Tag Archives: both sides now

My Favourite images of 2018

January 6, 2019 by admin | Comments Off

So long 2018! The passing of a year is always a good time to reflect on the past 12 months, and for me that means looking back through a LOT of photos. Taking a step back and looking at my work over the course of a whole year, I’m struck by varied it has been – I’ve documented community projects, music events, travel destinations; taken portraits of new-born babies, business leaders, artists and musicians; and I’ve photographed weddings, gigs, poetry readings, conferences and festivals. It’s been a blast!

To save you having to look through a year’s worth of (rather splendid) blog posts, I’ve collected together a selection of my favourite images from 2018 to create a super-duper-blow-your-mind-with-it’s-awesomeness gallery, which you can view below. There’s a mixture of portraits, documentary shots, gig pictures, landscapes and wedding photographs. I hope you enjoy them (please let me know your favourites in the comments section).

Heading into 2019 I’m incredibly excited to see what the next 12 months will bring. Thank you so much to all of the wonderful people and organisations that I’ve worked with in 2018, and to all of my fabulous family and friends for their continuing support. Happy new year everyone, lets make 2019 a belter!

Rachel x

Posted in Arts Photography, Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, landscape photography, Music Photography, Photography, Places, Portraits, travel photography, Wedding Photography Also tagged 2018, best photos, Brighter Sound, collection, Concert, dazzley badger, Event Photography, favourite images, Manchester, Music Photography, retrospective, Scotland, Travel, Wedding, year in review |

Both Sides Now, Fatima Al Qadiri Residency

August 31, 2018 by admin | Comments Off

Last month I headed down to the People’s History Museum to shoot the latest residency in Brighter Sound‘s ambitious ‘Both Sides Now’ programme, which aims to support and sustain gender equality on the music industry.

This residency was headed by artist, musician and composer Fatima Al Qadiri, alongside curator and researcher Amal Khalaf. Working with 8 female musicians, artists and performers, over the course of 5 days in the People’s History Museum, they created a unique and powerful piece of work – a combinations of performance, music, video, spoken word and protest art, all inspired by the ‘Represent! Voices 1200 Years On’ exhibition that was running at the museum.

The final piece was performed in a special one off event at the PHM. I joined the group on the final day of the residency to document their final rehearsals and the evening’s performance, all in the beautiful pump room at the PHM. A selection of my favourite images from the event can be seen below.

Posted in Arts Photography, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography, Places, Portraits Also tagged Amal Khalaf, Arts, Brighter Sound, equality, Event, Fatima Al Qadiri, feminism, Gig, Manchester, Music, Peoples History Museum, Performance, Protest, Pump Room, Represent! 100 Years On |

Both Sides Now, with Beth Orton, Part 2

December 7, 2017 by admin | Comments Off

The second of my two days documenting the Beth Orton residency of the Both Sides Now programme was spent at the Old Granada Studios. The day centred around setting up the stage and running sound checks and rehearsals. In the evening came the launch party. 100’s of VIPs flooded into to the cavernous studio space to join the event, which was hosted by Miranda Sawyer, and included speeches from composer Anna Meredith (also a Both Sides Now ambassador) and Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. The evening culminated in an incredible one-off live performance from Beth Orton and the participants of the residency. You can see some of my favourite images from the day in the gallery below.

Posted in Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Also tagged andy burnham, Anna Meredith, beth orton, Brighter Sound, granada old studios |

Both Sides Now, with Beth Orton, Part 1

December 7, 2017 by admin | Comments Off

Both Sides Now is a three-year programme from Brighter Sound. Funded by The Arts Council, it’s aim is to support, inspire and showcase women in music across the North of England. To kick start this ambitious new project, Brighter Sound commissioned Both Sides Now ambassador, Beth Orton, to run a week long residency with emerging female musicians, vocalists, writers and visual artists, culminating in a performance of their original work at the Both Sides Now launch party. I was invited to join Beth, and the 12 talented female artists chosen for the residency, for the last two days of the project. Here are some of my favourite images from the first of these two days, when the group were still finishing of their pieces – and even writing some new ones – at Chethams School of Music, Manchester.