Photography – In Focus with Louise Morley

Creative images from a photographer with a social conscience; Louise Morley spoke to us about piecing together a project that combines art with sustainability…

I’m Louise, a young photographer based in Kent. I began photographing as a hobby over 5 years ago, and recently launched a freelance photography business that I put my heart and soul into. I enjoy creative personal projects that place the beauty of our natural world at the centre. Sometimes, this includes the threats to that beauty!

This series is called Plastic Beach. It features carefully arranged found plastic items which I gathered myself from various beaches around Kent. Activism is often at the heart of my work, as I believe that powerful messages can be conveyed through visual mediums, and I’m always championing positive change!

To create this work, I combed Kent’s filthiest beaches over three days, in Margate, Herne Bay, and Whitstable. I gathered hundreds of tiny plastic items, some of which were recognisable by their branding. Coca Cola bottle tops, disposable vapes, ballpoint pen lids, and water bottles were the most common culprits.

I used these found objects to create high-contrast still life pieces that I hope convey the magnitude and danger of the plastic pollution that is rife in our seas. My beach clean-up barely scratched the surface of this epidemic, so I’m incredibly grateful to the teams of volunteers who do large-scale plastic clean-ups in all weathers around the coast.