To be able to have an opportunity to show and talk about my work with such a brilliant and successful photographer as Vanessa was amazing - and not just Vanessa, but also her partner, the photographer George Georgiou. The advice and direction they offered to us was really helpful.
For me, this workshop came at the right time - a time when I was struggling with the relationship between portrait and landscape within my project. Her advice was to follow my gut instincts in my project development - advice which I took and which proved invaluable - allowing me to move my project forward.
After our workshop we listened to Vanessa talking about her work, and in particular ‘She Dances on Jackson’, made between 2011 and 2012 travelling across America, and launched at the Foundation Henri Cartier-Bresson, Paris in 2013, who’s award made this work possible. Incidentally, Vanessa was the first woman to have received the award.
The book is a series of portraits and landscapes - black and white large format - the output of a contemporary American road trip, described as the ruins of the American dream - a really impressive body of work that showcases her outstanding talent as a photographer. George travelled with Vanessa on this working trip - and it was surprising (and comforting for those of us who are also reticent about talking to strangers) to hear her say that she was not very confident in approaching people to ask if she could photograph them. Instead, when she spotted someone she wanted to photograph, she would get George to go up and talk to them and make the arrangements. A great team! We all need a George…….
