Nikki Culley is an analogue photographer and dark room printer based in Manchester UK with a main interest in documentary and creative storytelling. Nikki uses photography to go on adventures in the world and tell stories of people, land and community; work is made in sequences and tends to follow themes of love, loss and discovery.
“The most important thing about making photographs for me is learning. I am always trying to keep learning about others, community, the world and myself. I used to think my life was all about me. But now I understand, it’s all about others.
“There are so many incredible people to meet and stories to hear and without community rooted in meaning and purpose, we are all lost. I try to work from these values when making photographs, especially when I am invited into communities that are different to mine and outside of the culture I was raised in.
“That is a well debated dynamic in photography – should you only make photographs of ‘your own’? Perhaps. I anchor all my work in exchange, relationship and contribution – I make sure I believe in the values that underpin the stories I tell, how projects are made and work hard to be clear on the reasons why I’m there with a camera.”
Nikki gave up a career in corporate London as a business journalist to pursue a more creative life, re-route into the arts and make photographs.
You can see more of Nikki’s work at https://www.nikkiculley.com/ and https://www.instagram.com/nikkiculleyphoto/
Photographs below from series MOTHERLAND sharing the stories of the lives of working women on sheep and cow farms in Iceland.
