"My creative process is messy, raw and flowing." Jemima Marriott

Interview by Eva Davidová
all images provided by Jemima Marriott

Jemima Marriott is a photographer that lives inside a vintage trailer from the 1970s in beautiful Hampstead, London. Besides being behind the camera, she enjoys sound healing, tarot cards and finding solace in nature.

She is best known for her engaging portraits, particularly of celebrities, which often feature subjects in fun settings and moods. She describes her creative process as messy, raw and flowing. Inspiring us that the river of life is flowing to us at every moment.

We chatted with her and asked her a few questions…

When did you start your journey with photography?

When I was very young, I grew up with cameras, both my parents were keen amateur photographers, I guess that’s where I got it from, I mean in the 80s kodak print envelopes were everywhere, it was a thing, my family were really into visually recording everything, everywhere we went, we travelled a lot, went to the most beautiful places all around the world so I still have gorgeous memories in the form of tatty old photos scattered around my home. I got inspired by my parents’ love for creativity, I guess. I went to college at 16, studied ART and Design and found the darkroom and that was it really, hooked for life,

You live in a 70s trailer? How does this inspire your creative process?

It has been a huge part of my creative process, It gives me the freedom to live in one of the most beautiful places in London (and the world I think but maybe I’m biased) it’s inspired me to think outside the box, it’s given me so many beautiful Backdrops, being right by the forest, for years I was confined to boxes, studios, darkrooms, I think in a less linear way now.

What does living an alternative lifestyle mean to you?

I feel like the word alternative is really over used, to me living in a flat is alternative. This is normal, this is home, this feels natural and right. There is something really magical about living in alignment with your values, simplifying all the external noise of societal pressures and conformities and smashing through the belief systems we have built around how we ‘should be living’ and coming back to a more natural way of life, closer to nature, closer to our roots.

You are currently based in London – what’s your favourite hide-out spot?

Probably my trailer and the forest, but if I was to venture a little further, Camden, I love Camden and walking the canal to Angel, stopping at Kings Cross for a hot chocolate.

“There is something really magical about living in alignment with your values.”

What practices do you have in your daily life that connect you with your feminine?

I practice being receptive, sitting back, being in the moment as much as possible, but also I see my fiery side as feminine so I guess networking and flirting with life, pushing boundaries and creating photo babies.

What is your creative process like?

Messy, raw and flowing, in the past I have been too much in my head with planning things and it never ever works out how I thought it should so I have learned to let go. That said, I love to watch music videos, and pour over magazines such as Interview and coffee table books. I use pinterest to get a vibe pinned down. I also love to dabble in styling and I’m starting to get more into moving images.

What camera/s do you currently shoot on?

CANON FOREVER!

Your favourite piece of clothing in your closet?

Comfy bras, and anything velvet, I love it even in the summer.

Who or what would be your dream to shoot in the future?

ROSALIA I am manifesting it right now, she is an absolute superstar and I am sure we would have a lot of fun.

“I practice being receptive, sitting back, being in the moment as much as possible…”

When you’re not taking photographs what do you love to do?

I love to read Tarot and play crystal sound bowls, dance, walk in nature, drink hot chocolate, sit in the sun, listen to the EXPANDED podcast

When you go through a hard period in your life what are some practices you like to do?

I am actually experiencing some turbulence right now, SO I strap myself into the uncomfortable feelings, sit with them and wait for the storm to blow over, I am a big believer in things passing like clouds. Everything is temporary, and most of the time it’s just a lesson.

You photograph a lot of actors/actresses – how are they different in front of a photo camera versus video?

Good question! They are mostly humble, and out of roles they actually love to have guidance, you would think they would be natural in front of a stills camera but I think there’s a raw vulnerability that takes over, so often I will ask them to think of their dream role and embody that.

Your ultimate celebrity crush right now?

OH, Probably Rosalia, she is all.

When you photograph a person how do you get them to relax and be themselves in front of the camera?

I find their selves through fantasy, through playing with different characters until they break out of those archetypes and land in this really soft and beautiful space that is hard not to feel in that moment but blink and you would miss it.

Do you ever do self-portraits?

I used to take a lot of selfies, but now I like to film myself, I think selfies are so one sided, fragmented and fake, moving self portraits is where it’s at, we are multi faceted human beings, it’s different when you are taking pictures of yourself, it feels more of a projection of how we want the world to see us.

“I am a big believer in things passing like clouds. Everything is temporary, and most of the time it’s just a lesson.”

If you would describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Fiery, sensitive and honest

If you could be re-born into any era of your choice what would it be?

Probably the 70s or the Jurrasic era

What’s the latest movie you watched?

The Many Saints of Newark, the most brilliant prequel to The Sopranos

What does the word co-creation mean to you?

Well, I like to think we co-create with the Universe, I guess it means to join forces with the things or people we are aligning with to birth a project or a vision.

Favourite quote:

Life is not a rehearsal

A song you can’t stop listening to right now:

ROSALIA – Candy but the whole album MOTOMAMI is fantastic to dance to,

And lastly, what are some exciting things you are planning in the near future?

I have some really cool projects coming up, editorials with some fantastic Actors and working with creative companies on some really exciting projects, an Interview on An Actor Despairs podcast hosted by the brilliant Ryan Perez- but my biggest project is my birthday party in September, it’s a big one!