Ruth Towell Photography and Film

It’s been a long time since I’ve shared a photo on the grid, intentionally so.

Maternity leave has surprised me, whilst motherhood has been full of ups and downs, I am completely enjoying this season which is devoted to absorbing every moment I have with my daughter.

Living in a world of rush where hustle culture is the norm and the motherhood penalty is a well known career fact, it could feel easy to be pulled into working through naps, generating income and replying to emails while my baby plays. I’m blessed to not need to do that in this season, and whilst I am doing a small amount of work - that’s very much on my terms.

I do love my work, but that will remain for much longer than this season. For now I want to squeeze as much beauty out of this first year of motherhood as I can get. I want to sit in these moments and enjoy the warmth they bring.

As everyone tells me ‘they grow up so fast’. So I’m enjoying slowing that down by taking it all in.

Stories are anything but linear. The mould to the shape and movement of life. Yet so many stories are told in a plain old linear way, losing their gold, their charisma, their life.

If you’re a storyteller, I challenge you to remember that a story is life, so handle it well.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a photo on here. This image feels like a fitting depiction of life right now.

These past three months passing in a beautiful blur as the rhythm of life with our daughter comes into a clearer focus.

An adventure like none I’ve experienced before. Great challenges accompanied by even greater joys, all-encompassing fading into a new normal.

As my baby girl starts to take in more of this world, I’m excited to re-discover it through her eyes. There are so many firsts she has yet to experience, things I take for granted are a whole new adventure for her.

What a privilege it is to be by my daughter’s side as she experience this wonderful journey of life 🧡

The moment of motherhood.
Welcome to the world Phoebe Joy ✨

Waving goodbye to 2023 reminds me very much of the train journey I embarked upon earlier this year, gliding along rails from London-Istanbul with many intriguing stops along the way.

As life’s hypothetical train pulls out of 2023, I watch the landscape gently change and morph as we head towards the new station and adventure that 2024 will bring.

I can’t wait to embrace all that will unfold this year ✨

I’ve been a little quiet on here recently, as I’ve been caught up in the in-between. Stuck somewhere between working and travelling at full capacity, to the slowing and adjusting to life with a baby.

The in-between is a funny time, full of busyness - wrapping up all the work projects alongside maternity appointments, NCT classes and preparing a home for the baby. Moments of realisation that my energy and priorities have to be diverted to grow and sustain a brand new life. It’s full of lasts that will precede even more firsts.

Excitement, tentativeness, overwhelm, eager expectation. Some of the polar emotions unique to this moment.

I wouldn’t change it for a thing, it’s a journey full of revelation with even more to come.

So as I slow down a little and treasure the uncertain number of these fleeting final weeks, I’m letting go of the pressure to post on social media as much and taking the time to be present - savouring each day of ‘lasts’ before a new flurry of ‘firsts’ arrive ✨

I’ve been struggling to know what to share / how to share on here recently. My life is pretty good and full of hope and excitement right now, but I’m painfully aware of what a blessing that is as thousands of people spend each day full of dread and fear.

It’s unfair and unjust, even more so when those who hold the most power choose to turn a blind eye to, and even aid, an unfolding genocide.

I will petition, I will pray, I will raise awareness through conversation and sharing.

Humanity deserves so much more than what it’s often offered.

A few weeks ago I headed down to the beautiful St Michaels Paternoster church in the City of London to create a series of images to sit alongside an interview with Shane Lynch for .

The interview covered the dark occult spiritual experiences of his past, followed by his positive light-filled experiences since finding a Christian faith.

To echo this journey I divided the photoshoot between two locations, a darker wood-panelled room and then the light-filled chapel.

I’m really pleased with how the photos came out, and it’s potentially my favourite cover to date…

I’m taking a couple of weeks off social media, so if you need to get in touch drop me an email at [email protected] ✌🏻

It always feels good to take some time off and break any little habits that have arisen. Social media has many strengths, but one of its biggest weaknesses it it’s addictive nature - how it aims to keep us clicking the little icons for that dopamine hit that will never really be fulfilled.

So I’m switching off and embracing real connection for a few weeks ✨

Is it wrong that I’m slightly looking forward to Autumn? Summer 2023 never seemed to really hit, so I’m ready for a season that never disappoints. Those golden, rusty colours and the crunch of an old leaf… there’s nothing quite like it 🍁

I recently had the pleasure of photographing in her light-filled studio for my photo project. Here are a few photos from that session, look out for the studio cat sneaking into the background (and foreground!)

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Autumn had passed in the UK by the time we left for Morocco, so we were delighted to be greeted by these warm rusted colours upon arrival to the Atlas Mountain village of Imlil.

Water is health,
Water is security,
Water is life.

Let’s never take for granted the important role clean water plays in our daily lives, and let’s keep working to ensure more people around the world can access it too.

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💧

Who knew that the places where our cups of tea start their life were so beautiful?
The tea gardens of Sylhet in Bangladesh still sit proudly as one of my favourite places to have worked.

Miles and miles of rolling green hills, dotted with groups of women chatting away as they pick the leaves that will, eventually, brew our morning blend.

Off to work 🛺
Tea workers hop on a tuk tuk to head back into the gardens after their lunch break.

Sylhet, Bangladesh 🇧🇩

Beautiful Northumberland, I can’t wait to be back soon ✨

This warm weather is making me wish that I was ground level somewhere vibrant and buzzing like Marrakech. I love the character of a busy square, especially in cities rich with culture and loud with bartering and chatter.

Gardening, a wonderfully universal activity that is enjoyed by people all over the world. There’s something grounding about being able to nurture plants to their full potential; flowering and producing fruit, vegetation and beauty.

Here’s Mariyam tending her vegetable garden in her rural village within Nigeria’s fertile Plateau state.

Taken whilst on assignment for

Yesterday was National Tea Day. It felt very apt as this time last year I was in Bangladesh. Meeting tea-growing communities in the Sylhet region and working with them to tell their stories and document the spread of leprosy in that area.

This dream of an assignment has continued to remind me of the stories that go behind the products we consume and use daily. It’s important to use our purchasing power for good, looking out for brands that are transparent with the stories of their supply chain and workers.
Fairtrade, B Corp & 1% For The Planet are all good schemes to look out for on the products you purchase.

If a picture holds 1,000 words, a series of pictures can tell a whole story.

I had the privilege of working with some of the young people who have been supported by to tell their stories.

We partnered together to create a series of photo stories that have been used across various platforms, highlighting the transforming and empowering work that Depaul do. These photos have been dual-purpose, connecting with potential supporters to raise vital funds, as well as promoting Depaul's services to young people facing homelessness.

By using photography to tell your organisation's stories of positive impact, you can bring a unique dimension of human connection to the very people you are trying to reach.

Get in touch if you'd like your organisation to tell even more engaging stories!

Sitting in Europe, looking towards Asia with just the Bosphorus sea between.

One city, two continents.

Istanbul’s culture is uniquely rich and varied, formed by the historic movements between Europe and Asia. Millennia of history and civilisations reflected throughout its architecture and traditions.

A beautiful city.

For a while I’ve wanted to start a personal project, one where I get to be curious with my camera. I’ve had few false starts with concepts that haven’t quite worked, but I’m happy to announce I’ve found the theme that fits!

Throughout this year, I’m going to be photographing various craftspeople who live, work and are inspired by England’s Fenlands; a uniquely wide, flat & open area in the East, the place I grew up and have called home.

One of the first people I photographed was Rudy Miller - he creates beautiful pieces using the Shou Sugi Ban wood burning method. Inspired by the colours and textures of nature, Rudy takes old bits of wood and recycles them into beautiful pieces that can sit proudly in people’s homes.

I’m home. After 20 days of slow movement across the continent, catching trains all the way from Peterborough to Istanbul, I completed the journey and reversed 50+ hours of immersive train travel in 3.5 hours of skimmed-over flight. The journey was incredible, one of my favourite trips to date. Slowly moving through countries, watching countries gradually blend together and cultures mixing and morphing - there’s nothing quite like it.

It was hard to not feel deflated about returning home to a stationary life, but home is wonderful and slightly less exhausting! Home is where I take a pause to reflect, regather and ground myself before planning out the next adventure. Slow travel has captured my heart, so I’m looking forward to where the inspiration from this trip will take me next…

(Photo taken on the way from Sofia, Bulgaria, heading in the direction of Istanbul, Türkiye)

This week sees me in a unique place, stood at the end of one decade and on the edge of the next. The turning point between 20s and 30s.
I hold a lot of gratitude for the years I spent as a twenty-something, so I wanted to take a moment to reflect upon just a few things that this season has bought me…

Travel is something that has defined a lot of this decade, despite a longing within me to experience more of the world, before turning 20 I’d never had the resources to step outside the UK. But, a couple of months after my 20th birthday I had the opportunity to spend a week travelling around Slovakia. I loved being surrounded by different landscapes, languages and experiencing a culture diverse from my own. This love carried on throughout the decade as I spent time in 37 countries across 5 continents, connecting with people and cultures that shaped my character and values.

This travel inspired me to start a part-time degree with , focussing on International Development and the Environment. A six-year marathon that became one of my proudest accomplishments of the decade. This degree sparked a love of learning about the world around me and the many invisible connections that exist between every human on this planet, regardless of border or background.

Learning about these invisible connections enforced a desire in me to make them visible. And at the age of 25 I quit my job to go full-time as a freelance photographer & filmmaker, creating work that transcends borders and connects people around the world through storytelling. Raising awareness of important issues and creating opportunities to cultivate passion within the hearts of those who engage with these stories. My work has matured a lot throughout my 20s, and it’s now started to sit in a place which feels truly authentic to my values. It’s something I’m really proud of and excited to see develop even further.

I’ve had the most unique privilege of having Stuart beside me throughout the entirety of this decade; from boyfriend, to Fiancé, to Husband. As we’ve grown together, he’s been my biggest support – encouraging me to keep going throughout the six years of my degree, supporting me as I took the leap to quit my job and work for myself full-time, and being the best travel buddy I could ask for!

So, 20s, thank you for all the opportunities provided, the wisdom taught, and the confidence imparted. I’ll be grateful for everything this decade’s contained, and the platform that it’s formed for me to stand upon as I head into the adventure that is my 30s…

You may have seen this photo recently on my stories, it was a quick snap on my phone as I sat on a train that wove it’s way through the Peak District.

Not often does a phone photo make its way onto my grid, but this one has a quality which I love. It somehow captures the beauty of train travel, moving through changing landscape in a somewhat silent glide.

Here’s to more moments like this over the next month as I travel across the continent in a similar style…

Where there is water, there is life 💧

I’m fashionably late to the World Water Day celebrations (water is important every day right?). As I’ve travelled around the world I’ve been continually struck by the importance of access to water. Seeing the huge differences between communities who have to walk miles each day for water and those who have doorstep access.

Climate change’s effects on water availability is one of the reasons why I decided to cut my carbon footprint by waving adios to meat and fast fashion (alongside other actions).

Water is life, but by causing climate change we are depriving people of water and the life it brings.

Alongside cutting our carbon footprints, we can also support organisations that bring back water security to those who lost it. In Sri Lanka I had the privilege of meeting many families who had been given grants through to build wells and irrigation systems. This not only improved their health & hygiene, but gave them income sources through growing and selling produce.

is another brilliant organisation who I’ve had the privilege of seeing the work they’re doing in bringing water to rural communities in Ethiopia (you can see the film I made about this in my reels section).

What can you do to help more people access life-giving water?

When I last visited Budapest it was covered in snow, somewhat of a wonderland as the fairytale-like turrets of the Fisherman’s Bastion rose up from the hillside of Buda.

I made a mental note to one day return to the city in springtime, to experience it when the trees and plants come to life again. A few year later and this mental note is soon to become a reality.

So whilst I look forward to this re-visit, maybe tell me what city your wanting to return to and experience a new season in?

You can't just quickly 'snap' a good photograph.
The story of a photograph goes back years before the shutter button is pressed. This photograph I created with Aloka in the tea gardens of Bangladesh is a good example of why...

1️⃣ The rains were on their way in, we didn't have much time. Thanks to years of experience I know my cameras and my craft well, so despite the time pressure, I instinctively knew how to technically create the images that we set out to make.

2️⃣ I have been able to develop a unique style throughout my career, one that comes naturally to me. My clients trust my style, it's one of the reasons why they work with me, it fits well with their creative approach. Having this strong understanding of and confidence in my style meant that I could focus my time effectively. Rather than panicking and spreading my creative energy thinly by attempting more than was achievable, I was able to calmly create a quality collection of images which I knew would meet the brief.

3️⃣ One of the most important parts of creating this photograph was ensuring Aloka knew she could trust us and felt comfortable with me, making sure she was happy with where the photos would be used and showing her examples of how they might look. We also spent quite a bit of time together chatting before heading into the tea gardens to take these photos. Ethically, this is the right thing to do. But also, having an established level of trust between me and the person I'm photographing creates much stronger and authentic imagery. Everyone involved is at ease, there's no tension. They can move and act naturally, because we've had time to connect and share a little bit together.

I could share many more reasons about why good photography takes years to produce, and I probably will - but I'll leave it with these three points for now!

A highlight of my 2022 was a little train adventure Stuart & I went on through Italy. Starting at Milan and ending in Palermo - with many stops & pizzas in between!

I loved it so much that I’m stepping it up a gear with plans to cross the continent on train next month. It’s going to be a real adventure and I can’t wait to bring you along with me 🚂

Stuart recently took this photo of me on a trip to Spain's tallest mountain, the volcano Mt Teide in Tenerife.
It's not a particularly polished image of myself; my hair's blowing around, I had an eczema flare-up on my face and I'm crouched in a slightly-awkward position. But I kind of love it, it's raw and it's me.

This photo will tell you a lot more about me than a softly-lit studio image where my hair and make up is on point! It's exactly what I try an achieve when I create photographs of other people too, portraits that capture you in an authentic and joy-filled light, photos that connect with others on a real, human level.

If you'd like to chat about partnering together to create authentic photography, drop me a message - I'm always happy to have a virtual coffee!