I am pleased to introduce ‘Handmade Dorset’, an ongoing exploration of the independent craftsmen and women who are working across Dorset.
I started Handmade Dorset in February 2017 as my course project for one of the excellent short evening courses at Arts University Bournemouth. On the ‘Dedicated Photography’ course we were given an open brief to pursue a photographic project for presentation at the end of the course. We were given free reign with the only stipulation that the project had to be united by a common theme and genre.
From the outset, I knew that I wanted to pursue a project based on portraiture and when searching for a theme, I began to see how as well as being rich with landscape and natural beauty which brings landscape photographers flocking here, there are a wealth of independent and artisanal craftsmen and women who live and work in Dorset. The further that I have delved the more that I have seen of people with an amazing depth and breadth of skill and craftsmanship who also bring their own distinct character to bear in their products.
Handmade is an exploration, not of the products, but of the people, their process and their work space. Through this series we will see the creators of everything from scarves to jewellery to bicycles and UAVs.
While this project began as part of a short course, I see it as a much longer-term project and if you are an independent craftsman or woman working in Dorset who would like be be involved then I would love to hear from you, so get in touch!
Look out for blog posts coming soon and for images from the series being shared on Instagram and Facebook.
#CommercialPhotography #Handmade #Craft #Dorset #Portrait