Eliza Hatch on turning vulnerability into empowerment with Cheer Up Luv

At Nicer Tuesdays, photographer Eliza Hatch gave a candid account of the beginnings of Cheer Up Luv and its incredible impact. The online project features portraits by Eliza accompanied by interviews with victims of street harassment, aiming to create a platform for stories and promote discussion around the subject.

“It wasn’t just that it was happening but the lack of awareness around it,” she explained, telling of the responses she got when asking friends and acquaintances if they had experiences to share. “I had two kinds of reaction: ‘Yes of course, which one of my ten stories do you want’; and ‘I might, but I don’t know if it counts’". She also cites a male friend’s reaction, who assumed all her friends were exaggerating the scale of the issue.

Eliza goes on to talk about her creative approach to the portraits. “Every shoot is suited to that woman. I just wanted it to be as simple as possible, using public settings that were relatable to everyone… and the woman staring at you, telling you their story.”