Louise Rayner
Name: Louise Rayner
Camera: Iphone 16 Pro Max and Nikon D850
Favourite type of photography: Travel, nature and macro
Location: Bradford, UK
Website: www.louiseraynerphotography.com
Instagram: @louiseraynerphotography
How did you get into photography?
I was about 10 when I got my first disc camera, and I took it everywhere — family holidays, day trips, just messing about with friends. But it wasn’t until I was 16, when my dad gave me his old Pentax ME Super, that I really fell in love with photography. I’d always felt creative, but I wasn’t much of a drawer or painter, so when I discovered I could use a camera to express myself, it just clicked.
I carried that old camera, lenses, and filters around for years, scribbling down exposures and locations in a little notebook — which I still have to this day.
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
I’ve taken all sorts of photography classes over the years, from darkroom to digital, and been lucky enough to attend some brilliant workshops, including with Carolyn Mendelsohn here in Yorkshire and Sue Bryce in Italy, both of whom taught me so much about portraiture and composition. I don’t have any formal qualifications, but everything I’ve learned has come from a mix of curiosity, lived experience, and just getting out there with my camera (or phone!) and seeing what happens.
For a long time, I entered competitions that didn’t go anywhere — I just kept showing up, learning, trying new things. It’s only in the last few years that I’ve really started to see that hard work pay off.
One of my proudest moments, so far, was being named a finalist in the World Food Photography Awards, in the On the Phone category 2025. In 2024, I was also featured in Amateur Photographer magazine (Image of the Week and Best Smartphone Shot), and I received Honourable Mentions in the Mobile Photo Awards, Mobiography Awards and The Voice Awards. I was also shortlisted in three challenges in the SheClicks Gallery, and had one of my mobile images featured in the BBC’s online gallery.
Closer to home, my work has been regularly published in the Telegraph & Argus and featured on the Visit Bradford website, which means a lot, as I’m passionate about celebrating the beauty of Yorkshire and everyday life through photography.
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What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
I remember my Dad carrying his camera on day trips and vividly recall him setting the self-timer to get a family shot at Newby Hall in Ripon. I still have the image in an album!
What do you love about photography?
I love photography because it encourages me to slow down and really take notice to find beauty in the everyday and meaning in the seemingly ordinary. It’s not just about capturing a moment, but about being present for it.
Photography helps me connect to places, to people and to myself. It’s curiosity, creativity, and storytelling all wrapped into one frame. Over the years, it’s been a lifeline for me, and I continue to use it as part of my daily gratitude and mindfulness practice.
I love how a photograph can transport you, how it can stir memories, evoke emotion and offer comfort in times of grief. It helps me remember, reflect, and reconnect. I’m especially drawn to the way photography preserves stories — how it cements a moment in time and becomes part of someone’s legacy.
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What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
I wish I’d learnt to trust myself sooner, to stop chasing perfection and comparing my work to everyone else’s. I spent far too long doubting whether I was good enough, especially when I tried something new and it didn’t take off straightaway. What I’ve come to realise is that photography, like anything creative, takes time. Everyone’s path is different — and that’s okay.
I wish I’d had more confidence in my own voice, especially when my kids were little. I’ve always been drawn to raw, honest documentary-style photography, but I held back, thinking it wasn’t polished enough or that no one would be interested. Looking back now, those moments were the ones that mattered most.
I wish I’d stayed focused on my own journey instead of worrying what other people might think. I wish I hadn’t taken on board the well-meaning (but limiting) advice from my parents, who didn’t think photography was a “real” career and that I’d just gone for it anyway.
And I wish I’d tackled those mindset blocks earlier — the impostor syndrome, the fear of putting myself out there, the awkwardness around charging for creative work.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
I'm especially drawn to the natural world and love discovering new places. I recently found a nature reserve on my doorstep and discovered so much in a small area to photograph!
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
I do love macro, really getting to see the true beauty of a flower or insect, a view many people miss.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
When I take a photo with my phone, I always do a light edit in SnapSeed and that's it.
What's your favourite lens?
On my phone, it is definitaly the portrait setting, I use it for so many images, from people to flowers!
Do you have a favourite accessory?
I don't really use accessories for my phone, although I am tempted to buy some external lenses for it.
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Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
No! I have been through a lot of different ones! At the moment I am searching for a small stylish one to hold one camera and my phone.
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Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
I didn’t grow up in a particularly artistic household, so I didn’t pay much attention to photographers early on. It wasn’t until college that I started exploring different styles and came across people like Eve Arnold, Steve McCurry and Sally Mann, whose work really spoke to me.
Later, through the internet and social media, I discovered a whole world of incredible female photographers building businesses and making their mark. One who really stood out to me was Sue Bryce — not just for her beautiful, legacy-style portraits that helped women feel seen, but for how openly she talked about the realities of being a creative. She spoke about impostor syndrome, burnout and the importance of working on yourself as much as your craft — and that really stayed with me.
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
All these women inspire me through the use of phone photography Emma Frøya Wright @emmafwright, Marguerite O’Molloy @marguerite_o_my and Jaz Oldham @oldhamjaz
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
I would love to try the Reeflex lenses for my iphone or the Sigma 150-600 for my Nikon camera.
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
I'd love to try drone photography or underwater at some point
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Attending the 2025 World Food Photography Awards as a finalist! It was a surreal experience and although impostor syndrome came knocking at the door, I felt grateful and worthy to be there.
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
Never miss focus - ever!
Your favourite baked goods are?
Freshly baked bread and a gooey Brownie
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a photographer, traveller, wife, mum to three teenagers and lifelong journal-keeper, based in Yorkshire. I’ve been taking photos for most of my life — starting with a disc camera when I was 10, then falling in love with my dad’s old Pentax ME Super at 16.
I didn’t come from a creative background, so photography was always something I quietly kept hold of. I studied theology and spent years working abroad as a nanny, but it wasn’t until later, after experiencing personal loss and major life shifts, that I began to see photography not just as a creative outlet, but as a lifeline.
I’ve never had the fanciest kit. I travelled the world with a basic bridge camera back when six megapixels felt like a big deal. These days, I mostly shoot on my iPhone — and I’ve recently been recognised as a finalist in the World Food Photography Awards for an image taken in a Moroccan market.
I’m passionate about helping others see the beauty in everyday life. I run mindful photography walks, teach local phone photography classes, and share stories that encourage people to slow down, connect, and create — not for perfection, but for presence.
I believe that photography isn’t about gear or accolades. It’s about noticing. It’s about telling stories — whether it’s street food in Marrakech or your nan’s Sunday dinner.
Read about the 2025 World Food Photography Awards Winners
