Get Inspired with Backbone Photography London studio
Rita Victoria Flanagan
Fine Art Portrait & Fashion Photographer
I have always had a fascination with photography, that piece of the past you can hold in your hand. Heraclitus, the Greek historian, wrote "You cannot step into the same river twice, for other waters are continually flowing on”. The magic of photography lies in being able to freeze a moment in time and make it your own forever. Whether it represents a moment of your life, that of family or friends, or just a place from your past, it becomes your very own river, there for you to step in at will, always still however many other waters have flown through it.
ABOUT ME
If photography is painting with light, it is light from the past, just like that of dead stars which only just reach us as bright as they once were. Even something as run-of-the mill as a school photograph can become a measure of how many milestones one has conquered, and make us proud.
I gravitated toward photography early on, and was mentored by Tim Motion. Even though it is a technically more difficult field to master, I was naturally drawn to colour photography as the most life-affirming way of expressing my vision.
I also graduated in art history and obtained a diploma in Art and Design from Greenwich University.
I work in fine art portraiture, fashion photography, and for lifestyle magazines. I am also qualified in interior and graphic design, textiles, ceramics, photoshop and more besides. This enables me to find the ideal setting, including props and colour scheme, in which to pose my subject, whilst making the model feel at ease. Without that, the image easily loses substance and the ability to convey emotion.
My strength lies turning posing, that somewhat daunting experience for non-professional models, into a moment of shared fun, so that my sitters can relax and follow my directions as if they were their own. As a result, my very personal style of portraiture seems to suit even the most reticent subject.
I have photographed Boy George’s clothing line and been published in Vogue, Fab UK, House & Home, and Ideal Home Magazine, amongst others.