Welcome to my occasional newsletter

Greetings, friends! Welcome to my occasional newsletter, a space where I share the joy, stories, and images I've collected through my photographic adventures. I hope these glimpses into my journey bring a smile to your face

Taylor Wessing Shortlisted - A Dream Come True!

I’m over the moon to share some exhilarating news with you all! Two of my photographs have been shortlisted for the prestigious Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2024 at the National Portrait Gallery. One of the two images will be exhibited in the show opening on the 12th of November at the National Portrait Gallery in London. This is my second time in three years, and it couldn’t be a more significant milestone in my career. I couldn’t be more excited.

The Journey Behind the Lens

These images were taken as part of a beautiful journey discovering the unknown world of cheerleading. In July 2021, cheerleading became an official Olympic sport. There are 119 national federations and over 10 million athletes across all seven continents practising the sport.

I have been very lucky to travel to Nigeria, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and Greece, documenting this colourful, joyous, community-based discipline. If you want to read more, here are the links to my site and to The Guardian Saturday Magazine, which published and commissioned the story.

A Collaboration with WWF: A Journey Discovering the Seaweed Industry in bonnie Scotland

Thanks to a trip organised by @wwf_uk and The Guardian Seascape section, I was able to spend a few days on the stunning, sunny Isle of Skye and in Oban, exploring seaweed farming.

Seaweed harvesting isn’t new to the west of Scotland, but @kelpcrofters is different: this is cultivated seaweed farming. The kelp-seeded lines are "planted" in the autumn, left to germinate through the winter, and harvested in May and June.

Seaweed has it all: it needs no fertilisers, pesticides, or land. The farmers just leave it to grow, and while it’s growing, it also provides a habitat for fish and cleans the water of harmful heavy metals.

Farmed kelp could produce plastic substitutes, beauty products, and food supplements, and it can even be used to create ink. Watch this space, as WWF and @artwisecurators have recruited great artists like Emma Talbot and Harland Miller to produce work linked to the seaweed industry for a project called Art For Your Oceans.

There’s lots to learn about. Please read the full article here.

Thank you for joining me on this journey and I look forward to sharing more stories and images with you in the future. Looking forward to hearing your comments.

Until next time…Ciao ciao

Christian

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