Ayesha Khan

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Ayesha Khan

Ayesha Khan’s work targets the representation and, more specifically, misrepresentation of Muslim women within media and wider UK society.

Ayesha Khan. Portrait by Arran Davies

Half-Welsh and half-Pakistani, Ayesha studied photography at the University of South Wales and quickly found a need to address the lack of positivity of Muslim women choosing to wear traditional dress and seek out confident and assertive women for her own projects.

Her ‘Standing Up’ series was shown as part of the 2019 Diffusion festival in Cardiff in the Phrame Collective exhibition (of which she is a member) and also in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.

Our thanks to photographer, musician and artist Ani Saunders for agreeing to speak to Ayesha for this recording. Follow her on Twitter @ani_glass

You can view a range of Ayesha's work on her website mwmuslimwomen4.wixsite.com/projects
And her feed on Instagram @mwmuslimwomen

Images © Ayesha Khan and used on Ffoton with permission
Banner/Portrait image © Arran Davies

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Mohamed Hassan

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Mohamed Hassan

Born in Egypt and son of a professional photographer working in Alexandria, Mohamed Hassan has clearly inherited his fathers visual talent in the relatively short time he has been working professionally.

Living in Pembrokeshire since 2007, Mohamed graduated with a First from the photography Degree course at Carmarthen School of Art in 2016 and is currently building a very impressive and sensitive portfolio of portraiture in the commercial market. A real talent and nice guy.

Ffoton’s Emyr Young sat down for a conversation to discuss Egypt, Wales and Mohamed’s love of photography in portraiture and landscape.

Photographer Mohamed Hassan in Pembrokeshire.

Portrait included in the 2018 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait exhibition. © Mohamed Hassan

You can view a more comprehensive selection of Mohamed’s growing body of impressive work on his website mohamedhassanphotography.com

Follow his feed on Instagram @mohamed_hassan.photo
And Twitter exploits @m_moro1

Images © Mohamed Hassan and used on Ffoton with permission.

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Aiyush Pachnanda

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Aiyush Pachnanda

Aiyush Pachnanda is currently in his second year studying Photojournalism at the University of South Wales in Cardiff.

Hailing from London, Aiyush - or Yushy to his friends - has a keen interest in documenting a wide range of subcultures and, as evidenced by his work to date, isn't afraid to approach people and get up close to create visually stimulating images.

Aiyush tells Ffoton about his past and current projects, inspirations and aspirations in photography.

You can view a range of Aiyush's work on his website www.yosnaps.click
And his 'ON THE SESH' feature on the We Are Cardiff blog >

Follow his University project exploits on Twitter @PJAiyush_USW
And his feed on Instagram @_yushy

Images © Aiyush Pachnanda and used on Ffoton with permission

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Nicholas Bell

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Nicholas Bell

Image © Nicholas Bell

Nicholas Bell is currently in his second year studying Photojournalism at the University of South Wales in Cardiff.

With a keen interest in environmental topics in the UK and their relation to the wider social and political topics, Nick's gritty monochrome work in a couple of current ongoing projects caught our eye: 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' explores the impact of pollution and climate change on our environment whilst 'Against the Grain' aims to follow the impact of the UK leaving the European Union on Welsh farming.

Ffoton spoke with Nick about his projects, inspirations and aspirations in photography.

You can view an introduction to Nick's 'Against the Grain' project via www.againstthegrain.exposure.co/against-the-grain

See more of his 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' project on his website www.nicholasbellphoto.co.uk

Follow his University project exploits on Twitter @NickPhotoJ_USW
And his colour street photography on Instagram @nwjb85

Images © Nicholas Bell and used on Ffoton with permission

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Ed Brydon

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Ed Brydon

It is said that a Welsh Prince, Madog, sailed to America in 1170, over three hundred years before Christopher Columbus. There is no evidence for this folklore tale, but in the Mohawk Valley of Central New York, there is a community of people descended from Welsh immigrants.

They settled in Remsen, a small town in Oneida County, and the surrounding area from the early 1800s onwards, driven to leave North Wales due to poverty, lack of work–in spite of the booming industrial revolution–and suppression of the Welsh heritage and language.

Ed Brydon. Image © Brian Carroll

‘The Singing Hills’ - a personal project by photographer Ed Brydon who was born in Chester and brought up in Menai Bridge on Anglesey - draws references from Welsh myths and legends, including the tale of Madog as well as The Mabinogion. It draws a visual line of connection between the people, land, and life of Remsen and North Wales, their similarities and differences and the relationship of these proud people of Welsh heritage to their home in America and the land of their ancestral home in North Wales.

Ed continues photographing the people, land, and village life in Remsen and the surrounding area whilst doing the same in North Wales, and where possible photographing confirmed relatives of people he has photographed in Remsen.

Ffoton grabbed a lunchtime opportunity to speak to Ed whilst he was back in Wales for the recent inaugural Northern Eye International Photography Festival in Colwyn Bay. A selection of Ed's ‘The Singing Hills’ images were shown as one of several exhibitions at the Festival.

Ed currently lives in Bedford Hills, in Westchester County, New York, with his wife and two sons. When they moved from Brooklyn they chose Westchester in particular because of the similarity of the landscape to North Wales. It felt like home.

You can view more of Ed's work on his website www.edbrydon.com
Follow him on Twitter @edbrydon

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Nia Haf Collier

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Nia Haf Collier

Photography is clearly in the blood of the Collier clan. We were delighted when Tim Collier (our first featured conversation on Ffoton back in 2015) offered to have a sit-down chat with his daughter Nia Haf and reflect on her photography travels since graduating from Falmouth University in 2013.

Currently making a photographic record of her travels in Australia, Nia's keen interest in areas of Humanitarian Aid and Charities appear an ideal fit for her Press and Editorial Photography degree. Enjoy.

See gallery below for a small selection of Nia's photography, reproduced here with permission of the photographer.

See more of Nia's work on her website www.nia-haf.co.uk
Follow her adventures on her Blog and on Twitter @NiaHafC

Images © Nia Haf and used on Ffoton with permission 

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Richard Lewis

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Richard Lewis

For many, Macro is one of those 'Marmite' genres in photography where you either love or hate it but, beyond the patience and technical skills required, many people do appreciate close-up photography with a creative edge.

We stumbled across Richard Lewis' very impressive body of macro images on Flickr back in the autumn of 2015 and recorded this conversation over a coffee a few months later. nature and Landscape photography is a big passion for Richard when he's not working on shifts in his day job in Newport. And it shows.

We highly recommend following his regular macro updates on Flickr (link below). And his landscape images aren't too shabby either!

© Richard Lewis

See gallery below for a small selection of Richard's photography, reproduced here with permission of the photographer.

See more of Richard's creative work on Flickr
Follow him on Twitter @richardamlewis

Images © Richard Lewis and used with permission of the photographer

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Denisa Molnar

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Denisa Molnar

Ffoton invited Romanian-born Denisa Molnar and photojournalist Glenn Edwards for coffee to discuss Denisa's final year photography project, currently underway as part of her studies at the University of South Wales, Cardiff.

See gallery below for a small selection of Denisa's photography, reproduced here with permission of the photographer.

Follow Denisa on Twitter @DenisaMolnar

Images © Denisa Molnar and used on Ffoton with permission 

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Rob Browne

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Rob Browne

Rob Browne is a multi award-winning Trinity Mirror photojournalist, image editor and web video maker based in Cardiff and working full time for the Western Mail and @walesonline

Ffoton grabbed the chance to sit down with Rob and discuss the role of the professional photojournalist in the fast-changing Press and News Media industry. 

See gallery below for a small selection of Rob's photography, reproduced here with permission of the photographer.

See more of Rob's work via WalesOnline www.walesonline.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @robgbrowne

Images © Media Wales/Rob Browne and used on Ffoton with permission 

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Andrew Hyde

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Andrew Hyde

Andrew's work on the walls at Little Man Coffee in June 2016 as part of the #urbanwales 3 month show

Andrew's work on the walls at Little Man Coffee in June 2016 as part of the #urbanwales 3 month show

The Ffoton #urbanwales project has not only uncovered a creative mix of photography from across Wales but also introduced us to a number of new photographers. We caught up with Andrew Hyde who agreed to be our 3rd featured photographer in the Urban Wales exhibition in Cardiff whose work is currently gracing the walls of Little Man Coffee Co. through the month of June.

See gallery below for a small selection of Andrew's photography, reproduced here with permission.

See more of Andrew's work on his website www.andrewhydephotography.com
Follow him on Twitter @AndyHydePhotos and on Instagram @andrewhydephotography

Images © Andrew Hyde and used on Ffoton with permission 

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Creative Director & Photographer

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Creative Director & Photographer

The photographer and the client: commercial photographer Keith Davies and Creative Director Jonathan Morris

It's hard work pinning down a busy Creative Director and equally busy commercial photographer for a chat.

But HEIGHT Studio's Jonathan Morris and friend of Ffoton Keith Davies kindly agreed to meet us over lunch on a cold day in late January in the best Coffee joint in the Brecon Beacons - No.18 on Crickhowell's high street.

Jonathan is a highly respected Graphic Designer and Creative Director based in Abergavenny and works with many Arts organisations in Wales. He's also an extremely creative and prolific photographer on Instagram. Keith is a talented commercial photographer based in Cardiff and has featured in one of our Ffoton Conversations.

In the first of a new and ongoing Ffoton series of industry-relevant discussions by professionals, Keith and Jonathan cover a range of interesting topics and explore the relationship between the creative commissioner and working photographer.

Invaluable listening for young and newly-turned pro photographers looking to build relationships with Designers and Creative Directors.

See the gallery below for a small selection of Jonathan's own creative photography, reproduced here with permission. 

See work by HEIGHT on their website www.heightstudio.com and follow them on Twitter @HeightStudio
See Jonathan's photography on Instagram @jonathanjmorris

Visit Keith's website www.keith-davies.co.uk and follow him on Twitter @keith_davies
Keith is @keith_davies on Instagram

Article photography © Keith Davies and Brian Carroll

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