In Her Hands
A growing portrait series celebrating the strength, stories, and identities of women told through one object, a few honest reflections, and the power of natural light.
Project
In Her Hands is an evolving collection of portraits and personal reflections that explore what it means to be a woman.
Each participant is photographed with a meaningful object, accompanied by quotes from our conversation around womanhood which uncovers identity, experience, and the quiet moments that shape us.
Shot in natural light and familiar spaces, the project aims to create honest, thoughtful representations of women from all walks of life.
This gallery will continue to grow over time, amplifying diverse voices and capturing the beauty found in everyday stories.
Michelle
Boxing Gloves/Wraps
May 2025
Michelle’s journey into boxing began as part of her fitness transformation — but quickly became something far deeper. Through the discipline and power of the sport, she discovered her voice, independence, and strength after surviving an abusive relationship. Now, she uses her story to uplift and empower other women, helping them recognise the strength they already hold. Her gloves are more than gear — they’re a symbol of everything she’s fought for and built, both inside and out.
"Being a woman means being so strong, while also being soft. It's a delicate balance — the strength to stand up for yourself, and the heart to care deeply."
"Boxing gave me power. It showed me how to be powerful, how to find my voice, and how to build the life I want — not the one others expect."
"I’ve not just built my body — I’ve built my strength, my character, my mind. I found the real me underneath it all."
'Pebbles'
Ballistics Helmet
June 2025
'Pebbles' is the first-ever female sergeant in the Firearms Department of South Yorkshire Police — a role she holds with grit, honesty, and pride. From watching Miss Congeniality as a young girl to joining the department in the wake of the Manchester attack, her journey has been shaped by courage, determination, and resilience. Juggling a high-pressure career and raising two children as a single mother, 'Pebbles' credits her parents’ support and strong work ethic for helping her break barriers and lead the way for more women to follow.
"Being a woman means juggling strength and softness — leading a team of alpha males at work and coming home to raise two kids. It’s a lot, but it’s who I am."
"What does it mean to be a woman? To me — it’s resilience. It’s strength. It’s getting pulled in every direction and still standing."
"I was the second woman in a department of 120 — now I’m the first ever female sergeant in Firearms in South Yorkshire. That means something. That’s change."
Tracey
Reflexology
June 2025
Tracey’s hands have worked through a lifetime of healing — both her own and others’. After a long career in nursing, a breast cancer diagnosis led her to discover the healing power of reflexology. What started as a therapy during her treatment became a calling. With the support of her late father, she retrained and now offers others the same sense of peace, strength and calm it once gave her.
Balancing part-time hospital work with her holistic practice, Tracey’s journey is one of quiet resilience, humour, and deep connection to nature and spirit. Guided by a love of learning instilled by her father, and shaped by loss, illness and renewal, she speaks openly about finding strength beyond trauma, the power of womanhood after menopause, and the freedom of finally living on her own terms.
“I still get the same sense of peace from treating others that reflexology once gave me — it’s such a gift to pass that on.”
“Find that older woman in your life who’s lived a little — someone who can anchor you, support you, and just be there....I want to be that older woman that a younger woman would come to for a hug. Someone they know will listen, not judge.”
“Being a woman now, post-menopause, feels like a whole new phase. There’s freedom in not having to prove or perform anymore....I feel more liberated as a woman now, at 60, than I have at any other time in my life.”
Jenni
Keyboard
June 2025
Jenni is a writer, activist, and creative who lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome—a chronic condition that affects her body but has never defined her spirit. A fierce and eloquent advocate for radical acceptance and the transformative power of words, she brings a sharp intellect, deep empathy, and unflinching honesty to everything she does.
Her chosen object—a lifelong-used keyboard—symbolises her enduring belief in language as a tool for expression, healing, and resistance. With a background in helpline counselling and a lifelong love of storytelling, Jenni uses her voice to build connection, challenge injustice, and support those often pushed to the margins. Through fiction, activism, and quiet acts of community, she proves that power lives in softness, that listening is as vital as speaking, and that self-definition is a revolutionary act.
Though physically limited by illness, Jenni’s creative mind and clarity of purpose remain fiercely alive. Her involvement in this project reflects a personal journey of embracing her physical self with the same pride she holds for her voice—and a commitment to making space for others to do the same.
“Words are how I fight, how I heal, how I love. They’re how I exist in a world that often doesn’t make space for bodies like mine.”
“My body may be fragile, but my voice is not. I’ve learned that softness and strength can live in the same breath.”
“Radical acceptance isn’t passive—it’s a daily act of rebellion to say: this is me, exactly as I am, and I am enough.”
Maisie
Aerial Hoop
July 2025
Maisie is a mother, aerialist, and woman in motion—navigating chaos, joy, and strength in equal measure. Her chosen object, an aerial hoop, represents a passion that has transformed her life: a space where she reconnects with herself, discovers her capabilities, and rediscovers confidence. Aerial isn’t just an activity for Maisie—it’s her anchor, a source of empowerment that she fought hard to return to after a challenging pregnancy that left her temporarily unable to move freely.
Juggling life with a baby and a young child, often solo while her husband works away, Maisie embraces the chaos with a mix of honesty and resilience. Her mum, a huge influence and constant support, and the inspiring aerial community around her remind her that strength isn’t just physical—it’s also in showing up, asking for help, and carving out moments of joy for yourself.
For Maisie, being a woman right now means learning to accept and celebrate her body for all it has done, while continuing to rebuild and reconnect with it on her own terms. Her story is one of rediscovery, movement, and a fierce reminder that we grow not just through the still moments—but through the stretch, the spin, and the leap.
“I found a whole new me through aerial—it gave me a confidence I never knew I had.”
“Even when life is chaotic, aerial grounds me. It’s my happy place.”
“Radical acceptance isn’t passive—it’s a daily act of rebellion to say: this is me, exactly as I am, and I am enough.”