My garden, 2024

All the seasons from 2024.

Lomography interview: Escapism Through a Viewfinder

Thanks to the magnificant Lomography for this lovely piece.

‘Inspired by the freedom of larges places in London, Laura Ward seeks for peace and serenity in small things. For her, photographing in film has the power of slowing people down and make them consider wisely each frame to be portrayed.’

Fast Forward: Women in Photography

Last week I took over the 'Fast Forward: Women In Photo' Instagram account with photographers Maria Baoli and Shelia Zhao. Fast Forward is designed to promote and engage with women in photography across the globe which is resolved at a Tate Modern conference.

We explored the theme of 'extraordinary ordinary'. My contributions to the week are here below in order of posting.

I took this photo in central London, on one of its busiest shopping streets, as I was waiting 30 minutes for someone.

This pinhole photograph of an ocean wave was taken last year.

I selected this photo by photographer Jo Underhill. Jo enjoys exploring and documenting the built environment with a focus on light, material, detail and how people interact with spaces.

This picture is taken from an unpublished series of photographs about an unremarkable looking neighbourhood of my childhood. My 2014 exploration of the physical spaces of childhood was a departure in style, but influenced a significant shift in my outlook towards the present. I now embrace a more mindful approach to photography. 'Letting go' has transcended beyond creativity into an empowering mechanism to cope with personal turmoil.

This wall was sprayed with bullets by the IRA during their terrorism campaign of the '80s. I passed this on my school route and the threat of terror was a daily reality. Seeing the patched up wall in 2014 had a profound impact on me.

I shot this in a fleeting moment during a ground level shot of a small pony in Wales. Its mother trotted into protective view as I took it. This, combined with an accidental double exposure, produced something magical. On this trip I'd witnessed distressing cruelty to horses and ponies suffering obvious signs of neglect. This moment was uplifting.

Lights from Piccadilly, London.