legacy

"You can learn a lot about the photographer by looking at their pictures, and I think that’s especially true with my mam. She knew how to compose an image, but she started to hone her skills long before she ever picked up a camera. There was always an undercurrent of danger in her world, she had to learn to read a situation and know when the mood was going to turn from being a tiny child.  When she found an old camera in a derelict house as a teenager, it became her protection and a tool for change when she realised its power.  I grew up with her pictures as our wallpaper and was often in the darkroom with her when I was little. She would explain what she was doing, letting me help, and it felt so magical watching these black-and-white images appear in the tray that we had made together. She was in her element in the darkroom, listening to her favourite music - she really loved the whole process and I'm so happy that I got to share that with her. I know how important her work was to her and that is why I feel compelled to continue to share it."

Ella Murtha