Erin Hambly

Poor Tom: What are your main inspirations behind your self portraits?

Erin Hambly: Inspiration is something I find quite hard to pinpoint, as my photographs and moments to capture arise rather instinctively and organically. The beauty somebody else radiates provokes a desire within me to photograph them. I love documenting the body through photography, using the camera as a means to explore the physical self in the present moment. Looking at myself from my own perspective is quite a strange and dissociative experience, however I’m much more interested in the feeling of the process rather than the final result. The desire to explore and empower my own body, to strengthen the relationship I have with myself and the want to learn more about what I hold internally, drives me to photograph. There are no boundaries with self portraiture, no one watching you, I feel no pressure from the camera. I mostly capture myself when I’m completely alone, my process is very slow and intuitive, always testing out any ideas that arise in the moment. Creating self portraiture feels very animalistic as I’m usually completely naked and alone, performing instinctively.

PT: What made you choose film over digital?

EH: A couple of years ago I became very interested in images that had been taken accidently and the sense of freedom that is created by the loss of control over your own art. Digital photography felt very controlled; I could see the photograph right away and know what to alter for the next shot. In a way I felt that this limited my creativity and made me focus more on the immediate visual outcome rather than the journey. After some time this process felt very rigid to me. I had a desire for more freedom and wanted to lose control of my process a little, so I decided to experiment with film. I first started shooting documentary based photographs of my life with disposable cameras for an experimental project of mine called ‘20’. After discovering that I loved the feeling of not being able to see my images immediately, I purchased a 35mm camera from a local charity shop. I began shooting more and more with this camera, learning as I went along with no formal teaching in film photography. I absolutely love how slow paced the process of film is for me, I really try to consider my shots before I press the shutter as I have a limited amount of images. Shooting film with a fixed lens camera has allowed me to become much more considerate and slow with my shots. It feels like a much more genuine and natural process, allowing me to focus much more on the subject and atmosphere of my environment.

PT: How would you describe your practice?

EH: I would describe my practise as very introspective and personal, as if each of my personal projects were diary entries.

PT: Can you talk me through your current project/image series?

EH: I’m currently working on an ongoing project/study called ‘Photography As An Exploration Of My Body’. It’s about using the camera as a means to explore a topic beyond photography, to use the camera as a way to explore the physical self. Throughout this project so far I’ve been documenting myself in various states and different locations, with less regard to the final outcome and more focus on the concept. I’ve also started putting together a project called ‘Photography As An Exploration Of My Relationships’, which explores using the camera as a way to strengthen and document the emotional bond and closeness I feel with those I love. This ongoing project can be viewed online on my website: https://erin-hambly.myportfolio.com/p-e-r-s-o-n-a-l

PT: Do you have any exhibitions or events coming up you’d like us to know about?

EH: I’m currently working on planning an exhibition to release a very personal large scale piece, but I don’t have a specific date yet. I will post further information online when it’s set!

PT: Where can we find you? (socials, website, etc)

EH: I have a website and Instagram, where I post most of my recent work and share my projects online.

Website: https://erin-hambly.myportfolio.com/work

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinhamblh/

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Martha Scott