PEOPLE OF MANCHESTER: 2023

People of Manchester: 2023 was an early study in photographing the city through the people who move through it. I had spent a great deal of time working alone with my camera. During this period, I began to seek out other photographers and feel part of a wider photography community. That change encouraged me to go out more often, look more closely and take greater chances with my work.

I made these images candidly in Manchester’s public spaces. I was learning how much a person could bring to a frame, and how a street photograph could carry the pace, humour or tension of the city around them.

This was also a year of learning to feel more at ease photographing in public. I became more comfortable waiting, responding quickly and trusting what drew my attention. Meeting other photographers helped too. It gave me people to share work with and reminded me that looking at the world through a camera could be a way of connecting with it.

People of Manchester: 2023 shows my practice taking shape. The photographs are about everyday life in the city, and about my growing confidence to step into it.