KENYA OUTTAKES // /  by sophie green

THE GUARDIAN // /  by sophie green

New commission out now in The Guardian Weekend Magazine - The Generation Game.

The geographer Dr Albert Sabater argues that the young and the old in the UK are living more physically separate lives – driven in part by the growing split between older homeowners and younger renters. He worries that this will accentuate what is seen as increasing antagonism between young and old, millennials and baby boomers, with the former accusing the latter of carving up society to suit them and leaving later generations only scraps.

In a report for the Guardian, myself and journalist Stephen Moss went to West Somerset and central Manchester – the parts of England with the oldest and youngest populations respectively – to test attitudes, see how different age groups in those areas related to each other, and investigate whether the notion of a war of the generations was true.

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JUST A DROP CHARITY // /  by sophie green

A new collaboration all the way from Kenya with the brilliant charity 'Just a Drop' - who support communities with access to sustainable clean water solutions around the world, transforming lives. See the full series on my website.

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Adidas x Parley // /  by sophie green

‘Blue’ – my response to a brief from Adidas in collaboration with Parley, a platform that encourages discussion around the fragility of the ocean via creative collaborations to help raise awareness of the global threats towards our oceans and find solutions to end the destruction.

No one can deny the elemental beauty of our oceans, a beauty and purity that is symbolically and universally represented by the colour blue. However, we need to open our eyes to the fact that the oceans we love are slowly being destroyed by our over consumption and casual disposal of plastics.

There’s a strange irony in creating art out of the plastic rubbish that is slowly destroying our oceans. As a photographer I’m compelled to find beauty in everything I see. I have explored the colour blue, in combination with the abstracted beauty of everyday abandoned plastic materials, to create a psychological tension between the two. The visual power of the images intend to form a powerful reminder of the beauty of the ocean that we all have a duty to protect.

I hope that these images will somehow engage the viewer to confront the shocking reality of marine plastic pollution and ultimately ignite a desire to act responsibly to ensure the health of our planet for future generations.

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Portrait of Britain 2017 // /  by sophie green

Hannah outside church after Sunday morning service in Peckham, South London. I'm excited that Hannah will be a part of Portrait of Britain 2017, a nationwide exhibition by British Journal of Photography showcasing the many faces of modern Britain.

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BURBERRY // /  by sophie green

I was commissioned by Burberry to photograph events across Britain as part of their Burberry summertime event series which celebrates traditional British heritage, including Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Bath & West Show, Oxford May Day, The Aberdeen Highland Games, Nottinghill Carnival, Cowes Week and Blakeney Regatta. View the full series on my website here; http://www.sophiegreenphotography.com/burberry/

Paintings // /  by sophie green

I also like to paint....

SOLSTICE // /  by sophie green

‘Solstice’ is one of the oldest celebrations in the world, marking the shortest day and the longest night of the year and takes place twice each year at the prehistoric monument, Stonehenge, an icon of England where visitors from all over the world gather to witness and be part of an age-old ritual.

Since ancient times, people have celebrated the ‘Solstice’ and observed it with many different cultural and religious traditions. Druids, pagans, revellers and others descend on Stonehenge to watch the sunrise, pray, meditate and perform rituals through which they affirm their deep spiritual connection with nature, honour their Gods and celebrate the seasonal festivals of the turning year. Typically this following doesn’t have manmade places of worship, they believe that religious ceremonies are best conducted outdoors - in woods, caves, on hilltops or by the sea. Celebrations include meditation, chanting, music, prayer, dance, poetry reading, drama performances as well as the sharing of food and drink.

See the series on my website here.

 

COLLECTORS FOR PARTNERS MAGAZINE // /  by sophie green

I photographed collectors who participate in extreme collections in Tokyo for the first issue of the recently launched Japanese magazine 'Partners'.

Yomoko -
“Since I was very young I have always liked fancy things. My grandmother used to take me out and buy me all kinds of toys, she liked teddy bears and all cute things. It's all her influence."

Shirutaro -
"I like looking at the CD jacket and thinking ‘man, that’s cool’. It’s really my hobby. There’s something to be said for having something physical. It makes me feel good just knowing it’s there."
 

Yamada -
“I like to look at the patterns of stones and their natural shapes. A lot of stones are homogeneous and aren’t very colorful but there are actually a surprising number in the world that have diverse colors and shapes. Stone collectors tend to be seen as freaks for doing something so useless, but it’s no different from the way people are drawn in by paintings or ceramics."
 

Wefts & Tracks published in The Financial Times Magazine // /  by sophie green

‘Wefts & Tracks’ is my latest on going personal project and was featured within an editorial for The Financial Times Weekend Magazine. I have been working with journalist, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff to reflect the stories of the bubbling community of afro hair salons on Blenheim Grove, Peckham in South-East London, one of the capital’s most diverse communities where many of the salons have been thriving since the 1990s.

There is no getting away from the importance of hair - for centuries black women have been battling with the pressures of Eurocentric beauty standards, straightening and taming their hair in ways unknown to most white people. But the significance of the salons extends beyond beautification and a place to work; they act as impromptu community centres, babysitting venues and everything in between. Above all, they provide a sense of belonging at the centre of daily life. 

Friends pop in for cups of tea and coffee, salesmen display their wares to unimpressed laughter, and hairdressers bop to dancehall or languidly watch their favourite Nollywood dramas as they wait for clients, In some of the more informal premises babies crawl around the floor; voices are raised in languages and accents from all over Africa and the Caribbean and gestures replace speech as clients are moved from mirror-fronted styling chairs to washbasins where creamy white chemical straightener is rinsed out before it begins to burn, or newly plaited braids are dipped and sealed in steaming pots of boiling water.

Now a plan to relocate some of the salons in the name of regeneration is causing controversy…

See the online article here; https://www.ft.com/content/90c2e798-f305-11e6-8758-6876151821a6

London Art Fair // /  by sophie green

My series 'A Day At The Races' - a project which has taken me to car festivals and racetracks to document the maligned subculture of ‘boy racers’, has been selected as part of the Photo50 exhibit at London Art Fair which is running from the 18th-22nd January. Get down and see it. In the meantime thank you to The Guardian for featuring the work; https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2017/jan/17/local-customs-the-high-octane-world-of-boy-racers-in-pictures