Amy-Fern Nuttall is a travel and still life photographer from Manchester. A recipient of many awards for her widely exhibited work, Amy-Fern is a fan of the ‘dying art form of film photography’ who relies solely on the use of natural light and personal response. Throughout Amy-Fern’s impressive portfolio, you can easily grasp a sense of atmosphere in each piece.
“Music photography was what first drew me into the field – the shafts of light and energy; the concept of capturing an atmosphere. At 16 I could be found at the foot of the stage at most gigs in Manchester, with an ever-evolving number of digital cameras.”
“I soon studied photography at Edinburgh University’s College of Art, where I developed my skills in processing and developing analogue film, which completely cemented my love for the dying art of film photography – the grainy quality, the unknown results, the manual technology, and the smell of chemicals. As a practitioner of a dying art form, I feel privileged to be a part of a discipline that is not digitally enhanced, that requires practical skills and technical understanding, to capture what is not artificial but real and raw.”
“Since those early days at gigs, I have experimented with various different fields of photography. Working almost exclusively with natural light in uncontrolled settings, my photography relies only on my personal responses. Either formed as part of a proposed series or as stand-alone photographs, my images often act as half-remembered memories – like postcards of a moment; personal, ephemeral, impulsive.”
“Whether portraiture, travel photography or still life, my instinct is to draw from this personal approach. Inspired by William Eggleston’s ability to “photograph democratically” in ‘The Democratic Forest’, I am also influenced by the visual styles of artists such as Candida Höfer, Annie Leibovitz and Edward Hopper.
Since graduating in Edinburgh last year, I have had work exhibited in Manchester and London, and featured on numerous websites. I have also completed a short course in Graphic Design at Shillington College, in which I have developed the design skills necessary to compliment my photography – the two combined are a perfect fit for a career in the creative industry.”
Follow Amy-Fern on Twitter @AFNuttall and see more on her blog afnuttall.tumblr.com and website at www.amyfernnuttall.com.
