Lip Na Cloiche is a beautiful garden on the west coast of the Isle of Mull, close to my new home on the island. I headed over on a sunny spring evening last week to photograph the garden in the setting sunlight.

The garden has been lovingly developed over the years by Lucy and is bursting with huge varieties of plants and repurposed objects.  With old metal bedframes and garden forks reused as plant supports, driftwood and fishing rope marking borders and creating handrails and galvanised water tanks overflowing with flowering bulbs, the garden embodies the island spirit of reusing the old.

Lucy runs a plant nursery from the garden, selling a wide range of plants, all propagated from the garden and therefore hardy and well adapted to the challenging conditions up here on the west coast of Scotland.

I’d highly recommend a visit if you’re up at the north end of Mull, Lip Na Cloiche is a place like no other.

This year I left the city that I had called home for the past 15 years and made a huge move north with my husband, daughter and two elderly dogs.

We had talked about making this move to the Isle of Mull for years, it started as a bit of a day dream and over the years became a possibility and finally a plan.

In truth we had zero reasons for leaving, we had a beautiful home (that we’d only just finished renovating), a wonderful group of humans around us, ample work, incredible creative peers, infinite lifestyle and leisure options and opportunities…. but something was whispering in our ear. Here are some of my reasons.

I was recently commissioned by Zebedee Management to create an editorial celebrating the diversity of their female models for International Womens Day. 

It’s probably been one of my favourite projects to date and features some incredible women. It was an honour to work with you ladies. The fashion and media industry are changing but there’s still a long way to go…

Concept & models: Zebedee Management

Hair and make up artists: Jenn & Kelly of JennEdwards & Co

Recently commissioned work for the very lovely ring designer Jessica Flinn

I’m sat in a Social Club in Sheffield surrounded by Christmas decorations, campaign leaflets, home made cake and more than a hundred of the kindest most hopeful humans I’ve ever encountered. Their positivity cuts through the grey skies and ice cold drizzle that blasts you as soon as you open the doors.  They are heading out in teams to ‘get out the vote’ reminding people to go to their polling stations and chatting to last minute undecided voters.

It really is a wonderful feeling to be surrounded by so much hope.

I’ve been documenting the day for Labour candidate for Hallam, Olivia Blake. I wanted to show just what goes into this, what good honest everyday folk pour into the efforts of winning your vote. Everyone here just wants a fairer society for us all, since becoming a parent in January I want this more than ever…

Please use your vote, and, whoever you choose to vote for, vote with confidence, vote with pride in the party that you support, don’t let it all wash over you, get involved, get interested, it’s YOUR future that’s being decided

Shelley

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WE ARE THE MANY

It might be a freezing cold and rainy day in Sheffield but people are out in the hundreds to volunteer for Labour, for a fairer society for us all. I’m really proud to be supporting Labour in this General Election, I wear my heart on my sleeve in both my personal and professional life and I’m keeping everything crossed for the win 

Shelley

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It’s the day before the most important election in recent years. I’m at Campaign HQ with Hallam’s candidate for Labour Olivia Blake documenting everything and everything in the final push before tomorrows election. 

This post will be updated throughout the day, for press use please call me on 07446213131

Since having my little girl in January this year I’ve been focusing on building my image library with my agency for Book Cover Photography. It’s a really fun area of photography to work in as it can be so creative and you have the freedom to create whatever you want. Building a decent library can be a bit of a long slog though and you often don’t see the results for a long long time as images can take quite a while to process into the agency systems. BUT there’s nothing like seeing your image on the cover of a book in the supermarket or at Waterstones!

Here’s a look at a small selection of the work I’ve made so far this year specifically for potential book Covers…

You can find my images available to license through Trevillion and Arcangel Images or if you’re interested in commissioning a shoot for a cover do get in touch!

If you’re a model interested in working with me on some of my book cover shoots drop me an email

One of my voluntary roles is with a brilliant small local rescue Charity, Rain Rescue, based in Rotherham, close to my home city of Sheffield. As well as a voluntary photographer I’m also the Chair of Trustees for this wonderful little charity.

They save hundreds of dogs and cats each year and as often as I can I visit the kennels to photograph the latest cohort of residents for their adoption profiles.

If you’re looking to adopt a new furry friend head over to their website www.rainrescue.co.uk to see who is currently available for adoption