!!IT’S THE WEEKEND!!
Lets have another Artist Feauture shall we! This week we are in conversation with Music Photographer Francesca, talking about Gigs, artwork, and how the Pandemic is effecting her along with many other creatives!…
Q1: What is your name, age, and where are you based?
A: Francesca, 22 and I’m based in Brighton.
Q2: What is your creative practice/ Artwork?
A: I’m a music, live events and portraiture photographer, but I also pursue illustration on the side as a hobby.
Q3: Are there any main/ overarching themes you explore in your work?
A: I’ve always loved music growing up, and have always attended live gigs. I attended my first festival when I was 6 years old (It was Pop Beach in 2004 and the only memory I have of it is dancing to Girls Aloud – safe to say my taste has progressed since then!) and so from that experience music and live performance has become my main theme to my work; you’ll find me either working in the security pit at a festival, or sneaking my camera into the crowd at a gig. I love capturing the energy at gigs and live events, be it the artists on stage or the crowds attending. I love photographing people because you never run out of stories to tell in that one frame!
Q4: How has the COVID- 19 Pandemic affected your work?
A: COVID has drastically affected my work. My photography depends upon interacting with people in packed venues and live music – which are all canceled currently. What I wouldn’t give to be back at a gig or festival right now taking photos! I’ve also had to leave Brighton and return to my family home in Norfolk, so I no longer have the same connection to a city of vibrant people currently. However, it has led me to explore new avenues of work. I’ve taken to photographing the small, sleepy life of my little village, and it’s challenging in a new way, which I really enjoy. Who knew trying to get a clear, clean-cut photograph of a bee on a flower would be so hard? My photography at home however doesn’t have the same money demand as it did back in Brighton, and so I am missing out in terms of financial gains of my photography work – but it is helping me to boost my portfolio in new areas.
Lockdown has also led me to have more spare time, and I’ve been exploring illustration again. I had set up an online shop a while back and then hadn’t updated it in years. I’ve just now started sprucing it up with my new work, which is quite refreshing. I like being to have another creative avenue to explore when one is so people, high energy focused, and the other dependent upon time, patience and isolation. I guess photography and illustration reflect both my extrovert and introvert qualities – so I guess I could say it has been therapeutic… but I will be jumping at the first chance to photograph a gig!
Q5: Highlight one of your biggest inspiration!
A: In terms of portraiture photography I love Brandon Woelfel – he has such creative ways of capturing people and making his images look like you’ve just stepped into a dream scene.
Outside of photography, my general artistic inspiration is Vincent Van Gogh. Anyone who knows me knows I love Vincent! His work is so vibrant, imaginative, and the way he has converted all his pains and fears into such startlingly vivid works of art is astounding.
Q6: Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
A: There are SO many different places I see myself. Ultimately I’d love to be signed to a band as their personal gig photographer and exploring the world with them on their tour. But then I also enjoy studying the arts, and there is a MA course in Museum Curation & Art History that has really piqued my interest, so I may end up working in a museum. Or I may become an English and Media teacher! I’m really open – as long as I’m doing something creative, I’ll be happy.
Q7: If you could share a message with the world, what would it be?
A: Do what makes you happy, and if it puts a little good into the world, then that is even better.
Check out more of Francescas work on Instagram @ francesca.thornton
-Or go to her Website – https://www.instagram.com/francesca.thornton/?hl=en
Thanks for Reading!!
The Orange Peel 