About the book:

An English summer is a precious thing: often short-lived but all the more tender for it. As the country contended with Brexit and Covid, Chanel Irvine traversed our shores documenting the magic of this fleeting season and the small rituals that many of us clung to in uncertain times.

About the author:

As a documentary photographer, Chanel’s practice seeks to portray the power of human initiative, connection and contribution. Inspired by the importance of constructive, solution-based journalism, she embraces visual communication that empowers readers and subjects alike. Her stories often focus on livelihoods, environments and communities that are susceptible to change based on emerging trends, development demands and environmental pressures. Aware of the multitude of sustainability issues they face, she is particularly interested in the people and organisations who are working to make a positive environmental and social impact in their communities.

Using a retrospective lens, Chanel’s more personal work similarly reflects this tension between preservation and change. With an eye for moments she deems timeless, her observations consistently focus on scenes that are reminiscent of older, simpler times, which persist seemingly unaffected by the advancements that otherwise transform the world we live in. As a result, her photographs accentuate the “ordinary” - reasserting its importance as a photographic subject and highlighting the beauty that can constantly be rediscovered in the everyday.

Chanel is based in London and completed an MA at the Spéos Photographic Institute following a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the Australian National University. She is available for commissioned work and collaborations.