I am 21 and have lived in London for 4 years now. I am originally from Cornwall via LA and Norway. I have been taking pictures since I was 15, or maybe 16.

I always had an interest in painting and drawing, but I do not really have the patience for it. Photography is much more instantaneous, and I have a bad temper, which does not work well with longer creative processes, such as painting. For instance, I worked on a painting in school for five months and then all of a sudden I just threw it away.

I would say my photos are hedonistic. They are just pictures of people that I enjoy and find interesting. So I guess my work is very self-indulgent. I am not sure I want to give it a label or a description, it is just what it is. I think one should take it at face-value.

A lot of them are friends of mine. I also like following one same subject, so a lot of the people I photograph I’ve been portraying for years. I have been taking pictures of a girl called Ophelia and her friend Theo for about a year and a half now. I think they were 13 or 14 when I first started photographing them and they’re sort of getting older. To me, it’s very interesting to follow them for a period of time, which is something I am planning to continue with.

I think people can feel quite comfortable around me. It might be true especially for younger girls, but also any girl. I guess it depends on how you perceive yourself and how confident you are, not so much about your age. I would much rather have my photo taken by a woman. I think women are slightly less intimidating and this allows people to feel relaxed.
I wrote my dissertation about new feminism within photography and how the label of feminism is imposed on women photographers. At university a lot of the tutors, especially the male ones, used to say that my work is feminist, although it is not feminist at all. I do call myself a feminist, but my work does not reflect that in any sort of way. My photos are just a portrayal of girls. If I were a guy I would think of it as feminist, but I believe it is something that is shafted onto female photographers and artists regardless. Just because you are a woman it has to be feminist, and a lot of women artists probably feel they need to live up to that. I think I am a feminist in the way that it’s just how I am. Although the internet wave of feminism is good, it is not just about body hair.

I really enjoy it. Fashion is not my main interest, my relationship with it is very conflicted. I don’t think fashion and models should dictate how people should behave and live, but at the same time I appreciate the frivolity and fun it provides.

I think my work might coincidentally be doing so. However, I have noticed that the process of shooting both myself and my friends naked has erased the feeling of being uncomfortable with our own bodies. On a personal level, it certainly did actively change the way my friends and I felt, but I cannot speak for everyone.

Green is probably my least favourite colour in photos, but is in most of them. A lot of my work is set outdoors because I feel it is easier for my subjects to be playful in a natural setting. The countryside can be quite neutral, despite English landscapes being very recognizable.

First and foremost it is important to be friendly. Working hard every day and not being afraid to ask questions are also integral. Potential employers and photography subjects always want to work with people that strike them as enthusiastic and interesting, which is why you should keep emailing and asking around until an opportunity comes along.

I think online presence is unavoidable, especially as a young photographer. I feel people look you up on Instagram now whereas before they would check your website. Instagram has effectively become an equivalent to a portfolio, and I definitely use mine for that. A great deal of artists and creatives get work through social media, I guess it’s the modern word of mouth.

I haven’t worked on anything personal in a while. Some time ago I met with one of my old tutors and he told me that the times when I don’t have any commissioned work are when I should work on my own things. I am currently working on some editorials and I am going to be in LA for a month. There I am going to try and shoot every single day. A lot of my best friends and people I have photographed live out there so I want to treat that month as a big bulk project. I will be shooting every day and then coming back and doing a show or making a zine.

Before graduating I went away for a while. I was in Mexico for a month then in LA for five weeks. It has been an amazing experience. I really like California and the way it looks, which is why I find it quite interesting to make work there. At the time I do not think I really made as much work as I could have. I suppose I used the trip as a trigger for a thought process. Now that I am going back I am confident I can make the work that I wanted to make last time. I feel like I am not very good at doing things then and now; sometimes I am, but I like to revisit things. Perhaps I should be more spontaneous, but now that I’m going back I know what I want to achieve.