‘I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I began as Photographer in Residence at one of the country’s elite boys boarding schools. Perched on top of hill in a leafy suburban part of north west London, Harrow School is a world very foreign to my own. It took some time to get a feel for the place, to learn its rules and regulations. Initially, I felt intimated by the formality of the school, a place steeped in history and tradition, some from a bygone era.

I set out to try and capture a sense of the place and the individuals who give it meaning. This image is one from a series of portraits of boys in their rooms taken in one particular boarding house.’

– Madeleine Waller

View Madeleine’s full Shutter Hub portfolio here.

‘I’ve photographed The Fabulous Miss K (Karen) many times over the last few years. This image was one of the final few shots from a photography session that was a bit different from our normal portrait shoots. A blogger and stylist, Karen normally styles herself for my portrait/fashion documentary work of her but on this occasion I was testing out some ideas for a future project.  For these final images I asked Karen to wear black which is not what she would typically choose but instantly I sensed a shift and I feel these last few shots of the day brought out something different in her, perhaps her inner Parisian which she tells me is in her genes!

As a photographer working with portraiture, it’s important to me that the imagery I create is reflective of the diversity around me. Allowing my interest in people to lead the work has enabled me to connect with a broad mix of sitters. I’m interested in people regardless of gender, age, sexuality etc, simply creating a celebration of humans in general is what really appeals to me.

I graduated in 2017 at the age of 40 and so all at once found myself in the ‘recent grad/emerging’  shaped box whilst also navigating womanhood with the ‘older woman’ label too. On reflection using photography and collaboration to document people, was a method for me to try and understand what at times has felt like an odd position to be in. An attempt to find my own place in the world. It’s truly amazing what you learn about yourself through photographing others.’