Ensemble Photography with CLOUDS Harp Quartet
Ensemble Photography That Reflects the Heart of CLOUDS Harp Quartet
I had the pleasure of working with the incredibly talented members of CLOUDS Harp Quartet for a memorable ensemble photography session. The quartet—Angelina Egerton, Elfair Grug, Rebecca Mills, Elinor Nicholson, and Esther Swift—are exceptional musicians who blend their individual artistry into a unique and captivating sound.
Although we all studied at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester, I didn’t cross paths with them during my time there—proving just how vast the RNCM community is. It was only after I graduated that I had the chance to see them perform at a truly memorable and moving concert at St Ann’s Church in Manchester.
It was through a mutual friend that Angelina later reached out to me, asking if I could do a group portrait photography session for them at Elfair’s house in Irlam, a request I was thrilled to accept.
The shoot took place on a wintery February day, with just the right amount of cloud cover to diffuse the daylight and create soft, flattering lighting. I’ve found that the best way to make musicians feel at ease during a photoshoot is to ask them to play, so we began with solo portraits of each member at their instruments. Musicians often become so focused on their playing that they forget about the photographer, which results in natural, candid photos that capture their true essence.
After the individual shots, we took a short break and decided to continue the session by capturing some more relaxed group shots. We sat everyone down with mugs in hand, and with a little repositioning of the harps in the background, we created the perfect frame for these more casual, authentic images.
For the final part of the photoshoot, we headed outdoors. In winter, I always make sure to schedule shoots at the lightest parts of the day to ensure we have plenty of daylight. Although it was cold, the light cloud coverage provided a muted colour scheme that helped focus attention on the quartet’s faces, gently lit with a natural glow.
It was such an enjoyable session, and I’m so pleased with how the images turned out. If you’d like to view the full series of photos, you can click the link below.
