mullitover: JONATHAN CHERRY: What did you want to be growing... crss

mullitover:

JONATHAN CHERRY: What did you want to be growing up?

NICOLA MUIRHEAD: I wanted to be a female Indiana Jones! Travel the world as an archeologist and historian uncovering the ancient mysteries of the world. I suppose becoming a documentary photographer was the next best choice.

JC: Who or what is inspiring you at the moment?

NM: Everyday I am drawn to something new, but at the moment I have been salivating over the work of Greg Miller. His photographs are just breathtaking! My favourite series by him is definitely “We The People”, which he captured at a polling station during a 2004 election in the United States. The portraits are just so wonderfully composed and there is this quite humour surrounding the scenes he depicts.

JC: What are you up to right now?

NM: At the moment I am working on two documentary projects, one here in London and one in the United States.

JC: Have you had mentors along the way?

NM: Yes, I have had many wonderful mentors along the way. The most significant for me was Charles Anderson, a local photographer from my island community of Bermuda. He was the first person to look at my work and encourage me to take it further four years ago. Since then, I have met other influential photographers like Antonio Olmos and Jocelyn Bain Hogg; both professors at the London College of Communication where I completed my Masters. They gave me great feedback and advice during the last two years, along with fellow classmates I met on the course.

JC: Where are you based right now and how is it shaping you?

NM: I am based in London at the moment and it has shaped me significantly. Coming from an island with a population of only 60,000 people on 21-square-miles, London has been a HUGE contrast, and I really enjoy that fact. I love the anonymity it gives me and the history and the diversity of the community. Every building has a meaning and every borough has a story, and I find myself completely absorbed within the city.

JC: One piece of advice to photography graduates?

NM: Don’t let anyone take away your confidence in your work! The photography world can be pretty harsh and it can be difficult not to take it personally. Just follow your voice and what interests you, and persevere.

JC: If all else fails - what is your plan B?

NM: I think I will always be a documentary photographer and visual storyteller, there is no question in my mind about that. But in order to support what I do, I have to wear many hats. So in truth, there are multiple plans - there’s a plan B, a plan C, a plan D, E, F etc… In the end, as long as I stay true to myself in whatever I do, I will be satisfied.

JC: Is it important to you to be a part of a creative community?

NM: Definitely! That being said, I think it is also very important to step out of that community periodically, in order to stay connected to the outside world.

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