Living in different countries meant becoming very resourceful. “I’ve always had to think ‘what do I need to do to get by?’, she says, listing out the specifics – that she’s booked DJs, worked at festivals, flipped pizzas and driven limos. ‘But I’m always getting drawn to photography, it’s the thing I enjoy the most. I get the most out of it.’

It was DJ duo Sigma who first spotted her talent. ‘They’re the people who took a chance on me, early. We’ve been working things out together, they trust me, and they’ve given me a crash course.’ Now she runs SUEDE CREATES, making music videos, campaign visuals and offering creative direction to singers Etta Bond and Kenya Grace alongside DJs Flume and SOTA.

With ‘Everyday People’ ready to go, she’s in reflective mood. ‘It’s mad,’ she says. ‘I’ve got billboards before I’ve even had an exhibition.’ Although that too is about to change, as discussions about a gallery show are now underway.

When the campaign goes up, she and her friends will be marking the moment with a billboard crawl. ‘We’re going to get a bunch of Lime bikes and cruise around, crack some beers. It will be very affirming, in this journey I’m on as a photographer. It’s so hard for creatives to celebrate because we always have to be onto the next thing.’ It’s hard, existing, she says, pausing for a moment: ‘So I’m going to celebrate it’.

How did you become a photographer?

No-one likes talking about lockdown, but it did give me a chance to lean into my creative side. As soon as we were allowed out, I wanted to practise my skills and connect with people. That’s where it started. My strength in photography is not technical ability: it’s connecting with people.

You’re also involved in music and fashion. How do these elements work with your photography?

There’s a huge issue in music at the moment, where artists just aren’t getting paid enough. So they need you to be a bit of everything: to help with locations or their brand or to style them. Me and my community, it’s DIY. Borrowing from this person, creating lighting with that person. It’s DIY as a movement; that early streetwear grind energy. But having said that, I do have a background in marketing, so project management, budget management, I already had that patterned. We’re all having to do it all because no-one’s getting paid enough. We’ve just got to make it work.

Who gave you creative inspiration when you were growing up?

I didn’t really consider myself a creative person when I was younger. I loved American sport, especially basketball, hip hop and fashion. I didn’t realise I was being inspired, but I was, for sure. I’ve been collecting influences along the way without even really realising. Now I’m putting it all to use.

What are the creative and visual values that sit underneath your work?

Without being too buzzword-y, community has always been at the heart of everything I’ve done. I’m a super social person. I’m a Leo. I’ve always loved putting people on, showing people how I see them. I used to work at a music start-up where I ran the culture and community [programme]. It was all about finding ways to give people opportunities to show the world their talent.

What do you like about platforming other people?

I love lifting people up and giving people confidence. There’s nothing better. You shoot someone and then they say ‘I’ve never seen myself like that’. Or I’ll get a message – ‘I never thought I could wear that, or have my hair that colour, or express myself in that way’. It’s very motivating for me, for sure.

It’s an important role, being a mirror for other artists. What did you want to focus on for ‘Everyday People’?

London so diverse, a crazy mash up of so many different cultures. That punk attitude comes through generations of us expressing ourselves. I tried to choose a selection of people that touched on a lot of those different points that inspire and excite me.

Can you tell us a bit about a couple of the people you shot for this project?

Etta Bond. She sings super smooth R&B but she looks like she should be in a punk show. I did one of my first music videos for her. Then there’s Puretee Elusive, an incredible painter. We turned up, vibed, got 300 photos in an hour. BaggE is a soul artist from North London. We shot it in Highbury, outside the block she grew up in, on a super-sunny day. The colour pops, she pops. She makes the whole place look like summer.

What attracts you to a location as a backdrop?

I’ve always done mental snapshots [mimes taking a photo]. In London there are a million options. There are beautiful high rises at the end of my road and then out of my window a park with blossom trees. I like bright, pop-y stuff, but I met Abby Lee at the Barbican. The Barbican is so dynamic, it was almost like Gotham City. She came across like a Marvel Superhero, coming straight from hospital treatment to the shoot, wearing bright yellow.

It strikes me that you’re visually attracted to text and shop signs, street art and graffiti. Is that the case?

That goes back to basketball, hip hop, street art. Everything I’ve ever been naturally attracted to has an American, big, branded thing. The things I’m attracted to is never subtle. Big bold writing. Big bold graffiti. Big dynamic backdrops. I like big, in your face, bold shit.

What are the qualities that make you notice a person on the street?

When I was starting this project, there was a guy who lived up my road. Eastern European dude, worked in the café, probably late fifties. We’d never said more than a ‘hello’ to each other. White vest, sat outside his apartment, smoking. He had presence – unassuming but with this big friendly smile and a full set of gold grills. He was my dream person to shoot. So, I walked past him, thinking I was going to approach him… and then wasn’t there anymore, because he’d gone back to his home country. This guy was the inspiration for the whole thing, and he’ll never know.

What’s your relationship to print publications and zines?

When I was younger, I loved [American basketball magazine] SLAM. You had to get it through the post, because you couldn’t get it in Frome where I lived. I’m shooting SLAM magazine in my head 24/7, or at least aspiring to. When I was a kid there was barely any internet, let alone Instagram. Magazines, zines, they’re super important. I wouldn’t have known half of what I do now if it hadn’t been for SLAM.

Which are your favourite places in London, the spots you’d be likely to take friends if they were visiting?

This is an ever-evolving thing. Lion Vibes in Brixton Village used to do a vinyl night on a Thursday. You could take your own drinks, twenty, thirty people in there. Super cool people DJing or some dude who has been in Brixton for 40 years, playing vinyl. Because I live in east, we spend a lot of time in Hackney Wick. I used to live in Bushwick in Brooklyn in New York. Same vibes, all the creatives hanging out. I need to live by water. Even if it’s the dirty old London canals, I need to be by the water, especially when the sun’s out.

Why’s that, d’you think?

Probably being a country girl. I find such beauty in high-rise but I’m way more at peace when I’m not surrounded by massive buildings.

Is there anything else you want to say?

It’s important for people to put creatives on and to celebrate them, and not take it for granted. Asking people about their creative process is important. Community matters. I just want to look back and be able to feel that this is how London looked, and who made it move.