AWARDS 2020 Nov 2020

Title: Grumpy Girl

"This was part of a series of documentary photographs on the Outer Hebrides. 

Inspired by Paul Strand who visited the islands back in the 1950’s I wanted to make a study of the people who lived and worked there. 

I travelled up to the far north of Scotland to document the modern day weavers and how they live their lives, just as he did then. Still using traditional skills I was interested in the way the incredible craftsmanship had been passed down to the younger generations but in relatively unchanged surroundings.

The home of Harris Tweed is now a vibrant community proud of its traditions, where weaving of the iconic cloth is both a flexible source of family income and a link to the past and landscape.

Having photographed the grandfather and his son, I remembered that he'd told me that the grandchildren were inside the house but asleep. They were woken up and bought into the chilly air of my canvas studio set up inside the shed where the father was alternating weaving with delivering new born lambs. She was a little bit grumpy and really didn't want to have her picture taken. Somehow I persevered and got this picture of her."