MOTHER · EX-EMO · TERRIBLE BAKER

I’m Jacs. Jacqueline only appears when I’m being told off.

Not perfect. Never was. Just real, and paying attention.

The short version +

Chronic overshooter. Grain seeker. Film lover.

Partial to soft light, overfull galleries, and stopping mid-walk because the light’s doing something.

Not perfect. Never was. Just real, and paying attention.

INSTINCT · CURIOSITY · SMALL OBSESSIONS

Collector of hobbies, overthinking books, and a stone-cold G&T like it’s a personality trait

The short version

Not perfect. Never was.

Just real, slightly chaotic, and paying attention.

I’ve had a camera in my hands for as long as I can remember, usually with far more enthusiasm than technical knowledge. What started with indistinct blobs, borrowed cameras, and a very serious relationship with a Spice Girls Polaroid became something steadier: a lifelong habit of noticing things before they pass.

The first roll was a disaster. I was delighted.

When I was 11, my neighbour lent me her very heavy SLR. I spent days photographing everything in sight, convinced I was onto something. The film came back as a series of indistinct blobs. No one had explained exposure, light, or shutter speed. Still, I was hooked.

Then came The Spice Girls Polaroid.

I took it everywhere, documenting my life with great seriousness. After that, it was whatever camera I could get my hands on, usually borrowed, always well used.

At university, where I studied English Literature and Fine Art, I found my way back to film properly. The darkroom became a second home. Hours spent watching images slowly appear in trays, completely absorbed. I probably looked like an emo vampire most of the time, but I loved it.

After university, life did what it tends to do, and photography slipped quietly to the side. It wasn’t until my niece was born in 2016 that I picked up a camera again, and something clicked back into place.

Why I care about this

Because time is rude

I notice the small things. The glances, the pauses, the bits most people would miss if they weren’t looking for them.

Having two very inquisitive children means I’ve learnt quickly that you don’t get much by directing or demanding. It’s about being unobtrusive, a bit playful, and knowing when to step in and when to leave things alone.

Away from photography, I have a dry sense of humour and a habit of falling into new projects, whether that’s wiring a plug socket or sewing something I’ve decided I absolutely need.

This is the bit that matters.

Things change. Children grow. People get older. You blink and it’s different.

I’m not interested in perfect photographs. I’m interested in the ones that feel like something, the love, the ease, the chaos, the quiet. The bits you’ll come back to later and think, I’m so glad we kept that.