Hot cross buns in the time of lockdown

Posted on April 10, 2020April 10, 2020 by carlotta

Hot cross buns in the time of lockdown

Having endless and unstructured time during our coronavirus lockdown is a challenge for me. One of the things that helps me get through the day is taking on the demands and rhythms of making sourdough bread. With lots of time, no yeast, and four people to feed, it seemed an obvious step, although success with sourdough had always eluded me in the past. Checking on my rising dough is now what gets me out of bed in the morning, as I tweak and change my methods daily in the quest for the perfect loaf.

With Easter weekend approaching, the obvious next step was to rise to the challenge of sourdough hot cross buns (no pun intended). Patience is needed for this, as the slow proving time means they take about 24 hours to make. But hey, time is the one thing that we currently have in abundance. So here are our hot cross buns, still warm from the oven, in the soft April evening light, accompanied by a jar of forget-me-nots from the garden. Wishing you all a safe and healthy Easter bank holiday weekend. (In case you were wondering, and I know I am probably biased, but they were delicious!)

More of my residential and interiors photos can be found here.

My 100th photo of the week

Posted on November 30, 2017June 1, 2018 by photograph

My 100th photo of the week

This is a rather momentous photo of the week for me because it is my 100th!

I am pleased that my 100th photo is of the Stephen Lawrence Trust Centre. The Centre was designed in 2007 as both a place of inspiration for young architects and a memorial to Stephen Lawrence, murdered in 1993 in an unprovoked racist attack when he was just 18. It had been Stephen’s dream to become an architect himself.

The Centre is currently undergoing a transformation, both of the physical interior of the building and as a change of use into a co-working hub for up-and-coming

architects from disadvantaged backgrounds. I am very excited to be involved in documenting these changes.

I first photographed the site in March. When I returned last week, I had a very different experience of the building. The altered angle and strength of the sun meant that as light filtered in through the exterior mesh cladding, it created a distinct pattern of shadows that played across the interior space. The effect was unexpected and dramatic, and a reminder of how, in photography, light defines and changes everything. Nowhere is this more true then when shooting architecture. Photos from this project can be found here.

The empty playroom

Posted on September 22, 2017June 1, 2018 by photograph

The empty playroom

Last August we spent a weekend at a remote Cape Cod summer retreat. It was a rambling family home that felt filled with old memories in a setting where time had stood still. As I wandered through the house I came upon this attic playroom. I pictured generations of children up here with the same toys every summer –

the diminutive rocking chair, the train set, the solid wooden horse. But there was something slightly creepy about this abandoned-looking room tucked away at the top of the house with its raking shadows and doors leading off to further dark spaces. Of course, this might just have been my over-active imagination. More photographs of atmospheric residential interiors can be found here.

Stephen Lawrence Trust Centre stairway

Posted on May 18, 2017June 1, 2018 by photograph

Stephen Lawrence Trust Centre stairway

Today’s photograph was taken in the stairway of the Stephen Lawrence Trust Centre building in London. I have chosen it for this week’s photo for two of reasons. Firstly, beautiful new designs were revealed yesterday by Gensler Architects for the internal changes to the building that will transform the centre into a co-working hub for up-and-coming architects. An event to be thoroughly celebrated. Secondly, I chose it for

the rich colours of the walls, the dramatic lighting and angles, the sun glancing in onto the yellow paint, and the window that frames the park like a picture where you might just be able to see a woman walking her pram by a bright red bench. Over the next few months I will be documenting the implementation of the new design changes to the Centre and will be sure to share them with you here. You can find more information about the important work of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust here.

Category: interiors