Category Archives: Documentary photography

My Favourite Images of 2016

January 5, 2017 by admin | Comments Off

I’ve put together a collection of my favourite images from 2016, and what a year it was! I got to photograph Grammy award winners, Premiership footballers and Mercury prize nominees; I shot events in museums, laboratories, tv studios, hidden gardens and amongst giant smoke machines; I travelled half way round the world and saw incredible cultural and natural wonders; and I got to meet and work with some truly inspirational people along the way.

I’ve chosen each of the images in the collection below for different reasons. Some because they captured a unique moment, some because they are successful in terms of technique or composition, and some because they transport me back to a special time and place in my life from the past 12 months.

I hope you enjoy looking through these images as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Thanks so much for all your support in 2016. Wishing you all a happy new year and a fabulous 2017!

Rachel x

Also posted in Bands, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography, Photography, Places, Portraits, Uncategorized, Wedding Photography

My Music, My Manchester

November 10, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

My Music, My Manchester was an ambitious project from a collaboration of partners including My Hub, Brighter Sound and Manchester Camerata, to produce am intensive week long creative residency for a diverse group of young musicians and artists, led by singer, songwriter and activist Meklit , culminating in a very special one off performance at the BBC Philharmonic studio at Media City. You can see some of my favourite images from the workshops at Band on the Wall and the incredible final performance in the gallery below.

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my-manchester-my-music-logos

Also posted in Bands, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Tagged Band on the Wall, BBC Philharmonic, Brighter Sound, Concert, Event Photography, Gig, gig photography, Manchester, Meklit, Music Photography, My Hub, My Music My Manchester |

Imogen Heap Residency with Brighter Sound

October 20, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of working with Brighter Sound again, this time documenting their latest Artistic Director residency, with singer and composer Imogen Heap. Under Imogen’s guidance, in just 5 days a group of 10 talented young musicians, who had never met before, managed to write, produce and release a song, film and edit a music video, create the single cover art, produce an exhibition and put on a live show at Manchester’s Band on The Wall. It was an incredible achievement and a real privilege top document. They named their band Frink Frink and their song, Marble, is now available to purchase on itunes and all good online music stores.

You can see a selection of my favourite images from the residency below.

If you like these images please follow me on facebook and instagram

Also posted in Bands, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Tagged Band on the Wall, Brighter Sound, Concert, Event Photography, Frink Frink, Gig, gig photography, Imogen Heap, Manchester, Marble, Music Photography |

House of Suarez Icon Ball @ The Invisible Wind Factory

October 19, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

October 2016 marked the 10th Anniversary of the House of Suarez Vogue Ball, which they celebrated in style with the Icon Ball at Liverpool’s Invisible Wind Factory. It was another vogue-tastic night of incredible outfits and amazing dance moves all wrapped up in sexiness, sass and tongue-in-cheek humor. You can see some of my favourite images of the night in the gallery below.

Also posted in Events

Moovin Festival 2016

September 1, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

Last weekend was Moovin 2016, a little music festival tucked away on a farm at the end of small country park in Stockport. It was an amazing, if occasionally soggy weekend, featuring performances from Congo Natty, Beardyman, Finlay Quaye, Channel One Soundsystem, Honeyfeet, Extra Love, Dust Junkys, Riot Jazz and Mr Wilson’s Second liners, to name but a few…

You can see my favourite images from the weekend in the gallery below.

Also posted in Bands, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography

Science in The City Late – Anna Meredith’s residency with Brighter Sound

August 4, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

Commissioned by Brighter Sound, Anna Meredith’s four-day residency with a group of young female musicians, visual artists and sound engineers, culminated in a special, one-off performance at Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry as part of Science in the City Late. The music and art they created was inspired by graphene and the incredible Wonder Materials exhibition. The exhibition was open all evening alongside a range of weird and wonderful exhibits and stalls including opportunities to try 3d-printed chocolate and insect sushi.

You can see a selection of my favourite images from the night below.

Also posted in Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography, Places, Uncategorized Tagged Anna Meredith, Brighter Sound, Graphene, Manchester, MOSI, Museum of Science and Industry, Science in the City, Science in the city late, Wonder Materials |

Anna Meredith’s residency with Brighter Sound

July 27, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

I’ve recently been working with Brighter Sound and MOSI to document their collaboration for the Science in The City Festival – A 4 day Artistic residency with composer Anna Meredith and a group of 16-25 year old female artists and musicians to create a special one off performance in conjunction with the opening of ‘Wonder Materials: Graphene and beyond‘ at MOSI.

You can see a selection of my favourite images from the residency below. The special, one-off performance at MOSI is this evening – you can find more information here

Also posted in Events, Music Photography Tagged Anna Meredith, Brighter Sound, Eleanor Meredith, Graphene, Jack Ross, MOSI, Science in the City |

Velvet Badger 2016

July 16, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

Last weekend was the 2016 Velvet Badger Festival. You can see my photos of the slightly soggy, but still entirely marvellous, weekend below.

If you’d like to feast your eyes on the wonderment that was the first Velvet Badger, you can do so here.

Also posted in Bands, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Tagged Beware Monsters, Caulbearers, DJ Xander, Festival Photography, Gideon Conn, Henge, Massive Badgers, Microfestival, Mr Wilsaons One Liners, Mystic Brewery, Paddy Steer, Public Sector, Publik Sektor, Rik Warren, Thing, Tim Jones and the Dark Lanters, Travelling Light Circus, Velvet Badger, Velvet Badger 2016 |

Test Card Live, BBC Music Day

June 6, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

On Friday I had the pleasure of working with the ever-excellent Brighter Sound again, photographing Test Card Live – a showcase of audiovisual performances as part of BBC Music Day. The event started with a workshop in analogue electronics and graphical sound from Noise Orchestra, followed by performances from some hugely talented artists including Benjamen Finney and Michael-Jon Mizra, both Brighter sound commissions. You can see some of my favourite images from the night below.

Also posted in Bands, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Tagged audiovisual, BBC Music Day, Benjamen Finney, Brighter Sound, Event Photography, Gig, gig photography, MadLab, Manchester, Micael-Jon Mizra, Music Photography, Noise Orchestra, Test Card Live, Texture |

Written In The Margins

March 11, 2016 by admin | Comments Off

Yesterday I photographed the amazing ‘Written in the Margins’ event at The Manchester Jewish Museum. Part of 2016’s feminist Wonder Women Festival , Written in the Margins combined debate, spoken word and performance alongside a zine-making workshop. Claire Pollard read her interpretation of Ovid’s Heroides, followed by a fascinating panel debate about women in the music industry with Laura Snapes (editor and music journalist), Vanessa Reed (CEO of PRS Foundation), singer-songwriter Roxanne de Bastion and Chris Long (BBC Manchester Introducing,), and chaired by Stuart Maconie. To finish, an original musical composition, inspired by Ovid’s Heroides, was performed by Serafina Steer.

You can see my images from the event below.