Hannah

From the beginning of my practice, I have been drawn to photographing the thoughts, feelings and quiet internal dialogue that shape our everyday lives. Rather than simply describing the external world, I have always been interested in the emotional life that exists beneath the surface.

Hannah was made over a two month period through regular four hour sessions in a single apartment in East London. Restricting the work to one space was a deliberate creative challenge. Rather than relying on different locations, I wanted to discover how much emotional depth could emerge from one familiar environment.

Although I initially hoped the moments would simply unfold, I soon realised the work demanded a different approach. I began working in a way closer to filmmaking, shaping scenes rather than simply waiting for moments to happen. Together, Hannah and I developed simple sequences of everyday actions: getting dressed, pausing at the mirror, walking to the window, reading a message. We repeated these gestures until they became familiar and unforced, allowing the scenes to develop a natural rhythm.

I carefully mapped the movement of light through the apartment, returning at different times of day to follow its changes. I wanted to make photographs in which the presence of the camera was undetectable, allowing the scenes to feel private and unobserved. The changing light created a quiet sense of time passing, while the photographs retained the intimacy of a life unfolding beyond the awareness of the viewer.

I am interested in making photographs that are carefully constructed, yet feel completely lived. Hannah explores the space between documentary and fiction, where directed moments can feel emotionally truthful and the quiet rituals of everyday life reveal something of the inner world we all carry with us.