What is Our Role as Creatives in Times of Crisis?

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A few years back, when Fashion Week was accused of being all of a sudden too political, I wrote this post about the role of creatives during times of crisis. I read it again this morning and it feels more relevant than ever. But, at the same time, it makes me feel as if we are just going to have to fight for the causes that we believe in every day for the rest of our lives. Is there truly no rest for the wicked?

There might not be. Our role as artists and photographers is to look around us and try to make sense of the world we are living in by studying it, interpreting it and presenting it to society to offer a different perspective on the issues that we care for. We have a powerful and effective way of engaging with our audiences, and we must use it to encourage others to question their own realities.

Is it enough, though? I keep asking myself this question. Lately, I've been thinking that we need a more sustainable and lasting approach. One that doesn't end when we finish the last piece of our series or after our exhibitions are over. What happens after people have engaged with our work? Are our pieces just conversation-starters or are we actually changing people's minds?

The same goes for online activism and all the protests on the streets. Are they enough? They are definitely necessary. All the riots, all the hashtags and the raising of awareness, they are very much needed and they do work. But, are they enough? What happens after all the placards are swept away by the cleaning crews? What happens when all the hashtags stop being trendy?

All of the above acts are not enough. Don't get me wrong, we need the activism and we need the riots and we need artists to create work motivated by this political and social climate. But, the expectation that these actions will spark immediate change in our societies can be demotivating. Sustainable change takes time and commitment. It takes working towards social change every day.

How do we do it? I don't have the answer. But, I can tell you what I'm doing. Over the last few years, I have been producing work with an ethical and social conscious and a focus on making a difference to the world using the work that I create. Every project that I start and every decision that I make begins with the question: how is this making the world a better place?

Maybe we should start by asking ourselves that question in all our endeavours. From doing the groceries to working in our current jobs. When it comes to contributing to humanity, no action is too small. Let me know your thoughts.

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I Wish I Had Known... About Ethical and Sustainable Brands!

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This is the nineteenth post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that “I Wish I Had Known” when I started out as a creative myself.

When you speak to Sabinna Rachimova, founder of the fashion brand SABINNA, her calming presence and her wealth of knowledge and expertise are the perfect combination for a very educational conversation!

We had a lovely chat about sustainability and ethics in the Fashion industry and how she is contributing to shaping the new generation of people coming into the industry:

1. I’ve known you for years, since the days of your first shows at Fashion Scout during London Fashion Week. These days, you are not doing catwalks anymore and, instead, you present your collections at your own pace. How has your brand changed throughout the years and what lessons have you learnt?

This is a very good question! We changed a lot of things in the last 5 years and we keep adjusting our business concept, always listening to the demand of our customers as well as keeping in mind how our industry evolves.

We want to lead the change and be part of it rather than follow existing trends and concepts. I think change can sometimes feel like betraying your values but that's actually not the case. It's the opposite - our values and the vision that we stand for were the main reasons we rethought the way we showcase, the way we communicate with the customer and the way we want to shape this industry in the long term.

Being a pioneer is never easy but it's important and worth the effort.

2. Before starting your brand in 2016, you made a long journey from studying Slavonic languages in Austria to coming to London to study at Central Saint Martins, and later interning for Dior and Mary Katrantzou. These are opportunities that you created for yourself, but still, not everyone has access to them for geographic or economic reasons. Looking back, do you think the brand Sabinna would exist if you hadn’t followed this path and, if so, how different would it be?

It's very important to be aware of the privileges you have in life. I was born in a little place that back then was still part of the USSR. My parents worked really hard so that we could move to Europe and my sisters and I could have a better life. I am incredibly lucky that my parents gave me this opportunity.

The fact that I got to grow up in a safe environment, to get access to free education, to have the opportunity to apply for university gave me a headstart compared to a lot of other young people who are not that lucky - and I'm very aware of that privilege and never take it for granted.

It's difficult to say what life would look like today if we would have stayed in my place of birth. But what I know for sure is that I am always ready to give 100% and take every chance I get to grow, learn and take the next professional step. I owe it to my parents and I owe it to myself.

3. There is this misconception that if you study Fashion at uni, your goal should be to become a fashion designer even if there are so many other roles that are just as important to keep the industry running. Do you think that there should be more resources for people coming into the industry or perhaps expectations should be better managed by the academic institutions?

I totally agree with you! Everyone I met during my studies wanted to become a fashion designer. There is still a lack of understanding of the industry while studying. There should be more interaction between academia and the industry, this would help to manage expectations and give a more realistic picture of how the industry actually works. Internship and gap years are a great start but not enough.

4. You have said in the past that you don’t consider yourself a fashion designer…

it is true! I don't see myself as a fashion designer. When you run a fashion brand, design is only a small part of your daily tasks. A lot of it is logistics, management, leadership, trying to find balance in everything you do and of course product development.

Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that design is not important - I just feel that the term fashion designer doesn't describe my job accurately.

5. You are a woman who designs for women. One would presume that this fact would have you part of the success guaranteed in your career. Yet, most of the biggest names in Fashion design history are of men designing for women. Is this historic lack of representation still an issue today?

70% of the workforce in fashion is female, yet less than 25% are in leadership positions. There are way more male founders than female founders. This has many reasons and one of them is the patriarchal structure of the society that we live in and we see this problem across all industries. Leadership positions are often designed for men, women have it more difficult to progress in their careers, they get fewer opportunities and a large part of the society still has difficulties to see women in positions of power.

This is a very complex topic and there are many things on different levels that we can do. I see a lot of responsibility as a female founder to contribute to a shift in our industry. We need to get vocal about it and call out everyone in leadership positions and ask about inclusion and diversity within their companies.

7. The Fashion industry has been named as one of the biggest polluters on the planet, raising awareness of an issue that many small brands have been trying to tackle for years. Nowadays, it has become trendy to be sustainable to the point where you see many brands jumping on the sustainability wagon without really understanding what sustainability means. What does it mean for SABINNA?

The biggest problem is that everyone can define sustainability however it suits them - there are no rules, no regulations, a lot of space for greenwashing and this can get really frustrating. Sustainability became a buzzword and with it part of everyone's marketing strategy.

As an independent brand, we want to educate our customers but also learn from them by getting feedback. We need to start defining sustainability and call out brands that are making wrong claims for marketing reasons. Being sustainable is more than just using green materials or paying your workers properly.

Sustainability has to be part of your business concept. If your business model requires the production of tons of clothes every year then your business will never ever be sustainable. We need to rethink business models as a whole. Not only the processes that are part of it.

8. Our industry has also been called out over unethical practices many times, but things really escalated after the incident at Rana Plaza that cost the lives of so many people. When I’m asked how come I work in such an unethical industry, I always reply that I believe that change comes from within and that we are the ones trying to change the industry from the inside. How can the people working in the industry, and the new ones coming into it for the first time, contribute to making this a more ethical industry?

To everyone who is about to start a fashion business: If consciousness is not at the core of your business, then please don't do it. We don't need another brand making unnecessary products made out of plastic and produced in horrible conditions. This seems super harsh but I think we reached a point where it has become inevitable to understand the urgency when it comes to sustainable practices and an overall shift in this industry.

And for everyone who is already part of this industry: It's all a process and we are constantly learning new things. Stay informed, don't ignore innovation, introduce better practices, look out for each other, create a working environment where everyone feels heard and welcomed. And please pay everyone for their work. I can't urge enough that we have to stop offering free internships and expect people to work an unacceptable amount of hours.

9. And, speaking of ethics, being ethical and being sustainable are two very different things. Yet, many brands are using these two terms interchangeably. SABINNA, as a brand, explores sustainability aiming to create ethical fashion without compromising aesthetics. How do you achieve this balance?

I learned handcraft from my grandmother and the only way I knew fashion for many many years was through the eyes of a maker. I always had a lot of respect for handcraft and the ability to create such beauty with your very own hands.

When starting SABINNA, I wanted to focus on local production so I could be close to everyone who makes our clothes. I want to be part of this process, I want to see it and I want to constantly improve it whenever I learn new things. With everything we do, we make sure to always stay up to date on what the best solutions are and see how we as an independent brand can introduce them into our daily practices.

10. The industry has been going through economic hardship over the last few years, one that affects the high street in particular. How do you navigate fluctuating demands while still offering your community innovative and sustainable collections?

Nowadays, it's more important than ever to build a community that knows and appreciates your product for its quality and contribution to a better future. Being authentic, transparent and honest helped us a lot to build a great relationship with our customers.

We deeply care about everyone who shops with us and we always make sure to provide the best customer experience. For us, it's important to know our customers, to listen to them and to grow with them.

11. Our community is only as strong as its weakest link and this is something that you take very seriously. You lecture at the University of the Arts London where you teach your students about entrepreneurship and innovation in fashion. Why is it important for you to contribute to the new generation of people coming into the industry?

We have to see the bigger picture in everything we do. I have the amazing opportunity to share my experiences with the next generation of creatives and help them to avoid some of the mistakes that I have made.

Plus, let's not forget how much I get to learn from them! My students are really inspiring, fierce and have beautiful mindsets when it comes to rethinking the future of this industry. It always gives me hope and I see it as part of my job to connect the past, the present and the future of this industry in order to reshape it.

12. Finally, running a fashion brand these days is so much more than just selling clothes. How can people new to the industry prepare themselves better to understand the needs of the industry and its consumers?

That's a difficult question! I wasn't prepared at all when I started. I had no business background but a lot of passion and grit. And I strongly believe that there is no secret recipe of who will make it and who won't. It's super individual.

For me personally, it's a mix of understanding your privileges, luck, hard work, opportunities, network, blood, sweat, tears, grit, passion, flexible thinking, strong mindset and most importantly the ability to communicate what's on your mind.

I am beyond grateful, Sabinna, that you took some time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. It’s everything that I Wish I Had Known!

You can learn more about SABINNA on her website https://www.sabinna.com/ or her Instagram @sabinna_com


If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Photo credit: portrait of Sabinna © 2020 JC Candanedo. My portrait by Wayne Noir.

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I'm On Patreon Now!

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Hello everyone! I am super excited to announce that I am on Patreon now: www.patreon.com/jccandanedo. Patreon is a subscription-based platform where I'll be uploading content that I am not showing anywhere else. I’ve come to realise that I am involved in many different projects but I’m not sharing any of them with you because they are very different from the commercial work that I show in my portfolio or my social media.

Apart from my work in fashion and portraiture, I work in community-related projects exploring human rights, mental health and national identity. I also run workshops where I share my knowledge and I teach people interested in photography how to train their photographer’s eye, how to turn ideas into photography projects or how to manage their projects.

So I've been very busy these past two months creating content for you guys on my Patreon Channel. This content will be different from my other channels because I am going to break down my creative process step by step explaining everything that goes down behind the scenes of my projects. From their inception to everything that goes on inside my mind before I even start shooting.

And, for selected membership tiers, I will share all my Educational content to help you improve your photography while making an impact in the world. Your membership support will go towards the creation of all the behind the scenes videos, the development of creative ideas and the production of the educational material.

Additionally, 6% of what my patrons pay monthly will be donated to a different charity each month. One that my patrons and I will select.

If you support the arts, have an interest in photography and believe that together we can change the world, then my Patreon page is perfect for you. Just a small amount per month can go very far, and you can cancel your subscription at any time.

So head on over to my Patreon. I can’t wait to see you there!

You can find my Patreon profile on https://www.patreon.com/jccandanedo

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

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When Tears Are Poisonous

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Early this year, I took part in a project by artist Mona M. in which she explores the use of tear gas by riot-control police to disperse protesters even if the use of tear gas is prohibited in war. For her project, other participants and I read for the camera the Articles of the Chemical Weapon Convention about riot-control agents in different languages while onions were being chopped within a short distance from us.

Tear gas does not only produce sensory irritation to unarmed protesters, but it can also cause serious and prolonged health effects to anyone exposed to it. The 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibits the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or “other gases”, including lachrymatory gases.

Riot control agents are not allowed as a method of warfare according to the 1993 Chemical Weapon Convention. However, riot-control police all over the world consider this toxic weapon harmless and use it for domestic law enforcement purposes.

When I heard about this project, I was interested in taking part in it because as a child I was exposed to tear gas many times. I grew up in Panama, and in the 70's and 80's the country was controlled by the military dictatorship of Manuel Antonio Noriega and the PRD.

Whenever there were protests against the dictator on the streets, the riot-control officers would disperse protesters using tear gas. As a child, I wasn't involved in those protests but some of them took place right outside my school. The toxic clouds would be blown by the wind directly into the classrooms and we had to rush to close the windows and cover our faces with any piece of cloth that we could find.

No one should have this memory from their childhood, and no child should have to learn that in order to protect themselves from tear gas they must soak a piece of cloth in vinegar and wrap it around their faces. These were instructions that I received as a child from my parents and from my teachers. Go back and read this paragraph again and let that sink in.

In the video performance, we read the Articles of the Chemical Weapon Convention about riot-control agents in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French and Turkish. The onions irritate our eyes and throat, making it impossible for us to read.

Mona M. portrays her work through different languages with an interdisciplinary approach. Her artistic research involves issues like identity and memory. The situations she studies through her research combine her personal memory with ideas rooted in global socio-political values.

You can see the full video on this link. To learn more about the Chemical Weapon Convention, visit the OPCW.

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Be Kind To Others But Also Be Kind to Yourself

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This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and for 2020 the theme is Kindness. Being kind to others has a positive effect on our mental health. And, by helping others we are not only helping ourselves but we are also contributing to making this a better world. Isn't that enough reason to spread kindness around us?

Last year, for Mental Health Awareness Week the theme was Body Image and I ran a debate about Mental Health in the Fashion Industry in collaboration with Olivia Pinnock and her platform the Fashion Debates. But this year, with everything that is going on, I wasn't able to put anything together to contribute to raising awareness of the importance of taking care of our Mental Health.

I think this is why I was having a bit of a writer's block this morning when I was trying to write this post. The current global situation has a toll on creativity and the fact that we are not having new nor diverse experiences contributes to this creative block. To clear my head, I was suggested to go out for a run to see if the fresh air got the creative juices flowing.

While running, I listened to episode 3 - part 1 of Gabrielle Motola's podcast Stranger Curiosity in which she talks to photographic artist Rhiannon Adam. During their conversation, Rhiannon spoke about how the extraordinary stops being extraordinary when it becomes the norm. And this phrase got me into thinking about the times we are living.

For some people, finding themselves suddenly with all this available time became an opportunity to do the things that they have always wanted to do but never had the time to do. It is in a way like a forced vacation, even if many weeks later this new reality may have lost its appeal. It has been normalized, it's not exciting anymore. It has become ordinary.

At the same time, for other people this situation makes them feel like they have been put in prison. Even in the best possible scenarios, in which they kept their jobs and were able to work from home, they are forced to face and re-explore the dynamics with relatives, spouses, housemates and even with themselves. For those in the worst possible scenarios, they are faced with loss and grief. And when this extraordinary situation also became ordinary, things started to feel even worse.

What is a paradise for some, is a prison for others. This duality creates a perfect environment for mental health problems and can put an added stress in the dynamics within communities. That is why is so important to touch base with others and check how they are. And it is as important to also assess our own wellbeing and mental state.

Which acts of kindness can you do for others?

  • Call a friend who you haven’t spoken to for a while. Ring someone who is on their own, or video call them. Check on someone you know who is going through a tough time.

  • Tell your family how much you love and appreciate them. Help with household chores.

  • Offer to help an elderly or vulnerable neighbour.

  • Tell someone how much you appreciate them.

Which acts of kindness can you do for yourself?

  • Prioritise some “me” time, so you can relax and reflect on how you’re feeling and how your day or week has been so far.

  • Treat yourself to something small, such as buying or planting some flowers.

  • Do something you enjoy, like listening to a favourite song or dancing in your kitchen.

  • Spend some time in nature, which is good for our mental health.

  • Whatever you do, don't do anything because you feel pressured to do it.

Doing something kind for others has a positive impact on our mental health. If you combine being kind to others with being kind to yourself, imagine how much happier our communities will be.

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Say It Loud

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Last week, I partnered with Say It Loud to deliver a workshop to its members focusing on how to improve their photography skills, train their photographer's eye and turn ideas into photography projects. The workshop was part of a series of creative workshops which will fit into a big project for Pride this year. The theme of the project is "What pride means to me", in which members will be creating pieces of art or performances that express what pride means to them with the aim of showing them in a virtual exhibition.

Say It Loud is an organisation committed to providing support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. It was founded by Aloysius Ssali in Uganda in 1994, who fled to the UK after being targeted, captured and tortured just because of his sexuality. However, the UK didn't formally recognise sexuality as a reason for claiming refugee status until 2010, so Aloysius was forced to live without papers for five years. In 2010, he successfully claimed refugee status.

Seeing that LGBTQ+ refugees have to overcome incredible challenges for the chance to call the UK their home, he decided to found Say It Loud Club in the UK in 2010. Since then, the organisation has helped hundreds of LGBTQ+ refugees to successfully gain the right to live freely in the UK.

If you want to learn more about Aloysius outstanding work, or if you want to support Say It Loud, please visit www.sayitloudclub.org

Photo credit: screenshot by Holly Dawson from Say It Loud.

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There Is So Much Noise Around

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Last month, I partnered with Partnership for Young London to write a piece for their blog on my experience during the lockdown. Partnership for Young London is a charity that connects everyone who cares about young people in London – bringing together organisations, local and regional government, and young people themselves. Young people make up 25% of London’s population but are 100% crucial to its future.

Partnership for Young London's blog aims to shine a light on the mental strength, positivity and solidarity shown during the pandemic. Centred around the 5 pillars of mental health, they highlight the innovative ways we’ve been supporting our own and others’ mental health during the lockdown.

The piece was published on the Good Thinking website, a collection of blogs and podcasts about people's own experience of coronavirus. Good Thinking is an online resource delivered by Healthy London Partnership and it’s free for Londoners thanks to London’s NHS, London’s borough councils and Public Health England.

The Good Thinking website offers wellbeing information sources, guides to improving mental health, courses on and offline, and mobile apps to support individuals in managing their own mental health.

You can read the blog post on this link.

Photo credit: Me & My Community programme in partnership with Skaped.

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Interview And Takeover - Loupe Magazine

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Recently, Loupe Magazine took an interest in my personal project called "Catalonia: A Work in Progress", and they offered me to feature it on their website and social media. For this project, I took portraits of people living in Catalonia and explored the spectrum of opinions that they have in regards to the Catalan crisis. Loupe Magazine interviewed me for their website and asked me to take over their Instagram account @loupemag from today until Saturday, May 2, 2020. Go check them out!

The interview was conducted by photographer Holly Houlton, and it revolved around my approach to the theme and the visual narrative of the project. They were particularly interested in my interactions with the participants and the respect that I showed for the people from all sides of the conflict.

The interview will go live on Thursday, April 30, 2020, on this link. A massive thank you to all the participants who made this project a reality.

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"Spring Cleaning" Is A Finalist!

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I am happy to announce that my image “Spring Cleaning” has been selected as a finalist for this year’s AOP Awards in the Fashion Category. The AOP Awards is run by the Association of Photographers and it has been running for 14 years, each year attracting entries from around the world. The Fashion Category was curated by photographer Nick Knight, Founder and Director at SHOWstudio.

This image is part of a fashion editorial in which I collaborated with stylist Patricia Machado Medici, Hair Stylist - MUA Rachel Williamson, and model Tamara Long, from Models1. The shoot took place at The Trampery Republic.

The 2020 AOP Awards exhibition will take place at One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, in the main public lobby of the building. The exhibition will be open to the public from 14th September until 13 November 2020.

Things to look forward to for when the lockdown is over! Save the date and wish me luck!

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Overcoming Creative Block

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One of the biggest fears that we face as creatives is not being able to create better work than the last piece we were proud of, or not being able to create any work ever again at all. This fear that prevents us from creating new work feeds from the notion that we are not creating anything new. It’s a vicious cycle. It's paralyzing. And it can bring our creativity to a halt or even put an end to our careers. The good news is that creative block can be managed, and there are some proven techniques that I've used myself and I can assure you that they work.

The main cause of creative block is having high standards. Starting any project with the expectation that it will be the best work that you have ever produced sets you out on the wrong foot. If you approach your work with an experimental spirit, thinking of it as just trying out new techniques or as just letting the child inside you play freely, great things could happen.

Admittedly, if you are feeling uninspired you wouldn't even know where to start this experimentation process. And, even though some people say that procrastination is great for creativity, I am someone who prefers to take action.

So, here are a few exercises that I've used to get my creative juices flowing:

  • Freecreating: ok, I may have just made this word up but I borrowed this concept from writers. I am part of a poetry club, and the lovely and uber-talented poet Erin Bolens taught us this technique.

    For writers, if you set the timer for 10 minutes and just write whatever comes to mind (it could even start with "I am forced to write for 10 minutes, this sucks!") after a few minutes of rambling your brain will start forming interesting ideas. It may perfectly be that you don't write your new novel in those 10 minutes, but there is always a chance of getting interesting lines that can feed your next writings. I do this almost every day and I'm really proud of some of the things I've written using contents from my freewrites.

    For the rest of creatives, just taking out your tools and creating freely for a set amount of time without restrictions can spark some inspiration in your mind. Take your camera and start photographing corners of your home, take out your paints and brushes and just make random strokes on the canvas, take your pencils and draw the contents of your kitchen cabinets, open your wardrobe and accessorize your clothes with bedsheets, towels or items from your bathroom cabinets, style your hair using empty cans or old headphones. The possibilities are endless. Just be playful and non-judgemental with yourself.

  • Try someone else's technique: Is there an artist in your field or any other field that you have always admired and thought their work was fascinating? Is there an artist that has a technique that you find dull? Emulate their technique. I'm not saying "copy it", even if there is a whole book on how to copy other people's work. I say, improve it. Make it yours. Tear it apart. Try to bring new techniques into your practice.

    This project of mine came to life after years of experimenting with a technique that I learned from another artist and that I found fascinating.

  • Use prompts: this is another technique that I learned from Erin Bolens. I've seen many exercises online for all sorts of creative disciplines inspired by this technique. Choose a random topic or look for online prompts (it can be any prompt for any discipline, just adapt it to your craft). Someone who does this brilliantly is Carl Burkitt. He offers on his twitter feed prompts for writers and poets, but some of them I've even found interesting to create photography projects from.

    For instance, on April 13, 2020, his daily prompt was "The trifle was surprisingly tasty". It is easy to take this line and start writing from it, but what do you do if you work in a different discipline? Well, if you are a photographer, how can you convey "surprisingly tasty" in an image. The same goes for painting or illustration.

    If you are a makeup artist or a hairstylist or a fashion designer or a stylist, imagine that the brief is "A Surprisingly Tasty Trifle". How would you develop this concept? Which colours would you mix? Which textures would you use?

  • Limit your tools: this technique has been very effective for me as my style has developed over the years. We are so used to creating new work with the tools that we have, that we can arrange our work setups with our eyes closed. No matter how complex they are. I have a fail-proof 2-light setup that I use in the majority of my portraits.

    But, what if one of my lights failed? Or what if my whole kit was lost and I only had my camera to shoot? Would I be able to work? This technique forces you to experiment and try to create new work under very limited conditions.

    If you are an illustrator, painter, designer or a make-up artist, try using only one brush and one colour. Would you be able to create something with those limitations? For stylists or fashion designers, give yourself the challenge to work with only one colour or one texture. What could you create?

    For writers, choose one word and repeat it in every line, or every stanza, or every paragraph. Where would that take you?

These are just a few techniques that have worked for me whenever I've been on a creative dry spell. Do you have any others that work for you? Let me know in the comments below.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

The Power Of Photography

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When we take a photo or a selfie, the instant that we captured is gone forever and the photograph itself becomes a time machine. Every time we look at the image, it has the ability to take us back to a moment in our history that is frozen in time. It makes us relive in our minds the experience immortalised on it. Yet, an image can also trigger memories and emotions even if the picture itself isn't ours or about us. There is a powerful connection between our mind and what we see in a photo. In the times we are living, examining what photographs make us feel can help us reconnect with ourselves and with those around us.

Photography nowadays is so ubiquitous, available and disposable, that its significance is often overlooked. Our phones are full of images that we hardly ever look at. Only once in a while, when we are looking for something else, we run into an old image and we smile, or we cry, or we cringe by the memory it triggered. That is the power of photography.

Photographs are reproductions of reality. In the art world, reproductions have less or no value in comparison to the original. But, in photography, the value of the reality depicted on the image acquires a different dimension. No matter how many times you copy or print a photo, the instant in which it was taken will never be possible to replicate. That makes it invaluable. It is unique, it has attached historical, emotional and documentary value, but it also has a subjective given value.

Take for instance this image:

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At first sight, it's an old image of two kids in a pool. I say old because of the yellow tone and the film feeling, but it could easily be a photo taken yesterday and aged digitally in Photoshop. It speaks of childhood, of summer days, of friendship or family ties, it awakens joy.

On closer examination, you can see the way the boys are dressed and try to infer the year when the photo was taken by the clothes they are wearing. It is still difficult to say because the clothes could be second hand, they could be a returning trend or they could have even been selected on purpose to portray a period in history.

The first real clue relies on the t-shirt worn by the boy on the right. If you Google what it says, you will find out that it is an advertisement for medicine that dates back to the late '70s early '80s. It still doesn't tell us if the photo is from that time because it could be a t-shirt made to look vintage, but it gives us a little more information.

However, I don't need to do all that forensic analysis to know exactly where it was taken, when it was taken and who are the children on the photo. As you may have guessed, the boy on the right it's me. That's my brother on the left. This photo was taken at a hotel where my parents used to take us at times on weekends. The hotel doesn't exist anymore. The photo was taken in the late '70s.

You don't need to have all this information to make a connection with the image. You might not even care about the details that I gave you about the photo because they still don't change the way this image makes you feel. You made the image yours and that is completely out of my control.

By looking at it, you may remember your own childhood, the places where you lived or where you went on holidays, your relationships with relatives and friends back in the day. Maybe you see your own children or grandchildren or nephews and nieces and it brings you feelings of joy, of longing, of grief.

I can tell you what this image makes me feel. It is one of the oldest memories that I have, and one of the strongest ones. It is a moment in my life that I constantly relive in my mind and I don't know why. Every time that I remember that day, I think of this photo and, just like today, I waste too much time trying to find it. I should have my childhood photos better organised and labelled so that I can retrieve them easily whenever I think of them. I will do that later today (I probably won't).

There were some other kids in the pool that day. Children from other guests. I started playing with them (can't seem to recall where my brother was) and the game took us around the pool area and into the rooms hallways of the hotel. Suddenly, the tables turned and the other kids stopped being friendly to me. I must have said or done something to upset them because they started chasing me around the hotel. They were yelling that they had to get me and kick the hell out of me.

I got scared and ran as fast as I could to our room. We had a cabin by the pool and, to my luck, the room door was open because my dad was just outside the room sitting on one of the hammocks. I entered the room, slammed the door closed behind me and hid below the bed. The other kids saw me go into our room and asked my dad, politely, if he could let me know that they were waiting for me outside. I could hear them from below the bed. I was terrified, petrified and my heart felt like it was coming out of my mouth.

My dad came into the room. He called me while looking for me in the bathroom and in the closet. When he couldn't find me, he went back outside to let the kids know that I was no longer in the room. He then went to fetch my mom to try to figure out what had happened to me. I came out from below the bed and stayed in the room for what felt like the rest of the day. I can't remember anything else. Even at 45 years old, that photo still gives me anxiety. That's how this image makes me feel.

Why don't you try this exercise today? Take your phone and look for the oldest images. Pick one of them and examine how it makes you feel. Which memories does it trigger? How do you feel about the people, or the places, or the things depicted on it? Is it worth reconnecting with them? Are you still in touch? Do you recognise the place? Does it still exist? How does it look like today? They might have a website. Do you recognise the objects in the image? Do you still own them or know where they are?

If you feel like sharing, use the comments below to tell me how this exercise made you feel.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

Meet An Arab Woman

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As a species, human beings are inherently creative. Creativity is what we use to solve our everyday problems or to do things in a different way using our imagination. But, having this ability to create and actually creating something are two completely different things. That's why we are so impressed when we see people who create something which we consider beautiful. It makes us say "wow, they are so creative!" From the person who doodles on their notebooks, to the one who cooks imaginative dishes at home, to the aspiring Picasso's and the Beethoven's of the world, we are surrounded by creators.

However, for a creator to be considered what we call in the industry a "Creative", they require way more than just creativity. They require a constant awareness of everything that happens inside or around them. They require an unquenchable thirst to interpret life and present their view of the world to the rest of humanity. They must feel the need to create something every second of their lives without even questioning themselves why. That, for me, is a Creative. And I can count myself lucky for being surrounded by such talented ones.

One of those creatives is Sandy Abdelrahman. Sandy was born in Egypt and grew up in East London, where she is an activist and creative social entrepreneur. She is also the founder of Skaped, an organisation that uses art as an engagement tool to educate and raise awareness of human rights issues. She has a track record that includes representing the United Kingdom at the United Nations Youth Summit 2017 in New York and working with Amnesty International.

Sandy is currently studying for her Master's Degree in Art & Politics, for which she has devised an interesting project on the perception that the non-Arab world has of who an Arab woman is. 'Meet an Arab woman', is a project that invites us to have an open-minded conversation on the burning debate about being a woman and being Arab. The project is intended to answer all the questions that the rest of us have about culture, political correctness and stereotypes on gender in the Arab world.

Through online conversations via video call, Sandy wants to answer our questions on gender inequality, discrimination, and racism while at the same time challenging many of the prevailing perspectives. If you want to find out more about inspiring Arab women, or simply learn who makes the greatest falafel, sign up to her project and solve all the doubts that you may have about what being an Arab woman means.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

I Wish I Had Known About... Content Creation!

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This is the eighteenth post in my series of posts where I speak with people in the creative industries and ask them questions about the things that “I Wish I Had Known” when I started out as a creative myself.

A couple of weeks ago, I sat down with the fabulous Leena Norms, online video creator, podcaster, producer and storyteller with over 4 million views on her YouTube channel, and we spoke about creating a career out of the skills that you have and her advice for those who are just starting with their own channels.

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Note: As I was editing the interview for the blog, the world was going through one of the most challenging moments of our generation: the Covid-19 outbreak. For those of you reading 100 years from now, it is the year 2020, and a pandemic is putting humankind to the test. But, even in our darkest hours, there are people like Leena who, using her platforms and her online reach, is dedicating a couple of hours every day to help people cope with this new reality. Leena, you are one of my sheroes.

Other people doing their part in keeping hopes high who are worth mentioning are Erin Bolens with her #pennedup initiative or Linda Bloomfield with her campaign to support creatives in these uncertain times. One day I wish I could be half as amazing as you guys are!

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1. To me, you are the Quintessential content creator. You have a YouTube Channel, you have a Patreon, you are working on a book, you are Social Media Producer, you work in the publishing industry, and you are a self-published poet. To the question “what are you?”, is the answer “what are you not?”

I’m not a butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker - no, seriously... there are lots of things I found early on I wasn’t great at, so I set about clearing a little space for myself where I could be useful to the world. I think by accident I’ve ended up creating a job out of the mish-mash things I am good at, all the things I at could work to be better at and things I love doing. Among those things are: overthinking, making friends, writing scripts, being gobby, persuading people to buy books, public speaking, noticing weird things, being outraged about injustices (this showcased itself early in more of a domestic, sibling-rivalry way, but I managed to redirect it to social justice), telling lies (I’ve now found out you can call these ‘stories’) and rhyming.

I am not: a driver, an athlete, a person who enjoys group work.

2. You recently celebrated 10 years on YouTube. Congratulations! And you celebrated in what I think is a very Leena way: you created a video where you shared all your learnings from those past 10 years. How has YouTube changed Leena from your first video to where you are today?

It’s made me more confident, but not in the way you might expect; I don’t think it’s people watching or others' praise... more the thousands of hours I’ve spent looking at my own face whilst editing, and all the time I’ve spent in my own thoughts writing. No one can tell me something about my face that I don’t already know, and I’m used to it now, it’s like an old friend. I also think having a long-term project that involves spending a lot of time alone making videos (for someone who has a lot of extrovert tendencies) has been really good for me; it’s helped me get to know myself independently of others and be really comfortable in my own company. I don’t think that would have happened without YouTube.

I’m also much more eloquent now than I was... my first videos were basically ten minutes of me going ‘yeah this book was good... sort of. And this book was not good. I don’t know why.’

I think that simply comes with practice.

3. How different is the medium today than when you started? Do you think it’s an oversaturated medium? Are there still opportunities for people who want to start their own channels?

Yes, definitely there’s still always room! Poetry has been going on thousands of years, and no one is turning around and saying ‘Carol Ann Duffy, we know you enjoy it, but I think we already have a lot of poets, don’t you? Have you considered TikTok?’

I’ve seen that it might take longer to grow than it might have before: but it’s also important to remember whilst there are more channels there’s also much more of an audience; millions more people are using the platform than they were ten years ago - you’ve actually probably got an even better chance of finding your tribe.

4. What is a Vlog, and how does it compare to creating content for a Blog?

A vlog is just a blog in video form; I guess for the viewer it’s easier to consume because you’re essentially being read an article aloud? But also most of the time vlogs are tougher round the edges and presented as more of a stream of consciousness than a blog? Maybe. Unless you have a lot of time and resources, it’s definitely harder to go back and edit - even if I script my videos, once it’s filmed there’s only so much you can go back and change. You can’t add more stuff in neatly really, without going back and re-filming. With a blog, the editing and how much of it was done is invisible to the reader.

© 2020 JC Candanedo

© 2020 JC Candanedo

5. As if all these weren't enough, you also make podcasts!

Podcasts are my life’s joy, I listen to my favourites over and over again. They do something completely different from video, so I’ve always been interested in them. My first venture into making them was about 5 years ago with a joint project, The Banging Book Club. I then went on to launch my own one (which is coming back soon!) and currently I also produce two other podcasts for others - The Vintage Books Podcast and Mother Ship. For me, podcasts are an opportunity to go more in-depth on topics, to make more relaxed, conversational content and a great excuse to get to chat with incredible people.

6. Should content be created for monetisation, or should we be creating content for the love of content creation? When did you start monetising it?

So I started my Patreon about three years ago, but I’ve always collected the ad-revenue on the ads google runs on my videos. I think it’s possible to create content people really want and would pay for (which is what makes it monetisable) and make something that you love - sometimes I either manage that in one video, or you can manage that within a channel. So, for example, my Positive Panic series about climate change is something that I love that I wasn’t sure other people would, but made anyway. BUT I’m able to continue to make it and give it more time because it turned out that people did like it. If I hadn’t made the first one I’d never have known. I think to produce regular content you have to produce some light-hearted stuff as well

7. How different is it working with Patreon than YouTube? What is the business model?

Patreon is essentially a ‘tipping’ system with a bit more faith - I’m saying ‘I’ll give you this thing for free, if you like it, pop some money in the hat!’ and becoming a patreon is like are saying ‘I WILL tip you - and I’m SO sure I’ll like the next 3 things you make, that I’m going to pledge to tip you for those too so you can depend on me.’ That frees me up to not promise my time elsewhere, to give more time to the stuff I make and be more ambitious with the scope of my videos. And I even get to sleep a bit now too!

YouTube essentially use my videos to run ads on them - once the ad has run, they give me a small cut. There’s no dependability about how much they sell the ads for, how much of a cut I’m getting and if they will promote my video/show it to people at all.

So Patreon supporters are the ones that make the channel happen; YouTube Ad-sense make up about 5% of my total income from my channel.

8. Are you sponsored and, if you are, is there a clash between patronage and sponsorship?

The channel isn’t generally sponsored by anyone, but every now and then I’ll work with a brand to make a video, and they will sponsor that specific video. Because my patreons pay per-thing, there’s never a charge for patreons on videos that are funded a different way. In ten years I’ve done a grand total of... five sponsored videos, which means of the 585 on my channel, 580 were either sponsored by patreons or made by me without payment. I’m super fussy about sponsors - I generally only accept digital products, experiences or book promotions, and I check out how squeaky-clean a company’s ethics are before I sign anything. No one is perfect, and I will always judge it on a case-by-case basis, not worth it to me to work with an organization which totally contradicts the values of the channel and the other videos I put out.

9. On average, how many hours a week do you spend on your channels?

Between 15-20, but in the past if I’m working on a big video or I’m making multiple videos it can be much more - and obviously it’s a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string kind of situation - if I had 40 hours I’d be able to cut less corners and write more complex scripts, make more intricate stuff, etc etc - as I’m sure is the case with any project!

10. Do your channels pay for themselves?

Because I’m a one-woman-band (I research, script, shoot, edit, upload and do all the smells and bells around promoting a video), the biggest overhead historically for my channel has always been my time; for about 7 of the 10 years I’ve been working on it, I worked for free. Now I’m super honoured to have about 800 lovely patreons who ‘tip’ me per video, cheer me on from the sidelines and generally give me the resources to be able to spend more time on my videos. And of course, as the channel has grown, I’ve been able to work with a few sponsors too. That means that any equipment I’ve even bought to work on it has been covered, and now increasingly my time is being covered too, which feels like a dream and also a wonderful relief!

11. People say that one should write about the things that one wishes one could read. Do you follow this mantra when you work on your channels?

Definitely - my style has changed gradually depending on what I’m watching at the time and what gets ME engaged as a viewer. There’s so much out there, and it’s impossible to cover a completely new topic, but I try and cover it in a different tone or come at a topic from a different angle. When I’m explaining a concept in a video, it’s often drafted directly from the way I explain it to myself in my head.

12. What is the youtube channel, the podcast, or the blog that you wished existed?

This is such a good question! I would 100% watch a channel that just did film analysis exclusively of old musicals. I would devour that. There are loads of stuff about Marvel and Pixar films and new Oscar winners... where’s MusicalTube?

13. Lastly, any word of advice for people out there who are starting to think about Vlogging, Blogging or Podcasting?

Get stuck in, expect to get it wrong, enjoy the process and don’t be a slave to the algorithm! If making something is a chore, it will feel like a chore to the audience too. If you make something with love, it will show through your work, and that’s what really makes an impact.

I am so honoured, Leena, that you took a few minutes of your busy creative schedule to answer all my questions. It’s everything that I Wish I Had Known!

You can follow Leena and learn more about her impressive work on Instagram, Youtube, Patreon.


If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different creative each month!

Photo credit: portraits of Leena © 2020 JC Candanedo. My portrait by Wayne Noir.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

Out For Good

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This past weekend, I went down to the City YMCA homeless shelter with other members from Out For Good to put together care packages to be given to anyone who comes seeking shelter when they first arrive. These packages contain simple, essential items that will help them settle into their new home and show them that there is someone out there who cares.

A massive Thank You to everyone who donated in the form of toiletries or cash, in particular to the extended community of The Trampery, to Lush UK and to the rest of the members of Out For Good. With your generosity, we were able to fill these packages with deodorant, perfume, aftershave, razors, shaving gel, hair products, sanitary items, combs, brushes, flannels, hand sanitiser, lip salve, toothbrushes and toothpaste. We also included handwritten personal notes and Easter Eggs as a little treat.

While we were there sorting the toiletries and filling in the packages, some of the residents of the shelter came to say hi and to thank us for the work that we were doing. They said that they really appreciate it when they receive one of these packages on arrival and that they are very grateful for them, even if it might seem like just a small gesture to someone else. For them, the content of these packages is essential.

Not all of the members and volunteers were able to come on the day due to the restrictions and social distancing caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. The few of us who were able to make it decided to go forward with the activity because the residents of the shelter need to know that we haven't forgotten about them during these difficult times.

Also, due to the current situation, we weren't able to collect or buy all the toiletries from the donations we had received so watch this space for more information on the final number of packages that will be delivered.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

Which Skills Do You Need As A Photographer?

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Recently, one of the most searched topics on the internet, according to the Exploding Topics website, was the word Ikigai. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that refers to "what makes life worth living". It doesn't surprise me that, in the post-truth times we are living, where ethically dubious practices seem to be becoming the norm, people are looking into doing something fulfilling with their lives.

When I left the corporate world to become a photographer, I was also looking for my reason for being. And I think that after many years of trying different things, I successfully found it. My work makes me happy and gives me purpose.

However, as I was writing this post, I asked myself why is it that I do some genres of photography and not others. Is it because I don't like them or is it because I don't have the skills or personality to do them? Admittedly, one can always acquire new skills with enough training, but there are certain types of jobs that also require a particular type of personality.

I decided to write a list of the traits and skills that I considered that photographers need depending on the type of work that they are doing. It is a very subjective list, and not everyone has all of the elements that I suggest, but I think it's a good guide for those who are starting in the industry and have yet to decide for one genre of photography or the other:

  • Fashion: you must love clothes and understand the inner-workings of the industry. This type of photography is all about how the clothes we wear make us feel. Fashion gives photographers a lot of creative freedom, playing with fantasy and the theatrical.

  • Beauty: shooting beauty requires a lot of attention to detail and knowledge of lighting. Like with product photography and still life, it requires a lot of patience. But, because you are photographing humans, it also requires people skills and empathy.

  • Portraiture: probably one of the genres of photography in which your people skills can make or ruin an image. Taking someone's portrait requires a lot of empathy and an ability to get people to share with you their real selves.

  • E-commerce: it's a fast-paced environment, with lots of repetitive tasks. You need a knowledge of what type of images sell. A lot of people say that this type of work is where creativity goes to die, but it pays the bills. Bigger brands have their own in-house staff, but studio owners and freelance photographers also cater to this part of the industry.

  • Still-life / Food / Interiors: photographing still-life, food or interiors might be the opposite of a fast-paced e-commerce environment. It can be a slow process that requires a lot of patience and attention to detail and a very good understanding of how light behaves in different environments and on different surfaces.

  • Street: this genre of photography requires good reflexes and always being alert to what is going on around you. You must be physically fit, as you will spend many hours on the streets trying to find the perfect photo or waiting for the perfect weather conditions, a task that also requires a lot of patience. If you photograph people on the streets, you definitely require people skills to convince people to pose for you or to deal with them if they react negatively to being photographed in public spaces without their consent. You must be familiar with the local legislation and your rights as a photographer.

  • Landscape: landscape photography is about capturing the essence of the environment around you. You must be someone very patient, capable of waiting hours for the right light angle or the perfect clouds, but also someone flexible enough to react to an unexpected change of weather. Someone who is good at researching and doing recces for locations and for perfect weather conditions but who also knows how to take advantage of a sudden shower.

  • Press and Documentary: these two genres of photography are very similar in that they require storytelling skills. They are not so much about the technicalities of the craft but about telling a story with the utmost respect for the subject matter and the people you photograph. They require integrity and high moral standards, and in some situations, you must be willing to put your safety at risk. They differ mainly in the turnaround. Usually, press photographers are expected to have a fast turnaround, were documentary photographers tend to work more in long term projects.

  • Sports: also a fast-paced environment, it requires good reflexes and a thorough understanding of the sports you are shooting. It usually involves expensive and heavy equipment.

  • Advertising: this genre of photography is all about selling and trying to convince the viewer that they must have the product depicted in the image. It usually involves big clients with big budgets and large crews and the photographer is just a small piece in the whole production. Being able to coordinate with the rest of the areas involved to achieve the results that the client expects is essential.

  • Weddings and Events: for me, this is one of the most stressful genres of photography. You just have one chance to get the images that you are hired for, and you are working on your client's most special occasion. It is fast-paced, requires nerves of steel, people skills, lots of equipment, very good reflexes and a love for weddings and events.

  • Travel: this genre of photography is a sort of cocktail of other genres like documentary, street, landscape, food and portraiture. It is basically documenting the landscape, people, cultures, customs and history of a specific destination.

  • Fine Art: this genre of photography is less about the photography itself and more about the vision of the artist and their creative expression. The artist uses the medium as a way to convey an idea, a concept or an emotion.

This is not a complete list, as there are many other genres of photography but it covers the most common ones. In general, photographers should be resourceful and must be able to solve last-minute mishaps promptly and with flexibility. Also, I believe that professional photographers should have respect for the craft, the industry (peers, crew, clients) and the subject (models, product). Only by respecting and understanding the industry is that we can contribute to improving it, but also we can benefit from its support.

Photo credit: behind the scenes image by Andrzej Gruszka.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

A World That Others Can’t See… with Gabrielle Motola

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Our role as photographers is to capture a world that others can’t see, and in this process we leave a little bit of us in every photo that we take. In a way, every single one of our photographs is also a portrait of ourselves.

In this series, A World That Others Can’t See, I ask fellow photographers to talk about an image from their portfolios in order to discover the stories behind their work and to learn about the person behind the lens.

For the eighth post of the series, documentary and portrait photographer Gabrielle Motola talks about her work in Iceland, where she produced her first book entitled An Equal Difference (2016), in which she explores the modern search for gender equality and shared humanity.

Gabrielle says: “I travelled to Iceland in 2013 and over the course of three years, photographed and interviewed one hundred residents from many walks of society. Politicians, educators, artists, scientists, people of different gender identities and lifestyles. About two and a half years in, I decided to consolidate my efforts into a book.

"A collection of essays, portraits and landscapes exploring the Icelandic mindset, An Equal Difference was published in 2016. It is inspired by our modern search for gender equality and shared humanity. It analyses Icelandic society, but it seeks to understand how we all could build more equal and benevolent societies that encourage us to be healthier in ourselves and towards each other.

"I was inspired by Iceland’s reaction to the financial crash of 2008 and wanted to understand more about a culture which sought to examine the over-masculinised behaviour that led to the crash, without blaming men. After all, women were involved in the crash too.

"Afterwards, Iceland called for measures like the feminisation of banking, Those responsible for the economic crash went to jail, and an openly lesbian prime minister was elected to lead a parliament that was 52% female. This parliament then proceeded to make prostitution illegal – by criminalising the buyers, not the sellers.

"Sounds ideal, right? But rather than project my utopian fantasies and idealise the country, I sought instead to get under the skin of Iceland through my network. I worked with locals to connect to, photograph and have conversations with what turned out to be a “who’s who” of Icelanders.

"My criteria for subjects was esoteric. I wanted people who could think for themselves. We tend to call it thinking differently, but in a monocultural country of 330,000 there isn’t that much room for difference. What I found in Iceland were humans. And human problems. No country is perfect. No system. Perfection exists only in the mind, and it is our pursuit of it that is most human of all.

"Idealism aside, I wanted to know about the kind of society Iceland had cultivated. Why was it topping gender equality charts year after year? Why did it have one of the Greenest energy programs on the planet? Was it because of gender equality that these models co-existed? What makes gender equality work on a practical level, and did it really exist in Iceland in a way that the people benefitted from it? More importantly, how might equality influence the way individuals think and operate in society and ultimately construct it?

"How did women and men see each other – and themselves? What was their character like, compared to other countries I had lived in? Were women more confident, men more open-minded, children better cared for? Was life there more balanced?

"We are all much bigger than our cultures, yet our personalities take the shapes of them to some extent. I did not find absolute equality, however, I did find a high concentration of evolved ideas and perspectives.

"The two images you see here are of two totally different kinds of imperfection, striving for perfection.

"Ólöf Arnalds is a singer/songwriter and indie musician. She is classically educated on the violin, viola and self-taught on guitar and charango, but it is her voice which makes her music stand out. Her distinctness may be thanks to the fact that she is a self-confessed weirdo. I had this even confirmed by a childhood classmate whom I also photographed who could never understand why she asked the complicated questions she did in bible studies. Ólöf was in her back yard in Reykjavik when I met her, explaining her eyes and how they do not perfectly point in the same direction. Neither do mine.

"Héðinn is a senior government policy analyst advising on mental health. He has the hard-won advantage of first-hand experience of the Icelandic mental health system, about which he wrote a book entitled Vertu Ulfur (Be a Wolf). He would not use the term bipolar to describe himself. He uses cold-water therapy to work on his mind. I trained for three weeks in Iceland’s cold pools to get up the stamina and courage to step into this near-frozen lake near Borgarnes in late November. It was 2 degrees centigrade.

"I still swim and shower in cold water and enjoy its many benefits. Whenever I am told I am weird – which is not an infrequent occurrence – I think of Ólöf."

I couldn't be happier and more inspired, Gabrielle! I have no words to express how grateful I am that you shared the beautiful stories behind your images with me.

You can learn more about Gabrielle's work at www.gabriellemotola.com and if you want to purchase a copy of her beautiful book, you can visit https://www.anequaldifference.com/

Gabrielle is also on Patreon and her Instagram and Twitter handles are @gmotophotos

For more information about Ólöf and Héðinn:

Ólöf Arnalds www.olofarnalds.com Héðinn Unnsteinsson www.hedinn.org


If you haven’t read the previous posts of this series, you can check the whole series here. I hope you liked this new post and stay tuned for a different photographer each month!

Photo credit: portrait by Sean Tucker

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

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Fish Don't Know They Are Underwater

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I set myself the task for 2020 to try to find common ground with everyone with whom I interact, even those with opposite points of view to mine. It has proven to be a challenging task, one that requires a lot of deep breaths, a lot of counting to a million and a lot of letting go of prejudices and personal beliefs. But, reminding myself that I might be wrong has helped me bring my anxiety levels down whenever I'm faced with an uncomfortable conversation.

We all live our lives with a set of beliefs that influence everything that we do. Some of those beliefs come from our upbringing (family, place of birth), while others have been acquired through the experiences that we have lived so far. Our brain makes every decision based on those beliefs and builds a set of assumptions. For us, that is how the world is.

I read somewhere that fish don't know that they live underwater. For them, being surrounded by liquid is the way the world is. Like fish, we walk around making the assumption that the world is how we see it. Until we meet someone whose views of the world are opposite to ours, someone who doesn't live underwater, but above it. And our first reaction is to say: "No, that can't be possible. They live in the wrong."

The truth is that, even if sometimes we might be right, the rest of the world can't possibly be wrong 100% of the times. There is a chance that sometimes we will be the ones in the wrong. What's more, on some occasions, we could all be partially right, and those are the moments when we need to focus on our commonalities.

What I'm trying to say is that no matter how right you think you are, listening to what others have to say and seeing life through their eyes can only expand your horizons and help you understand the world better. If, in the end, you prove to be right, treat others kindly as they assimilate their new reality. If you are wrong, be humble enough to admit it, and be grateful that you have learnt something new today.

There is a quote that has been running around the internet for some time, and that has been attributed to Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. I haven't been able to find the source. Whether it's his or not, I like what it expresses because it is a lesson on handling disagreements with others: “Always remember that to argue, and win, is to break down the reality of the person you are arguing against. It is painful to lose your reality, so be kind, even if you are right.”

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

The Secret Formula For Success

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When people ask me how did I go from working in a different industry and in a different country to starting a photographer career in the UK, I always feel like they want me to share a secret formula that will make all their dreams come true. The reality is that there aren't any formulas or magic tricks. You just have to want it as if your life depended on it. But, even if there are no secret formulas, there is a very powerful tool that you can add to your business skills toolset that will definitely have an impact on the success rate of your projects. Networking.

When I arrived in London at almost 40 and without knowing anyone in the business, I knew that I had a significant disadvantage in comparison to other fellow photographers. I didn't have a history in the UK, I was new, and I didn't know anyone from school, uni or from being brought up here. So, my solution to that lack of connections was to network like crazy. I literally typed in Google 'networking events for photographers in London' and started going to as many events as I could possibly fit in my diary.

Armed with a set of freshly printed business cards, I went from event to event introducing myself to as many people as I could. To this day, some of those connections that I made are still active, and I've made some really good friends from those interactions.

Apart from going to networking events, I’ve also joined professional communities and trade organisations that have helped me grow my network and strengthen my connections within the industry. Here are some of the communities that I’ve found the most useful:

  • The Freelancer Club: in 2008, Matt Dowling unsuccessfully spent his last £300 on a lawyer to recover £11,000 that was owed to him from an unpaid invoice. Not long after, Matt met Nina, a freelance model who had her own set of freelance challenges. They shared their experiences and wrote a list of all the things they wished they had access to when they started out. They always wanted Freelancer Club to be more than just a jobs board and vowed to dedicate their efforts to freelancers who felt helpless, lost or frustrated. Today, Freelancer Club is a creative network that campaigns to end exploitative unpaid work and has become one of the leading voices in the creative freelance community.

  • The London Creative Network: LCN is a development programme for creative practitioners in London. Delivered by SPACE, with Cockpit Arts, Four Corners and Photofusion, and part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund Programme from the EU.

  • The Association of Photographers - AOP: The Association of Photographers is one of the most prestigious professional photographers' associations in the world. It aims to promote and protect the worth and standing of its members, to vigorously defend, educate and lobby for the interests and rights of all photographers, especially in the commercial photographic industry.

  • The Trampery: The Trampery is a London-based social enterprise, specialising in shared workspace and support for entrepreneurs and creative businesses. They run Pathways, a learning programme designed to provide the space, resources, tools, time and support network for entrepreneurs who are doing pioneering work. The programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund from the EU.

  • The Societies: The Societies of Photographers is a group of organisations that encourage high professional standards and ethics in photography by providing continued training programmes for experienced professionals along with the newcomers to the business. The Societies of Photographers annual Convention is a four-day action-packed programme where brands and peers show the latest in trends, technology and design.

  • The Boxed Community: the newly formed Boxed Community is a curated online community and virtual co-working space that provides support and development for entrepreneurs (startups, freelancers, and their teams) through ongoing learning programmes, business and personal development support as well as access to fellow members internationally. For more information, or to get on the waiting list, contact nicole@boxedcommunity.com

As Isa Rae, the producer and actress known for Insecure, says: we have to build connections with the people around us who are as hungry as we are. So, go out and meet them!

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

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Showing We Care

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When I left home at 19 years old, I was very lucky to have a strong support network that took care of me until I was able to get back on my feet. I couch-surfed from friend's house to friend's house for weeks, which admittedly was very distressing, but I never had to sleep rough. I don't think my friends were fully aware of how much they were doing for me at the time but, looking back, they unknowingly prevented me from ending up on the streets. I feel like I would have to live a few lifetimes before I am able to repay them for their kindness.

In the UK, approximately 1 in 200 people are homeless and, according to figures from City YMCA, 93% of those who seek shelter in their facilities are aged 18 to 24.

I am a member of Out For Good, an organisation formed by LGBTQ+ people who want to make a real difference in their communities, and we are collecting donations to put together care packages for a shelter for young Londoners affected by Homelessness. These packages will be distributed to young people by the City YMCA.

With your donations, we will be able to fill these care packages with items such as deodorant, perfume, aftershave, razors, shaving gel, hair products, sanitary items, combs, brushes, flannels, hand sanitiser, lip salve, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

Donations will be accepted from February 11 to March 13, 2020, and the care packages will be put together on Sunday, March 15.

Please make your donations on this link: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/care-packages-for-homeless-young-londoners?utm_term=z8j4465Rx

City YMCA London is an independent charity affiliated to the YMCA movement, that works across some of London's most deprived boroughs to give every young person the opportunity to build a future of their own choosing. They have helped over 30,000 isolated, homeless young people struggling with family breakdown, school exclusion, poor mental health and drug and alcohol problems. Their accommodation offers a safe place for young people experiencing homelessness to piece their lives together.

Out for Good is an LGBT+ organisation for people with one thing in common, a willingness to make a real difference in their communities. Members dedicate their talent, time and commitment to help everyone in their community thrive. They act as role models, breaking down barriers in the wider community.

JustGiving is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under the Payment Service Regulations 2017.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

You can also subscribe to my weekly blog posts here!

I Refuse To Be One-Dimensional

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Long before I started writing this blog, and even before becoming a photographer, I lived in a very different reality. It is difficult to remember a time when I didn't work in the Creative Industries, and some days it feels like I have been doing this forever. But, I used to live a very one-dimensional life where my career defined me as a person, and I wasn't involved in much else other than what I did for a living. From 9 to 6, I worked in the office, and after work, I would hang out with my friends and colleagues from the office. I spent almost a decade growing up professionally, but as a person and as a human being, I became stagnant.

These days, I sometimes feel that there are so many dimensions to me that it's hard to keep track. I find it difficult when others want me to define myself in just a few words. I work as a photographer, yes, but I am so much more than my work. And I am involved in so many different things that I have to tailor my introduction depending on the person that I am talking to. For my community projects peers, I am a photographer exploring social issues. When I'm in commercial environments, I work in Fashion. For my poetry club, I'm a writer. When I'm at the Ethical Society, I'm a fellow humanist. And for my mentees, I am sometimes mentor, sometimes project manager. To name a few.

Admittedly, we can't possibly go around introducing ourselves by saying the long list of things that we are involved in. But, sometimes, introductions can feel very limiting. Like when I have to introduce my work to someone who has never seen it before. Having just one online portfolio that shows a range of everything I do can sometimes get confusing. In this industry, you are supposed to be one-dimensional. Unless you are really famous, then you can do whatever you want. Otherwise, your portfolio must reflect the type of photographer that you are trying to sell yourself as.

Some types of photography are complementary. You can be a Food and Travel Photographer, or work at the same time in Fine Arts and Portraiture. But, when I try to explain that I am interested in exploring current social issues but that I also shoot commercially as a fashion and portraits photographer, it sometimes feels like I'm talking about two contradictory things. It might be because you are not seen as ethical when you work inside an industry like Fashion. But, like I always say, change comes from within, and it is us who work inside the industry who have the power to change it for the better.

What all the things that I do have in common is me. I am so much more than one thing or the other. I am the sum of all of them and so many more that I don't have enough space to mention. Like the founder of the fashion brand Sabinna, designer Sabinna Rachimova, said today: I like "taking on too many projects at the same time, forgetting that the day has only 24 hours". But we wouldn't do it any other way because this is who we are, right Sabinna?

Photo credit: behind the scenes taken by Diana Buntajova.

Do you like what you just read? Consider becoming a patron on patreon.com/jccandanedo where you can learn more about my creative process and the stories behind my images. I’d love to have you as part of my Patreon community.

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