Young love often shapes who you are as a person, but for Bethany Morris, it helped shape her career. At age 13 Morris fell pregnant, only to be abandoned by her child’s father. Taking her own life experiences, and delving in to those of others; 23-year-old Morris photographs real young people, growing up in her home city of Manchester.
When looking at Morris’ body of work, two things become apparent. One, that she has an undeniable ability to capture the essence and fragility of her subject, and two-she’s obsessed with photographing boys. “[It] was never a conscious decision,” explains Morris at a recent interview with Vice, “As time has passed now I only approach boys. I get on with them better and I find them easier to talk to. I don’t think they hide their emotions that well, it’s often shown on their faces.”
Inspired by the naturalistic works of Larry Clark and Joost Vandeburg, Morris captures the stories of boys caught in a place she describes as “isolating.” For her upcoming work, the photographer has gained the opportunity to document the lives of two young men in the midst of changing from male to female. This follows on from Morris’ involvement with Noise Festival 2014- an event which selects young and emerging talent in the creative industries. With her work appearing at Southbank London, The Tetley Leeds and Granada Studios; Morris is one step closer to achieving her ultimate dream: “Photography wise, I hope to carry on documenting. [To] Be able to turn my photography into a career instead of a hobby and get out of this call.”