MA portfolio for Johanna Urschel Birch

Below are images from my ongoing project with Em, which we started in 2018.  We were introduced through a mutual friend shortly after she had told her wife and friends that she was transgender.  our project was to document Emma’s transition from her birth gender to becoming the person who she was born to be. The early photos of Emma (then Eric) show a deep awkwardness - a sense of unease because she is uncomfortable in her own skin.  Far from living on the fringe, she was and is a corporate lawyer - a career noted for its stability but not for those who rock the boat.  At the same time she was keeping  a part of herself deeply buried.  But no longer.  Her journey still continues and I look forward to being a part of it.

She has just had complete facial feminisation surgery.  FFS is a collective term for a number of facial procedures providing a more feminine appearance.  For many trans women in particular, it is a crucial and increasingly popular step in their transition process.

Below are some experimental images from a project surrounding my subject's and their identity, their sense of belonging.  Seen and not seen.

​Below are some images from my 365 day project. I vowed to get behind the lens and take the best image I could everyday for 365 straight days, whether I felt like it or not,
​I got behind the lens - missing only two days.