I worked with Claudia Rose Carter on a beautiful wedding last year and think she’s a brilliant photographer. She completely and utterly has her own photographic style; it’s not your typical clean and shiny wedding photography, it’s a bit more interesting that. A little bit edgy, a little bit arty, a little bit moody and evocative… and very gorgeous indeed.
So when she put a call out on her Facebook page for willing subjects to come and be a part of a personal project she was about to embark on, I’d shot my hand up and volunteered probably a little too quickly than is deemed cool.
Hence I found myself in Claudia and her partner’s lovely home in Essex one chilly afternoon in February. We drank several cups of tea and waxed lyrical about various things industry related until it was time to pick up camera and take a few shots. I let Claudia very much direct me- it was her project after all- and although there were a few cries of “I don’t know what to do with my arms”, or “Shall I smile? I feel like I ought to smile”, it was actually very calming just to gaze out the window, not over think things, and let Claudia snap whatever she saw.
I like the final images the more and more I look at them. At first glance my natural instinct was to self critique and recoil in horror, but taking myself out of the equation I can see they are beautiful images. Very simple, very real, very raw. I like the use of light and shade, and the double exposure. I like how everything is a little bit off center and imperfect. I like how I just look like me, flyaway hair, smile lines, lack of jaw-line and all.
All images by Claudia Rose Carter
Here’s a little bit from Claudia:
“I started the portrait project as an inspiration to step away from my wedding photography and be able to bring in new inspiration to the way that I shoot. My style on a wedding day is predominately photo journalistic, however I’ve always loved portraits and that aspiration to capture that one moment in frame. I’m shooting the whole thing on a Mamiya 645 medium format camera and, increasingly, only black and white film.”
You can follow The Portrait Project on Claudia’s blog. I was the first to take part (I told you- incredibly eager and uncool), but I’m so looking forward to seeing more.
What do you think?
Sama xxx