Alice Catherine

Nothing reignites my creative side more than a new location – whenever I’m feeling a bit stuck or uninspired, I know that it’s time to shake things up and search for new surroundings. So much of blogging is survived by visuals and what we see on the screen in front of us. As much as words will always be most important to me on here, sometimes images can be way more powerful. After all, a photograph has the power to speak a thousand words all by itself…

It’s the reason I’m endlessly hooked on Instagram and searching for new photographers that keep me up at night with new ideas. It’s also the reason I love shooting on film because the camera has all the power – you don’t get to interfere with the shot, and there’s something very magical and raw about that…

I’ve mentioned numerous times on here how much travelling inspires me and encourages my work flow. It pretty much goes hand in hand with blogging, and I think I’d fast run out of things to write about if I didn’t move around and throw myself into new experiences. That’s not to say that these new experiences have to be far away and fancy, sometimes it’s a destination on my very own doorstep. 

These images were shot at the new Whitworth Locke hotel in Manchester – they kindly asked me whether I wanted to stay over for the night, and as soon as I saw the rooms, I just knew that I had to shoot there. The big windows and large open plan rooms are reminiscent of New York, as much of Manchester is…

I really feel as though I can get a bit editorial when I’m shooting in a one-room location like this. I thought it would be cool to wear a blazer dress and black tights – a bit Edie Sedgwick meets Bianca Jagger. 

It’s fun to play a character in a new place – even if it’s just for a few hours. I often come away with a new lease of life to breathe into other projects and an even bigger appreciation for interior design. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a well decorated hotel room, a new side street I’ve stumbled across, or somewhere waiting at the end of an eight hour flight…

I never underestimate the power of new surroundings.

Photographs taken by Catherine Booty | Whitworth Locke Hotel, Manchester 

SHOP THE LOOK