If Not Now

Clare Hewitt's Blog www.clarehewitt.co.uk [email protected]

[clarehewitt]

Judith Kerr

Judith Kerr was one of the warmest people I’ve been lucky enough to photograph. Gentle, open, full of joy. A woman to look up to.

When this image was exhibited as part of Portrait of Britain she took the time to call me to say how thrilled her and her family were. I was pregnant, and when I told her she was genuinely delighted, asking me so many questions about the future.

Thank you Gerry Badger for giving me the opportunity to meet and photograph Judith for New Statesman - I’ll always be so grateful for that half an hour of sunshine.

Rest in peace, Judith.

[clarehewitt]

The Decisive Moment

Thanks to Jessica McDermott, Kate O’Neill and David Thorp for including my ongoing series Camera in their interview in the current issue of the Royal Photographic Society magazine, The Decisive Moment.

Dedicated to women in photography, this issue explores the collaborative projects that Jess and Kate share, including The Old Girls Club and Scenario (if you haven’t listened yet, it’s a must-hear!), as well as featuring Alys Tomlinson, 209 Women, and lots more.

You can view and download a free copy of the magazine here.

[clarehewitt]

Royal Photographic Society’s IPE at the Midlands Arts Centre

Lovely to see the RPS 161, including my portrait of Eugenie, exhibited so close to home at the Midlands Arts Centre. It stays here until Sunday 12th May 2019, before moving to the Royal Albert Hall.

[clarehewitt]

Artist talk at the Midlands Arts Centre

I’ll be talking about my work at the Midlands Arts Centre on Thursday 2nd May at 6pm as part of the Royal Photographic Society’s IPE 161 programme.

It’s a free event and tickets can be booked here. Be lovely to see your faces!

[clarehewitt]

209 Women at Open Eye Gallery

209 Women looking beautiful at Open Eye Gallery on International Women’s Day, including my portrait of wonderful Preet Kaur Gill MP and her lovely daughters.

[clarehewitt]

GRAIN Bursary Award 2019

I’m thrilled to be the recipient of the 2019 GRAIN Bursary Award! Thanks so much to GRAIN and the selection panel for the opportunity! Can’t wait to get started!

[clarehewitt]

RPS Instagram Takeover

For the next few days I’m taking over the Royal Photographic Society Instagram account, sharing images from my series Eugenie to coincide with the RPS’ IPE 161. Hope to see you over there!

[clarehewitt]

Royal Photographic Society’s International Photography Exhibition 161

Heading to Bristol for the opening of the Royal Photographic Society’s IPE 161.

Thanks so much to Karen Knorr, Aaron Schuman, Jack Latham, Jon Tonks and Christiane Monarchi for selecting my portrait of Eugenie for the exhibition.

“The International Photography Exhibition has been held almost every year since 1854 - the year after The Society was founded. In the early years, the exhibition included work from some of the world’s most eminent photographers including Julia Margaret Cameron, Roger Fenton, Edward Steichen and others. Now in its 161st year, it is the longest running exhibition of its kind in the world.”

[clarehewitt]

Sir Charles Saumarez Smith for Apollo

Sir Charles Saumarez Smith, photographed at the Royal Academy of Arts for Apollo Magazine.

[clarehewitt]

209 Women

Such a lovely evening last night celebrating the launch of the 209 Women exhibition at Portcullis House, Westminster. Here’s my portrait of wonderful Preet Kaur Gill, Labour MP for Birmingham, Edgbaston, and her lovely daughters.

Today marks the centenary of the first women achieving the right to vote in the UK, and I’m proud to be part of this collective at this poignant moment in history.

Huge thanks to Hilary Wood for her vision, to Metro Imaging, and to all those involved in making this happen. As well as celebrating women’s right to vote, the exhibition also highlights our continuous need for gender equality.

[clarehewitt]

Nina Raine for The Telegraph Magazine

A pleasure to meet and photograph theatre director and playwright, Nina Raine, and her lovely son, for Nina’s piece on having a baby when you’re 39 and single, in today’s Telegraph Magazine.

[clarehewitt]

Photo Café Birmingham

I’ll be talking about my work at Photo Café in Birmingham on Wednesday 14th November at 1000 Trades, from 7pm. If you’re in Brum (and not seeing Erik Kessels talk!) it would be lovely to see your faces!

[clarehewitt]

Royal Photographic Society’s IPE 161

I’m so grateful to be one of 54 photographers selected for the Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition, with my portrait, Eugenie #8. http://rps.org/competitions/ipe-161

A big thank you to the RPS and to all the judges. The exhibition will be touring the country next year, including my home town of Birmingham. 

Tour Dates:

Royal Photographic Society, Bristol - 7th February - 24th March 2019

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, 30th March - 12th May 2019

Royal Albert Hall, London, 22nd May - 23rd June 2019

Municipal Gallery, dlr lexicon, Dublin, 5th July - 4th September 2019

Hull International Photo Festival, 4th - 27th October 2019

[clarehewitt]

Antony Cairns for Photolocale

www.photolocale.co.uk

[clarehewitt]

Phantom Thread

Last year Laura Hynd asked me to assist her in shooting behind the scenes on the set of Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film, Phantom Thread. Little did we know we’d end up getting into costume twice and being filmed...we had a ball! Here’s a picture of us in one of the scene’s with Daniel Day Lewis and Vicky Krieps, out in today’s Telegraph Magazine.

Check out the mag for some of Laura’s beautiful photographs of the cast, costumes and set, which have been published in the book, The Women of Woodcock, available to order from the Photographers’ Gallery bookshop now.

[clarehewitt]

Prints for Refugees

Prints for Refugees have recently relaunched their website, and I’ve donated three copies of my portrait of Eugenie to their wonderful cause. You can find it in their new Secret Prints section. Prints for Refugees is an initiative that gives 100% of proceeds from the sale of artwork to the charity Doctors of the World UK, so that they can continue to provide much needed medical aid to refugees. Media focus may have shifted, but as we all know, the realities of the refugee crisis continue every day. Please consider checking out all the brilliant artwork on the website, and support them if you can.

https://www.printsforrefugees.com

[clarehewitt]

Scenario Podcast

Jessica McDermott and Kate O’Neill have recently launched a brand new photography podcast, Scenario. In Episode 1 - The Penfriend - Jess followed me through one cycle of making my work in progress, Kamera. In 2015 I began writing to a man I call Duke, a prisoner on death row in Kentucky, who spends 22 hours a day in his cell. With each letter I send a landscape photograph that I make during long, meditative walks that help me process my ongoing experience of therapy. You can listen to all the episodes by following this link, or by downloading Scenario on iTunes.