved the American Dream. However, after the 9/11 attacks, Changez’s relationship with the U.S. begins to shift. He becomes disillusioned with American foreign policy, especially toward Muslims, and increasingly feels alienated. This culminates in his return to Pakistan, where he adopts a more critical opinion on U.S. imperialism. The entire novel is a one-sided conversation between Changez and an unnamed American visitor in a Lahore café. Told as a monologue, tension builds throughout before we reach the book’s dramatic conclusion.

This month I’ve been watching…

'Licorice Pizza’ (2021) directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, is a coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama set in the 1970s. The film follows the unconventional relationship between Gary Valentine, a confident and ambitious 15-year-old child actor, and Alana Kane, a 25-year-old aimless young woman trying to figure out her place in the world. The story unfolds as Gary and Alana navigate various entrepreneurial ventures and chaotic adventures—from waterbed sales and acting gigs to brushes with Hollywood figures and local politics. Despite their age difference a strong connection grows between them…also the soundtrack is GREAT!!! I watched this on Blu-ray and you can rent a copy for FREE by clicking this link

I also watched and loved 'Dahomey’ (2024) directed and written by Mati Diop on Mubi. Set in November 2021, the film documents the symbolic journey of 26 royal treasures—looted from the Kingdom of Dahomey (modern-day Benin) by French colonial forces in 1892—as they are repatriated from the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris back to Benin. It features scenes of the artifacts being respectfully packed in Paris and ceremonially received in Cotonou. Discussion at the University of Abomey‑Calavi, where Beninese students “challenge the politics, symbolism, and sufficiency of cultural restitution” a lot of whom make the point that only 26 items have been returned out of an estimated 7,000+ looted objects of cultural significance. My favourite sections of the film though are the voice overs from the perspective of the statue of King Ghezo, one of the artifacts being returned—as though the statue itself is reflecting on its centuries long exile.

You can stream this one on Mubi and if you if you subscribe using this link we’ll both get 30 days free!

Finally this month I’ve been listening to a lot of…

'Dog Eared’ The new album by the wonderful Billie Marten. The highlight of which is the absolutely brilliant 'Leap Year’.

'Self Titled’ Kae Tempest. Still one of the most important voices in UK music if you ask me.

Thanks as always for checking in, see you at the end of next month for another short list of more things that have piqued my interest.

Image spread: A selection from a recent shoot for Platform Thirty1.

The working party for the ‘Home Truths’ project gathered at Grow Outside to make their own bread and butter.

#photography #eventphotography #eastmidlands #Derbyshire #freelance

Image spread for The Spark Arts for Children ’Takeover’ and ‘In Your School’ events, Leicester June 2025