Projects

Causes

We all find our own causes in life, those things which we feel strongly enough to fight for, to vote for, and to raise awareness of. These causes are often intrinsically linked to our own ethical code, moral compass, and life experience. 

This section of my site shares images from some of my personal projects, which use photography to raise awareness of causes close to my heart. 

At Home In Nature

The Art of Compassion Project (AoCP) is an international art collective that supports veganism by donating 100% of proceeds from various art projects to non-profit vegan organisations.

The AoCP is supported by over 200 artists from 28 countries and continues to grow. As one of the AoCP’s artist members, I have supported various projects including online art auctions and art exhibitions. In addition to the online projects I have had the opportunity to exhibit vegan art at expos, Vegfests, vegan festivals, and markets throughout Europe, the UK, the US, and China.

Through October to November 2021, the AoCP hosted the second of a series of virtual 3D exhibitions of art by dozens of artists around the globe. Each exhibition showcased a unique theme celebrating a different non-profit vegan organisation. A high-quality exhibit catalogue was published for purchase after the exhibition, and is available to buy here.

The second show – At Home In Nature – explored questions like: What does sanctuary in nature look like? What does it mean to return home to nature? How might humans and animals coexist in nature?

My photographic piece, ‘Entrance To The Forest‘, is part of the exhibition.

Windows to the Soul

​Raising awareness of animal welfare issues is one of the causes close to my heart. The ‘Windows to the Soul’ images are portrait photographs of animals which are commonly used for resources. These creatures have lives which are not ours to take, and we should be working to protect the environment rather than destroying habitats in order to farm them. We all have the inner spark, the desire to live, and we all deserve the opportunity for a peaceful life. 

​The photographs were first displayed at ‘Behind Closed Doors’, an animal welfare art exhibition which took place in London in May 2017. From London, the pictures went to Beijing for a major vegan themed convention, ChinaFit 2017. The photographs attracted attention from the local media, including BBC Wiltshire Radio (listen to the interview – below), and also received national coverage in China. Click individual pictures for larger images.

In their natural state, chickens will live for up to 8 years. Taking their cues from one and other, and learning from their mothers, chickens develop a range of skills as they grow. Their language comprises at least two dozen different sounds, and they begin communicating with their mother when still in their egg. Even into adulthood, chickens have been observed looking to their mothers and other more experienced hens for guidance in new situations.

Young goats – kids – recognise their mother’s call soon after birth. Almost immediately after being born, the kid is able to follow their mother around. Left to their natural state, the kid is weaned at around 6 months old but will stay with their family group for life. Goats have excellent coordination, great ability to balance, and some species can jump over 5 feet high.

Roosters do a dance known as ‘tidbitting’ to attract hens. This involves calling to the females, bobbing up and down, and picking up and dropping a bit of food. Studies have found that the males who do this dance often are more likely to succeed with the females. Roosters with larger, brighter combs on their heads and larger wattles are also more attractive to females.

Naturally intelligent and inquisitive, pigs have been the subject of a range of studies over the years. Socially aware, they have been found to have good memories, recognising pigs that they know from previous meetings, and forming strong emotional attachments. As playful as puppies, and able to learn as quickly as primates, pigs really are remarkable animals. In their natural state, pigs will live up to 15 years.

Social and playful birds, turkeys like to have company. They are naturally curious, and sanctuary turkeys will enjoy meeting visitors. Their natural lifespan is around 10 years, but in captivity, turkeys are generally slaughtered at around 5 months old. In the wild, however, turkeys bond closely as family groups, and the young stay with their mother for up to 5 months. Male turkeys are known as toms, and females are hens.

Observational studies have shown that sheep have quite advanced learning capabilities, are able to map their surroundings out mentally, and in some situations can plan ahead. Sheep recognise people, and have language learning abilities, including responding to their individual names. In some areas, sheep have been observed rolling across cattle grids to avoid getting their feet stuck between the bars. Sheep tend to have a natural life expectancy of at least 10 years.

Ducks have a natural lifespan of around 15 years. Studies have shown that ducklings have the ability to understand abstract concepts within hours of being born and without any external intervention (for example, any form of training). This rapid learning curve is part of the imprinting process which newborn ducks go through in forming an attachment to their mother (or mother figure). Ducks are intelligent and social animals, preferring to remain in large groups.

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British Wildlife

Towards helping some of the local wildlife, I spent some time volunteering for a charity, Oak and Furrows Wildlife Rescue Centre. The centre takes in wild animals with a view to caring for them before releasing them back to the wild. Around 3,000 animals in need are taken to the centre every year. The series of photographs which follow were all taken at Oak and Furrows. I used a telephoto lens to capture the images, as staff and volunteers strive towards minimal contact with the residents. This approach gives the animals a better chance of surviving when they are released, as they will remain cautious of interacting with humans. Even around people who would wish them no harm, there are other hazards, such as machinery and family pets which could cause serious injury to wildlife. A selection of the pictures were exhibited at the LiberationArts Festival in Bristol, February 2019.

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Identity​

​What are the factors which shape our identity as individuals? How much control do we have over the development of our identities? Do identities change over time?

This pair of images portray some of the external influences and experiences which combine to create individual identities. Weaving a complex pattern, the different factors hold us tightly. We struggle to separate the positive influences from the negative ones, and we lose sight of our authentic selves.

Bound by social constructs and trapped in a world of online media, we lose control of our identities as they develop. Stifled, our passions lie dormant. Self-expression and creativity remain trapped within the web of outside factors which bind us. Free thinking is discouraged, in case we should remember what it is to be an individual. We are propelled along a path followed by others who are similarly constrained.

It’s time to break free from the ties. To recognise which influences build us, and which tear us down. Time to remember what it means to be an individual, and to take pride in our paths. To retrieve our moral compasses and be prepared to take a stand. For our passions, for those around us, for the planet. Time to celebrate individual identities.

​These pictures were selected in the ‘Personal Photography Work’ category, to exhibit at the Photofusion gallery in London, as part of the PhotoVoice  members’ exhibition, 2018. The PhotoVoice mission is to promote the ethical use of photography for positive social change, through delivering innovative participatory photography projects. By working in partnership with organisations, communities, and individuals worldwide, the organisation is helping to build the skills and capacity of underrepresented or at risk communities, creating new tools of self-advocacy and communication.

External influences which shape our identities. So much of how we are shaped comes from a 24 hour society into which we are absorbed from a very young age. Pressure to conform to societal ‘norms’ governs our development. I do wonder what we would be if we were allowed to grow freely, away from artificial societal constructs.

External influences which shape our identities. People judge us on how we portray ourselves. A snap decision on whether or not we can be trusted, on whether or not we are the ‘right type’ of person. Yet underneath it all, who determines what the ‘right type’ is? How much control do we actually have over the person we become as we grow?