Spencer Murphy Blog

Portfolio: www.spencermurphy.co.uk Represented by: www.making-pictures.co.uk Twitter: @mrspencermurphy

[spencermurphy]

Last year during the heatwave, I headed up to Manchester with longtime collaborator and friend Cyrus Shahrad AKA @hiatusmusic . 

In part to document the wildfires of 2018, in part to hopefully get the next Hiatus album cover and in part because we’ve been going on these shared adventures all our lives, only in the past decade has it been in search of stories...

It was a surreal experience to walk amongst the miles of smouldering ash that nearly 3 weeks of fires had created. The beauty of this moorland, so close to the city, was still evident, yet it’s haunting dark past didn’t escape us as we worked our way through the devastation. It seems there is a bit of a metaphor here, not only for what’s happening environmentally but for what’s happening generally to the western world. Hopefully we are among the ashes now and new life is about to emerge, I’m not sure I can take many more fires.

[spencermurphy]

Portrait of Willow, who I met skating in an underground carpark, whilst out with my camera on a wet day in 2018

[spencermurphy]

Estate blossoms, shot in late spring 2018

[spencermurphy]

Epping Forest Walks

[spencermurphy]

from my many walks in Epping Forest

[spencermurphy]

Hiatus Unbecoming Artwork

Very pleased to be providing the artwork for Hiatus’ new EP Unbecoming/Youth. Go seek it out on Itunes, Spotify, Soundcloud, Bandcamp. Thank you as ever to @aliaugurfor the design.

[spencermurphy]

December 2017

Sarah Lancashire, Kiri, 2017. Had such a nice time shooting this advert with the lovely team at 4Creative. We re-imagined a scene from the drama, to show the layers of Sarah’s character and shot it in my style on film. Sarah Lancashire was a pleasure to work with and so adept in the subtleties of channelling emotion. Kiri starring Sarah Lancashire is on Channel 4 in January. ECD: Alice Tonge Senior Creative: Eoin McLaughlin Creatives: Anne-Grit Maier and Francesca Van Haverbeke Designer: Aimi Awang Producer: Luke Fraser Jane English: Business Director Post production: @antonycrossfield And as ever thank you to @makingpicturessoho for the support. And to Ant Crossfield for his brilliant work and lightness of touch on the retouching.

[spencermurphy]

Tierra Utopia 2017 

I’m pleased to be sharing some new work entitled ‘ Tierra Utopia’ shot in part for @Gaiafoundation @wefeedtheworldProject and in part for a larger personal project. Thanks again to @cherylnewman1 for the commision and to Thomas Takezoe for all the help with production and translation on the ground. Marinaleda is a village in inland Andalusia. Hard fought for by the landless farm workers of the late 1970’s and 80’s through a series of peaceful protests, sit-ins and hunger strikes, led by Mayor Juan Sanchez Gordillo. Finally, in 1991 a small percentage of a local dukes inherited land was granted to those that fought for it for the use of the population and what rose up from that was a communalist village of farm workers built on ideas of collectivism that some term communism (they self-identify as a social-democratic cooperative). In the late 1970’s unemployment was between 65-80% and the landless workers suffered from starvation. There is now little to no unemployment (a statistic maintained even during the economic crisis of 2008, which led to 30% unemployment rates in the rest of Andalusia), and everyone from the Mayor to the street cleaners get the same wage. Houses can be purchased and built with the help of the syndicate for 15 euros per month - the only stipulation is you cannot make a profit from the real estate. Proclaimed a “Utopia for Peace” Marinaleda has no police force.

Gaia Foundation – We Feed The World Project Gaia Foundation have teamed up with curator Cheryl Newman to produce the ‘We Feed The World Project’ We Feed the World is a global photographic campaign that aims to engage a large, mainstream audience in the future of our food supply and challenge the myth that we need an industrial food system to feed a growing global population. Through a series of images, shot by over 40 award-winning photographers, the project will celebrate the small, family farmers that currently feed over 70 percent of the world’s population and showcase the positive impact sustainable agriculture has on our health, environment, culture and society. The project will culminate in an exhibition and book

[spencermurphy]

December 2017

Vickie Hawkins, Chief Exec of Medicines Sans Frontiere for Mondial Magazine @rapha_rcc @doctorswithoutborders @rapha_uk@rapha

[spencermurphy]

October 2017

Alonso, Heritage Seed Saver, 2017 I spent a lovely couple of days in Spain with Alonso and Merce on their farm. Shot for the Gaia Foundation's 'We Feed The World Project' with the lovely @cherylnewman1 Alonso and Merce are seed savers/guardians and are retrieving ancient indigenous varieties of cereals, especially wheat They run a small scale biodynamic, terraced farm on the side of a mountain in Andalusia. There they grow a diverse range of vegetables, aromatic herbs and heritage wheat for seed diversity. They cultivate the seeds which they save in a small store and sell online. Alonso is the president of the Andalusian seeds savers network. Gaia Foundation – We Feed The World Project Gaia Foundation have teamed up with curator Cheryl Newman to produce the ‘We Feed The World Project’ We Feed the World is a global photographic campaign that aims to engage a large, mainstream audience in the future of our food supply and challenge the myth that we need an industrial food system to feed a growing global population. Through a series of images, shot by over 40 award-winning photographers, the project will celebrate the small, family farmers that currently feed over 70 percent of the world’s population and showcase the positive impact sustainable agriculture has on our health, environment, culture and society. The project will culminate in an exhibition and book

[spencermurphy]

October 2017

Brianna, 2017 for RSBC charity campaign

Outtake and poster campaign image from a recent shoot for charity @rsbccharity with @londoncpb 

I was commisioned last year to shoot a series of portraits for the Royal Society Of Blind Children entitled ‘Every Blind Child’ by CPB London. Thanks to all involved for a lovely, enjoyable and rewarding shoot. @cpbgroup

[spencermurphy]

September 2017

Choc Thornton, 2013

Finally scanned in this neg and had a quick chance to work on it. Another outtake from the Channel 4 Racing shoot, conceived and art directed by @alicetonge from 4Creative. So lovely to be allowed to work on 5x4.

[spencermurphy]

September 2017

Stephen Westaby for this weekends @ft_weekend life & arts. I photographed heart surgeon, Stephen Westaby for an article on what makes a great surgeon? A lovely man with so many interesting tales. Thanks so much to all involved.

[spencermurphy]

August 2017

Outtakes from the Mens Health shoot

Great working with @superdupamoto crew again. Thanks @sdm_clumsy @sdm_real_izzy@ashman46 !!! Style Director @ericdownstylist Stylists Assistant @86done Grooming @danieldyer72 

[spencermurphy]

August 2017

Mens Health - Bike Life Fashion Story

Loved working on this story for @menshealthuk with @ericdownstylist Out today. Great working with @superdupamoto crew again. Thanks @sdm_clumsy @sdm_real_izzy@ashman46 !!! Style Director @ericdownstylist Stylists Assistant @86done Grooming @danieldyer72 

[spencermurphy]

August 2017

Ullac Denim Look Book

I loved working on this shoot for new denim company @ullac_denim with such a great model, Richard. Ullac launched with two great pairs of jeans but now have plenty of unisex garments in their loaker. Go show them some love. Styling and Art Direction: Chris Lynd Thank you to everyone that helped on this X

[spencermurphy]

July 2017

Taking the camera for a walk... Boy playing football. In London I always seem to have been seperated by a short walk, somewhere between affluence to one side of me and poverty to the other. Now on the outskirts there seems to be a reflection of this more within the landscape. 10 mins one way and you find yourself among the forest and it feels like London is a distant memory. 10 minutes the other and you're among the industrial estates, plagued by fly tipping, the smoke stacks, recycling centres and polluted roads that encircle the capital. It was in trying to capture this dichotomy that partly led me to the Urban Dirt Bikers, at the time, thinking it may be a chapter within the story but then getting drawn into their world for a year or so. Anyway, I took my Mamiya 7 out for a bit of a roam around and met this boy as he presumably waited for his mates. Both of us looking cautious of the man passed out in a foetal ball amongst the long grass.