When I go out, it is not necessarily with an objective to photograph, but then something catches my eye and I want to capture it. It’s a bit of a compulsion. Whether it’s the angles, the light, the perspective, a period style, I want to see it more. I suppose I also experience a more intentional seeing, and through the process, I can feel more present, grounded, or connected to the world… though I still often feel more like an alien observer rather than a participant. I have tried to take photographs of people, but I like the candid photographs of Cartier-Bresson, Weegee, or Vivian Maier. Now-a-days, people are so hyper-aware of being photographed, and I rarely like the “people-moments” I capture. Humanity is found in brokenness, humour is found in absurdity, and resilience found in vulnerability, but that’s not what people seem to seek. There are so many astounding and beautiful things around us, both man-made and in nature, that keep me looking. Not photographing people also avoids all the invasions of privacy I could be potentially breaking!
London-based photographer Amanda Thorpe holds a psychology degree from University College London and a Music Therapy Masters from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, with further specialist training in Neurologic Music Therapy, Trauma Informed Therapy, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to support her work in neuro-diversity and neuro-rehabilitation. Starting at the Bronx Psychiatric Hospital, she has worked in a range of rehab, community, educational, and corporate settings, providing musically informed interventions to facilitate wellbeing, learning, and cognitive functioning. Alongside her clinical work, Amanda has continued to pursue her artistic endeavours as a prolific songwriter, performer, recording artist, photographer, graphic designer, and writer.
