I think many photographers who want to make stories in photographs go after the big-ticket items. They pick that large issue they have been interested in for years, or pick something because it is a cause they want to help, but then it becomes a bit like eating the whole elephant at once and the overwhelm of that makes them stop. The hard part in storytelling is finding the single story that represents the big thing, not the big thing that affects the single story. Finding the single story takes a lot of research and patience.

I saw my mother, in her late 60s, looking for work. My mother was born and raised in a social context in which access to education was difficult, especially for women, as the priority was men. With only a basic education, she dedicated her life to children, husband and domestic work.

"...in any setting I try to let the room, space or person give me clues and information that might not be straightforward. Perhaps this is where my experience in production design comes in... in film, every texture and object and colour is deliberate and has meaning, so in the real world when I'm shooting I look for the textures and objects and feelings and gestures that speak to each other in this way."