Just a quick post to say that I have been uploading photos on a near day basis on a Tumblr blog I just created. You can view it here.

I'm currently in Australia and have been for a few weeks, so will be posting lots of new photos on my return. Until then!

The story of emu pies

On the way back from a road trip to Yallingup in Western Australia a few days ago Conor announced that he was going to be having an emu pie for lunch. He used to have them as a kid and remembered their tasty meat and crumbly pastry very well.

I was not so keen. It's not that I am unadventurous with food (some may diasagree) but surely it's absolutely essential that one must have a McDonalds on a road trip. It's the law. And I wasn't going to break it.

The anticipation for an emu pie built up steadily between the boys along the way and with a tummy happily filled up with a fillet-a-fish we pulled in to the Emu pie shop. Run by an elderly couple all the way through their married lives they kept the tasty emus in a cage by the side of the shack. I was a little disturbed by this especially as one of them started ramming the rickety fence at speed as Conor walked by clutching his emu pie/aka said emu's mother.

Sadly Conor's dreams of eating emu pie as an eleven year old school boy did not match up to the reality of some brown stodge and in a hard pastry case. An ice cream was had to make up for the massive disappointment and then we were on the road again.

Emu Pie Towers

Brother Emu

2 pies please, easy on the gravy

Sure thang.

Lovely Pies. Hannah tucks in sensibly to her gluten free sandwich.

Yummy.

Yallingup Woodfire Bakery

During a stay on a campsite in a tiny village called Yallingup in Western Australia this week I was introduced to this bakery situated literally in the middle of nowhere...and these photos don't even come close to show how awesome this bakery is. I'm a bit of a foodie and got totally over excited by this, but they only bake 4 types of bread twice a day (7am and 4pm) and people literally queue right in to the woods to wait for their bread - it's that good! We arrived at 4 to be greeted by a kangeroo and her joey and then a hot loaf of fruit bread straight from the oven. We tore of chunks off and gobbled it down as we walked back devouring the hot fruity goodness. num num num.

What's Mine

Not sure if I mentioned in this blog previously, but I am studying for an MA in Documentary Film at the University of Arts, London at the moment. There were a few reasons for choosing to study this - I adore photography (obviously!) and I meet and photograph so many amazing people with incredible stories and documentary seemed like a way to combine this.

I never went to university before, so the whole studying lark is a bit new to me but so far I absolutely LOVE it! I feel inspired every day to take more pictures and make more films.

Here's one I made this term with two of my classmates.

It's called 'What's Mine'.

In a society where materialism reigns and everything is disposable, what really matters to children and what do they count as being truly theirs in life?

Hope you enjoy it!

World Kidney Day

It was World Kidney Day on Thursday and I was lucky enough to be invited to the reception and launch at the Houses of Parliament. I had only been to the H of P once before on a school trip when I was about 14, and being a moody teenager I totally didn't appreciate the beauty of the building inside. There are so many amazing paintings decorating the walls and the entrance hall is absolutely massive and totally stunning.

I was asked to set up a stand with some of my photographs to promote how transplants can change lives and through my photos I met lots of really interesting and some really inspirational people. The food was utterly amazing was all cooked up by celebrity chef Lawrence Keogh. He had a kidney transplant himself 10 years ago and so fully understood the dietry requirements of people on dialysis. As a result he has created a renal friendly cook book and cooked items from that. They are free, and absolutely fab. You wouldn't know that the food had no salt or potassium in it at all, was so tasty.... Num num num.

World Kidney Day is a fantastic way to raise awareness for kidney disease and also to encourage people to look after their own kidneys by drinking lots of water and eating less salt. I hope to be involved next year.

Photo thanks to Hollie Matthews

I left a guest book at my exhibition and here are just a few of the lovely comments I received -

It's fab to have such kind words said about my photography but what's even more fantastic is to to hear how many people signed up to the Organ Donor Register as a result of seeing the exhibition.

Give and Let Live books are ready!

After copious hours on InDesign, a hell of a lot of tea and about four different versions the Give and Let Live book is ready to be ordered! *happy jig*

Here's a sneak peak...

The book is 36 full colour pages and includes information about the stories of the couples. Every couple who I photographed is included.

The price is £10, which includes postage and packaging.

If you would like one please drop me a line at hollycocker@mac.com

Give and Let Live, Putney

Had a wonderful time on Sunday at a small gathering I had at my exhibition. Was really wonderful to see lots of old friends, Doctors and the lovely participants themselves!

Here's a few photos courtesy of Ned.

Rebekah and Paul next to their photo.

Me and my local MP, Justine Greening

Sam and Simon

My consultant when I was on dialysis, Dr Neil Duncan

My Mum and Laura looking through the exhibition book

Jan and Liz

Sarah stands in front of her photo

The exhibition is still up and will be until 14th Feb, so there's still time to get down there. I've had lots of lovely comments in my book which I'll post up sometime soon and some great reviews in various newspapers and online blogs - which is fantastic! Plus all the organ donor leaflets I put up to encourage people to sign up have gone too which is amazing!

June

I recently took some photos for June Collier, the artist's new website. Here's a couple:

Shake it like a polaroid picture!

When I was around 7 or 8 my parents loaded their polaroid camera with a brand new film and gave it to me to document Christmas that year. I took my responsibility very seriously and planned each photo with care making sure I documented the festive season properly. So 15 years on here I am again with a polaroid camera and a ton of film (courtesy of my very lovely older brother) and loving every minute of it!

So much fun, love the retro feel of it and the instant results. Can't believe Polaroid film has been discontinued...gonna have to make sure my stash lasts!

Will be adding my photos to this album in my Flickr page.

(that'll be me in the middle along with Dan and Pippa)

Exhibition is up!

This afternoon I (with a l'il help from my friends) set up Give and Let Live at Putney Library, in South West London. I have exhibited 17 photos there and they are available to view from today till 14th February.

Address: Putney Library, 5/7 Disraeli Road London. Postcode, SW15 2DR.

Nearest tube: East Putney (5 minute walk from library)

Nearest train station: Putney (1 minute walk library)

I'm thrilled with how it looks - the whole set works really well. Do come down and have a look! I'll post some photos up at some point. The exhibition is different from the photos I have posted up on my website.

Breathe Easy Jess

I woke up to hear the very sad news that Jessica Wales who I photographed here and here sadly passed away last night.

A complete fighter from start to finish Jess was on the transplant list for 4 years waiting for a call to give her a double lung transplant. She was given two years to live when she first went on the list but shocked doctors by outliving their exceptations by two years.

During those four years Jess endured nine false alarms for transplant. For those of you who are reading this and aren't in the 'transplant world' this is when a donor pair of lungs is found for you, you receive a phone call that tells you to get down to the hospital straight away and prepare for transplant, your heart races, your spirits life - this could be the day your life is saved - you go through numerous tests at the hospital, sitting around for hours hardly daring to move through nervous excitment and then suddenly a Doctor takes you in to a little room and tells you that the donor organ are too damaged/you are too ill for transplant or another reason that sends you crashing down once again into dispair. This happened to Jess NINE times. How she got through this I will never know.

A couple of days after Christmas Jess received her tenth call - and this time the transplant went ahead. Her friends and family were overjoyed - what a Christmas present! Sadly the call didn't come in time for Jess, her body was too weak to withstand such huge surgery and she passed away peacefully surrounded by her family last night.

She was one in a million - a complete super star. I feel honoured to have met her and photographed her. We should all feel inspired by Jess as her sheer strength and determination was incredible.

Please sign the organ donor register to stop this happening again and again. Today three other people will have died from lack of a transplant. This has to stop. We have to do something about this.

Please take two minutes out of your day and sign up to the UK transplant donor list in honour of Jess.

Breathe easy Jess. You'll be missed. XXX

Finding Sol

An award winning short film that I produced last year. Directed by Stella Scott.

Finding Sol from Stella Scott on Vimeo.

Snow Day.

J in the snow.

More Innocent Veg Art

On the packaging of an innocent veg pot near you! A creative collaboration with Dan Usiskin.

Claycross Lunch Club, Derbyshire

Every week for the past 25 years a large group of elderly people have gathered together cooking lunch, playing bingo, drawing a raffle and gossiping and chatting together.

I spent a morning there meeting the very lovely people who are members of the club documenting their goings on. Many of the old people there see the Claycross Lunch Club as their highlight of the week - for some, it's the only time they leave the house all week. There was an incredibly warm and close atmosphere and I was made to feel very welcome.

Many of the members had been coming for the whole 25 years that the club had been open. I witnessed a 'new girl' (a 68 year old who had recently moved to the area to be closer to her daughter) being paired up with an 'old girl' and being introduced to people and shown round the hall. The confidence of the 'old girl' and nervous excitement and shy questioning of the 'new girl' mirrored the behaviour of the 'new kid at school' relationship between two children.

The whole set of photos can be viewed here.