Ten years I’ve been here, ten years, writing little notes to you, sharing photos and things. It’s been an experience – a joy, a chore, and a life lesson. It’s opened up conversations, given opportunities, and taken time. On reflection, I wouldn’t change a thing, I’ve loved being in touch, sending you these snippets of my world. Thank you for being here.
I’ve been so busy – good busy, too busy. Something has to give, and this may be my last letter to you for a while. 2025 holds some big and exciting projects for me (as if I don’t have enough going on already!) and of course I’ll want to share them with you, but I expect that will need to be in a more brief format, through instagram or my mailing list, I think.
I’ve been named in the Future Icon Power People list for 2025, alongside King Charles, Feargal Sharkey and David Attenborough! The list, they say, celebrates 50 visionary innovators who are actively shaping a more sustainable, equitable, and compassionate world.
I went to Buckingham Palace to receive my MBE and get invested by the King. Here’s a little video if you’d like to see me curtsey.
I went to Paris to meet with representatives of Dutch museums and galleries, and learn about their exciting programmes for the coming year. I’ve shared my ‘to see’ list here if you’d like to read/join me.
I was invited to Waddesdon Manor for the launch of their Christmas lights. there was a tree that looked like something from Ghostbusters, I got separated from everyone else, missed the bus, and did the light trail twice.
I was a finalist for the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards and spent the evening with them at the Outernet in London.
I saw the Why Do We Take Drugs exhibition at the Sainsbury Centre. How often do you see the word HEROIN written on a wall? Let alone inside a museum. Go and see the show, or at least watch this video of Heroin Falls photographers Graham MacIndoe and Lindokuhle Sobekwa discussing their work.
I was interviewed by Louisa Jackson for Heart Radio. Listen again here.
I was interviewed by Alice Ryan for Velvet Magazine. Read the two page feature here (pages 46/47).
I’ve updated my agenda on karen-harvey.co.uk, so you can see what’s coming up, if you’d like to meet up, come to an exhibition, get a portfolio review, or something else!
I made chai-spiced fudge and a marzipan pig.
In a few days the installation of the Shutter Hub OPEN 2025 will begin, with the work of over 100 international photographers filling the walls of Cambridge University’s Alison Richard Building. You’d be very welcome to join us for the private view on Saturday 18th January, if you’d like to? (RSVP here!) and of course, your vote for the Best in Show would be appreciated too.
Towards the end of the OPEN exhibition, on the 1st of March, we’ll be hosting another Shutter Hub Book & Zine Fair at Cambridge University. Save the date, I would love to see you there!
While we’re talking about books, there’s still time to put your work forward for the next publication in the Shutter Hub Editions series, TO THE SEA – call for entries here.
I’ve been invited to give in-person portfolio reviews again at Format International Photography Festival, and will also be judging the Shutter Hub Format Portfolio Award. Online booking opens on 27th January, and if it’s anything like previous years the spots will sell out very quickly – I’d love to see you there, so please set a reminder if you want to sign up! Here’s the link.
And, just incase you have spare camera or photography equipment, the Shutter Hub Camera Amnesty is always in need of donations to help photographers around the world. Find out more here.
It’s been a busy year for AUTO PHOTO. We welcomed entries from 29 countries, reached a global audience of over 1.8 million people, and gave awards to some awesome photographers and exceptional creatives.
We’ve just released the third book in the AUTO PHOTO series (buy it here) and a couple of weeks ago we launched the 2024 AUTO PHOTO Awards print exhibition at Great Northern Classics, with the Top 100 images showing on the screens (Wednesday and Friday) until the exhibition closes on 30 November 2025. The Top 100 will continue to tour screens across the UK until next Autumn. If you can’t wait to see it in the wild, check it out here on YouTube.
After ten years of hard work, Toiletries Amnesty is gaining more and more recognition, and too right – we provided free access to toiletries and hygiene products to around 6 million people in 2024! Tell me someone else who can do that, self-funded with a team of less than 5 people?
We’ve been recognised by Natwest SE100 as one of the top 100 social enterprises in the UK, both Highly Commended and a Winner at the Country & Town House Future Icons Awards, and selected for the 2025 Good Brands directory. I was a finalist in the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards, got a Points of Light award from the UK government, got an MBE (!) and was included in the Future Icons Power People list for 2025!
The beginning of 2025 will see the launch of a very exciting collaboration with iconic pharmacy, John, Bell and Croyden. I’m looking forward to being able to share more about this, and I hope it gives us a chance to find more funding for Toiletries Amnesty.
If you’d like to get involved with Toiletries Amnesty as a supporter, fundraiser, or partner organisation, please do let me know! And, if you’re feeling generous and can help just a little bit towards our costs, it would be hugely appreciated. Paypal link here, everything counts!
My recent reading/looking list goes something like this: L’art Culinaire Moderne by Henri-Paul Pellapret (gloriously illustrated French cookbook from 1936, that I picked up in the local auction) / Terrys Chocolate Orange Cookbook (big fan of the TCO, thank you Simone!) / Cold War Secret Nuclear Bunkers by Nick McCamley / Better Days by Seunggu Kim / Le Bateau Ivre by Martin Essl / Faith Fé by Mário Macilau / Plein Soleil by Jessica Backhaus (love, love this!) / Borderlands by Francesco Anselmi / Cars of Iceland by Jonathan and Zarina Taylor / Manifesto by Dale Vince (thank you team C&TH!) / Life and Times of the Atomic Bomb by Albert I Berger / Cold War Museology by Jessica Douthwaite, Holger Nehring and Samuel JMM Alberti / FOOD STORIES from Shutter Hub Editions (of course!) / AUTO PHOTO 03 from Shutter Hub Editions (of course, of course!)
Here we are then, the last days of the year, hurtling our way towards 2025, hoping for light in the new year. I’m wishing you all the best. Keep doing good things. 💪❤️
If you’d like to keep up with what I’m up to work-wise (talks, events, exhibitions, portfolio reviews – that kind of stuff), you can find my Agenda on my website, for occasional updates in your inbox, join my Mailing List, and for daily bits and bobs, follow me on Instagram.