Circus Journal Reportage for This Way Maps
Back in November I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Circus Journal, a locally produced, independent publication, which celebrates creative thinkers. They commissioned me to spend a couple of hours documenting Emily Macaulay and Felicity Rowley of This Way maps whilst hiking along one of their outer-city trails.
The shoot itself was to produce a set of images, to sit alongside the written article, to tell the story of that what This Way is all about and the motivation behind it. Whilst having been commissioned for shoots in the past, this was the first time my work was due to be in an actual, hold-in-your-hands, printed article.
“In a world full of GPS technology, the pair have a passion for the art of traditional mapmaking and for being engaged in the natural environment.”
I drove to the meeting point, just outside of Bath to meet Chantelle (the writer) and the ladies (Emily and Felicity) behind ‘This Way’. We headed along a series of countryside footpaths, which took us through fields, past herds of cows, over gates and along canals. The weather was mild with the occasional patch of sunshine and a lingering threat of misty rain. We must have been at the tale-end of Autumn as the trees weren’t stripped bare but the ground was also, in places, a fiery patchwork of fallen leaves too. This is often my favourite season to photograph because of the natural colour palette I have to work with.
Once in Bath and at the end of our trail, I parted ways with the ladies and turned around to make the journey back to my car. I knew the route well, having just walked it. Although I had the map in-hand as back up, it’s testament to just how easy it is to escape the city with a little help from some well collated local knowledge.
The walk back also gave me time to breathe as a photographer. For the most part, I had to keep up with the pack, to make sure I didn’t miss any moments with a human element, whereas, on the way back, I got to go at my own pace and really stretch my artistic legs.
I think this was probably the best strategy for me even though it wasn’t as planned out as that word suggests. It also allowed me to re-shoot areas of the trail that caught my eye but when the light was slightly lower, softer and a little more golden.
I definitely shot too many images for what was essentially, three pages of a bite-size publication, so I thought I’d share some of the ones that didn’t make the cut below.
Circus Journal is out now and available, for free, in a variety of stockists across Bath, Bruton, Frome and Corsham. You can also get your hands on a copy via their website.
I really enjoyed this shoot, it was nice to be trusted enough by a client to just go off somewhere, with my camera and just capture the trail through my eyes. Isn’t that the dream? I’m super proud of this collection of images, especially considering how much anxiety I had prior to the shoot itself but that just proves what good can come from stepping outside of your comfort zone. The fact it’s also my first published work is just a bonus!