Art Party celebrates the art we create and the story behind it.

Each feature includes a curated list of questions to help you dig deeper into sessions you may see on Instagram and want to learn more about.

If you have a session, series, or collection you would like to celebrate, email me the details and a link to the gallery.

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Meet Sophie:

I've always been happiest when I'm making something. That might be capturing a fleeting moment on the camera, cooking (I love to cook, just don't ask me to bake), or learning a new skill just because. I find a lot of joy in the little things - sunshine, the beach, a good coffee, solo trips to the supermarket, music playing in the background, walks to the park with my kids. I'm drawn to things that feel real, nostalgic and a little bit imperfect, and I'm always looking for ways to slow down enough to notice them.

The matriarch of the family…

Well, I mean, first of all, she's 98, so she's outlived two husbands and all my other grandparents! She's my last surviving grandparent, which is just so fitting - she's in the body of a 98-year-old, but mentally I'd say she's about 75. She's incredible. For her 80th, she went to Africa. She's so fit and healthy. It's why she was so resistant to going into a home; she feels like she can just do it all.

She married my Pop when she was 23, and he was 47! You can imagine how that went down with her mother (not well). She lost my Pop before I was born (I'm 35), but still talks about him as the love of her life. She remarried when I was around 2, and they were together for about 15 years before he passed.

At her 90th, my Mum (her youngest daughter) gave a speech about her life and said my Nanna is the queen of the letter H: "Houses (she always moved houses), Holidays (she was always going on a new holiday) and Husbands" haha.

She's always emphasised that her family is her life - 3 daughters, 9 grandkids, 14 great-grandkids. She's happiest when she's around us all (which is rare these days!)

Nanne never wants to have her photo taken…

My Nanna never wants to have her photo taken. The left side of her face is completely paralysed from a tumour removal many years ago, and she hates it. There is a big gap of years with no photos of my Nanna. Selfishly, I wanted to have this to remember her by - it's not every day you turn 98! It's a strange feeling, actually. I just feel like she'll be around forever, but in reality, her time left is limited.

Your inspiration….

She recently went from independent living into a nursing home, and I wanted to document her in her new space. She was resistant at first, but eventually let me and eased into me capturing her. It is so important to me to be able to take photos of her while I still can. These photos were never about getting her to pose or give a stiff smile; they were about capturing her essence and showing both her vulnerability and her strength. I asked her to talk to me about some of her favourite photos she's collected over the years. Her favourite was one of her, her late husband, and her three girls around 50 years ago on their way to a wedding.

Advice from Nanna Ruth…

To stop envying what other people have. Felt very relevant to me, as I am currently navigating some terrible imposter syndrome and always comparing myself to other photographers on Instagram. She's just reminded me to stay in my own lane, focus on my own stuff, and not worry about what everyone else is doing.

Warm and Cosy…

I wanted the pictures to feel warm and cosy - like you're a kid at your grandparents’ house. Fresh-baked cookies out of the oven, reading a book with Nanna. That kind of vibe.

Freedom to Create…

Ok well, I LOVE personal projects - the most, actually. It's the freedom to create for its own sake. No pressure. No deadlines. Just doing it for fun. That's what I love about it. Coincidentally, those creative, fun images always get the most engagement on Instagram.