Melias Homework

I'm currently on The Melias Lost In The Light photography course (which is amazing!) and this is my homework. 

Photographing Velvet Jones

These photographs were taken last year behind the scenes of the Deadly is the Female shoot for the A/W collection. 
I was in awe of Sophia aka Velvet Jones who modeled with such elegance. I'd love to work with Sophia again with a ballet aesthetic.
I'm finding it really difficult to explain what I call beauty and why I choose my aesthetic. Its subjective, its definitely in the eye of the beholder and everyone is individually beautiful. I've met lots of beautiful women but a natural confidence and intelligence always come through. 

I need to learn more about the ethics and philosophy around beauty and aesthetics. Choosing and photographing a person as a model can be uncomfortable as they become an object of beauty that I am checking and observing.  

Black Lives Matter Bristol June 7th

Today I marched because black lives matter. I was here for my Mum and all the people of colour who have had to carry the pain of racism for hundreds of years. 
As a white person I must take responsibility and use my privilege to stand in the way of racism. 
We can't change history but we can change our future. Children of colour are entitled to grow up with opportunities, with confidence and pride in themselves. With absolute equality. 

No virus is as deadly as racism. 

I would like to thank the organizers, smart young people who bought people together and led a peaceful, respectful protest. The removal of the despicable slave trader statue was a joyous point in the march and simply a job that needed doing a long time ago. 

Update - In the week that has now passed I have thought a lot about photographing this moment. Was it voyeurism or documenting a moment that was important to me? Street photography and taking peoples photos without permission in public is hard, it feels invasive despite being perfectly legal and well intentioned.
How would I feel if I had been photographed, I probably was as there were lots of photographers all getting their shots. I suppose I would be fine as long as I looked ok! My face is out there in public anyway and I hope I am a kind photographer. 

Photographing protests in less safe countries ie. China would be a different process. It would be wrong to share anyone's faces. If I photographed the pulling down of the statue it wouldn't have been ok to share the peoples faces as they could have been at risk of arrest.

I need a lesson in ethics and photography. MORE PHOTOS BELOW.