Saesha Blue Ward

Through exploring a subjective sense of identity and image, Mersey Paradise questions whether portraiture can reflect the intimacy of a friendship between photographer and subject. Shooting my peers at home in Manchester, I explored our commonalities and group identity; one that manifests itself to a wider cultural identity of youth in Northern England. Considerately composed and thoughtfully lit, the portraits reflect the character of the individuals as well as that of myself. The title of the series mirrors that of a well-known song by The Stone Roses, emphasising the significance to me that I explored my self-identity in my home town. Overall, the series is a cooperative piece between my closest friends and I and is a telling of ourselves together and our relation in the present.