MEET CECELINA

Looking for a photographer we wanted someone who really understood our brand and the vision we had for our shoot, just a few of Cecelina’s exquisite images told us we’d found the woman we wanted, and when she agreed to work with us we were delighted. Here Cecelina tells us a little more about herself, her work and her experience of working with us.

I walked slowly up the creaking stairs in my newly acquired building site of a home – who knew renovating a Victorian house would take so long? Taking that one first sip of coffee in the morning is to me, nothing less than magic. It’s not just the taste, but the promise of the day and the routine of a productive day at work, doing something I absolutely love. I got ready to start my working day when an email in my inbox caught my eye and made my pulse quicken with excitement.

I knew about the Amanda Walker brand from working with Fiona Humberstone, The Brand Stylist. Fiona had talked about Amanda Walkers’ branding journey as one of absolute perfection, and I must say I had already dreamt of shooting for them. Therefore, their email asking me to shoot their first collection in London, seemed like an amalgamation of all kinds of dreams.

Ten years ago this January, I booked a one way ticket to London from Stockholm. “I’ll be back in three months!” I told my mum. I didn’t know anyone in the UK, so I booked myself into a hostel for the first three weeks, determined to make friends, get a job and experience a very different sort of life from the one I had lived. Life in Sweden is calm, stress-free and focused on family and well-being. The closeness to nature, appreciation of beautiful design and values on equality has of course steered my creativity. A wonderfully balanced life the Swedes live, but not one I craved in my early 20s when I was looking for adventure!

Here I was alone in one of the most exciting cities in the world. I felt such a rush each time I got over an obstacle in my new life. With each small milestone, my confidence grew. With each setback, I became that little bit more resilient. I made friends, I adored the social life and the British humour. I fell in love. London was so beautiful and so full of possibilities.

A decade later, going into coffee shops and seeing people with laptops still makes me smile. I remember how I used to sit there and dream of the day I could work full time as a photographer. It feels like yesterday but it’s been six years now since my business really took off, I quit my job and became a full-time photographer. I owe so much of my success to that time – and perhaps my caffeine addiction too.

Fast forward to the present, we photographed Amanda Walker’s collection in the heart of London. It was as if all our energy were focused on one goal and the excitement was palpable. I have been on many sets but this one felt so extraordinarily friendly, fun and creative. The old hotel in Lancaster Gate were flooded years ago and the water left such destruction, it has made the building hard to sell. And it’s a thing of beauty! The decaying grandeur of the place is one that makes a photographer’s heart tick extra with excitement – I could have photographed there for days.

It is with warmth I look back on the experience of the collection shoot and it is with pride I see Amanda Walker coming together to be presented to the world. I already am the proud owner of one of their beautiful watches and plan on giving away several to my closest girlfriends and my sister for Christmas!

You can see more of Cecelina’s beautiful work at her website cecelinaphotography.com and you’ll find her on Instagram at cecelinaphotography. We’re already dreaming of working together again on next seasons shoot!