Tag Archives: Brighter Sound

My Favourite images of 2018

January 6, 2019 by admin | Comments Off

So long 2018! The passing of a year is always a good time to reflect on the past 12 months, and for me that means looking back through a LOT of photos. Taking a step back and looking at my work over the course of a whole year, I’m struck by varied it has been – I’ve documented community projects, music events, travel destinations; taken portraits of new-born babies, business leaders, artists and musicians; and I’ve photographed weddings, gigs, poetry readings, conferences and festivals. It’s been a blast!

To save you having to look through a year’s worth of (rather splendid) blog posts, I’ve collected together a selection of my favourite images from 2018 to create a super-duper-blow-your-mind-with-it’s-awesomeness gallery, which you can view below. There’s a mixture of portraits, documentary shots, gig pictures, landscapes and wedding photographs. I hope you enjoy them (please let me know your favourites in the comments section).

Heading into 2019 I’m incredibly excited to see what the next 12 months will bring. Thank you so much to all of the wonderful people and organisations that I’ve worked with in 2018, and to all of my fabulous family and friends for their continuing support. Happy new year everyone, lets make 2019 a belter!

Rachel x

Posted in Arts Photography, Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, landscape photography, Music Photography, Photography, Places, Portraits, travel photography, Wedding Photography Also tagged 2018, best photos, both sides now, collection, Concert, dazzley badger, Event Photography, favourite images, Manchester, Music Photography, retrospective, Scotland, Travel, Wedding, year in review |

Both Sides Now, Fatima Al Qadiri Residency

August 31, 2018 by admin | Comments Off

Last month I headed down to the People’s History Museum to shoot the latest residency in Brighter Sound‘s ambitious ‘Both Sides Now’ programme, which aims to support and sustain gender equality on the music industry.

This residency was headed by artist, musician and composer Fatima Al Qadiri, alongside curator and researcher Amal Khalaf. Working with 8 female musicians, artists and performers, over the course of 5 days in the People’s History Museum, they created a unique and powerful piece of work – a combinations of performance, music, video, spoken word and protest art, all inspired by the ‘Represent! Voices 1200 Years On’ exhibition that was running at the museum.

The final piece was performed in a special one off event at the PHM. I joined the group on the final day of the residency to document their final rehearsals and the evening’s performance, all in the beautiful pump room at the PHM. A selection of my favourite images from the event can be seen below.

Posted in Arts Photography, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography, Places, Portraits Also tagged Amal Khalaf, Arts, both sides now, equality, Event, Fatima Al Qadiri, feminism, Gig, Manchester, Music, Peoples History Museum, Performance, Protest, Pump Room, Represent! 100 Years On |

Shiva Feshareki residency, Brighter Sound

May 18, 2018 by admin | Comments Off

One of the most interesting and also the most challenging events I’ve shot so far this year has to be ‘Sounds Like This’ at Leeds School of Music in March. It was another of Brighter Sounds’ residencies, this time lead by composer and turntablist, Shiva Feshareki. 15 female artists – musicians, vocalists, digital artists and turntablists – worked together for 5 days to produce a one-off performance at the end of the week. I joined them in Leeds for the very last day of the residency and documented some of their rehearsals as well as the final performance. There was minimal stage lighting and many of the performers were only illuminated by the lights on their electronic equipment – so I think it probably wins the prize for the darkest gig I’ve ever shot! But it was an incredible performance. I’ve included a selection of my favourite images from the residency in the gallery below. Enjoy x

Posted in baby photography, Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography Also tagged Composer, Gig, Leeds, Leeds School Of Music, Manchester, Performance, Shiva Fehareki, Sounds Like This |

Manchester Hill Remembered, Part 2

May 17, 2018 by admin | Comments Off

Manchester Hill Remembered was a one-off event, held at Manchester Cathedral on 13th April, 2018. Organised by Brighter Sound, Manchester City Council and Manchester Histories, ‘Manchester Hill Remembered’ saw performances of brand new pieces of work from local musicians and spoken word artists Young Identity, all inspired by the battle of Manchester Hill 100 years ago. They were accompanied by Cinematic Orchestra members, Luke Flowers, Stuart McCallum and John Ellis, composer Katie Chatburn, singer-song writers Liam Frost and Seaming-To, The King’s Division Band, Northern Voices, the Ignition Orchestra, and award winning poet Michael Symmons Roberts alongside spectacular visuals by Digital multimedia artist Rebecca Smith of Urban Projections .

It was an incredible performance. The gallery below contains some of my favourite images from the night.

Posted in Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Also tagged cinematic orchestra, Event Photography, Gig, gig photography, inna voice, John Ellis, Katie Chatburn, liam frost, luke flowers, Manchester, manchester cathedral, manchester city council, Manchester Hill, Manchester hill remembered, manchester histories, Michael Symmons Roberts, stuart mccallum, Young Identity |

Manchester Hill Remembered, Part 1

May 17, 2018 by admin | Comments Off

A collaboration between Brighter Sound, Manchester City Council and Manchester Histories, ‘Manchester Hill Remembered’ was a special, one-off cultural event to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of a near-forgotten WWI battle, where 79 men from Manchester lost their lives holding a hill against advancing German forces.

A group of emerging musicians and spoken word artists (Young Identity) from Manchester were given just one week to create a selection of new works to commemorate the battle at a very special event held at Manchester’s Cathedral. They were mentored by Cinematic Orchestra members, Luke Flowers, Stuart McCallum and John Ellis, composer Katie Chatburn, and singer-song writers Liam Frost and Seaming-To. The King’s Division Band, Northern Voices, the Ignition Orchestra and award winning poet Michael Symmons Roberts also joined the group towards the end of the week to rehearse specially prepared pieces for the event.

The gallery below contains some of my favourite images from the first week of the project, when the musicians and spoken word artists were holed-up in Chethams School of Music, creating and rehearsing their new works.

Posted in Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography Also tagged cinematic orchestra, Concert, Event Photography, gig photography, inna voice, John Ellis, Katie Chatburn, liam frost, luke flowers, Manchester, manchester cathedral, manchester city council, Manchester Hill, Manchester hill remembered, manchester histories, Michael Symmons Roberts, Music Photography, sturart mcCallum, Young Identity |

Both Sides Now, with Beth Orton, Part 2

December 7, 2017 by admin | Comments Off

The second of my two days documenting the Beth Orton residency of the Both Sides Now programme was spent at the Old Granada Studios. The day centred around setting up the stage and running sound checks and rehearsals. In the evening came the launch party. 100’s of VIPs flooded into to the cavernous studio space to join the event, which was hosted by Miranda Sawyer, and included speeches from composer Anna Meredith (also a Both Sides Now ambassador) and Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham. The evening culminated in an incredible one-off live performance from Beth Orton and the participants of the residency. You can see some of my favourite images from the day in the gallery below.

Posted in Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Also tagged andy burnham, Anna Meredith, beth orton, both sides now, granada old studios |

Both Sides Now, with Beth Orton, Part 1

December 7, 2017 by admin | Comments Off

Both Sides Now is a three-year programme from Brighter Sound. Funded by The Arts Council, it’s aim is to support, inspire and showcase women in music across the North of England. To kick start this ambitious new project, Brighter Sound commissioned Both Sides Now ambassador, Beth Orton, to run a week long residency with emerging female musicians, vocalists, writers and visual artists, culminating in a performance of their original work at the Both Sides Now launch party. I was invited to join Beth, and the 12 talented female artists chosen for the residency, for the last two days of the project. Here are some of my favourite images from the first of these two days, when the group were still finishing of their pieces – and even writing some new ones – at Chethams School of Music, Manchester.

Posted in Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Also tagged beth orton, both sides now, chethams school of music, Manchester |

Field Music

December 7, 2017 by admin | Comments Off

In mid November I found myself in a recording studio and abandoned dance studio on the coast of the River Wear in Sunderland, to document the latest of Brighter Sound’s residencies for up and coming musicians and vocalists. This time around the directors were the hugely acclaimed Field music – aka brothers Peter and David Brewis – who were mentoring 10 emerging musicians and writers in the art of record making. The group wrote, created, adapted and recorded old and new works over the course of 5 days. I joined them on day 4 of the residency. A selection of my favourite images can be seen below.

Posted in Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography Also tagged documentary photography, field music, music hotography, sunderland |

Sing City with Beats and Pieces Big Band

December 7, 2017 by admin | Comments Off

Sing City is a weekly song writing and performance workshop for young musicians. It’s run by Brighter Sound and is held at Manchester’s iconic Band on the Wall. The young people who take part are mentored and supported by acclaimed local musicians, Natalie McCool, Phil Howley and James Holt, alongside occasional special guest artists who run one off masterclasses. I went along to photograph one such masterclass, hosted by the Beats and Pieces Big Band – a jazz collective, originating from Manchester who hosted Sing City during a month long European tour. Here are some of my favourite images from the night.

Posted in Bands, Documentary photography, Events, Gig Photography, Music Photography, Uncategorized Also tagged Band on the Wall, Beats and Pieces, beats and Pieces Big Band, Manchester, Music Photography, Natalie McCool, Sing City |

Pee Wee Ellis FUNK: Foundation, Brighter Sound’s Artistic Director Series #009

August 31, 2017 by admin | Comments Off

A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of photographing the legendary saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis as part of Brighter Sound’s 9th Artistic Director Series, FUNK: Foundation. Pew Wee was a major part of James Brown’s band in the 1960s and co-wrote several of the Godfather of Soul’s greatest hits. Alongside the supremely talented trumpeter Gary Winters, Pee Wee worked with a group of 15 young musicians over the course of 4 days to create a roof-raising funk-tastic one-off performance at Band on the Wall.

I’ve collated a selection of my favourite images from the residency in the gallery below for you to enjoy. Stay funky people!