The inspiration for this story was seeing how community
spirit could emerge from bicycle maintenance. Loneliness in the crowded spaces
of large cities is an ongoing theme in my work, and I’m always encouraged by
initiatives such as Cycle Recycle that show how community can thrive amongst
the mad rush of city life.
My background is in documentary photography and print
journalism, but I also work with video and increasingly I’m exploring ways in
which the mediums can converge to communicate complex issues in engaging ways.
The planning of this story revolved around sound. As a stills photographer I
find thinking with my ears as well as my eyes to be the most challenging
element of video storytelling. It is also the most exciting.
I’m currently three months into a practice-led PhD about the
ways that documentary photography is evolving on the internet. Most of the
communication between the world’s peoples occurs through the media. I believe
that finding honest, ethical and engaging ways to communicate the stories of
Others to be one of the urgent challenges of our times. My desire to produce
cross-platform documentaries stems from this challenge, and a love of
listening, learning, and sharing.
