“The most extraordinary person, given a bit of time, can become extraordinary”: Jamie Hawkesworth captures The British Isles

Headlining July’s Nicer Tuesdays Online, we were treated to a magical talk by the one and only Jamie Hawkesworth, who took us on a deep dive into his latest project The British Isles, recently published in a new book by Mack. Before getting onto the topic, however, we went back to Jamie’s creative beginnings and his rather unusual foray into the medium of photography; through forensic science. Telling us about this unexpected route and how it shaped a unique point of view in his practice, the photographer went on to discuss some of his greatest hits to date with our editor-in-chief Matt Alagiah, before taking us on an immersive journey through the 13-year-long documentary project.

“Photography gives you the excuse to go places, to do things that you wouldn’t normally be able to do,” Jamie said on his initial attraction to the medium. This is one of the primary factors that spurred The British Isles into fruition, as the photographer explained his love of unexpected creative ventures. In many instances, Jamie would head down to a train station and pick a destination at random, this place being the subject for the day come rain, shine or anything else in between. Letting the location dictate the photographic subject for the day, The British Isles is a testament to Jamie’s creative ideology wrapped up in spontaneity.

During his in-depth Q&A, the photographer also took us through the ins and outs of why research doesn’t necessarily aid his practice and discussed the relationship between photographer and subject, rounding up his fascinating talk with: “The most extraordinary person, given a bit of time, can become extraordinary.”