From the heart of the country to the heart of the county, Josh Rushby plies his cratft.
Words by Hannah Tapping
Growing up in Leicestershire Josh Rushby went on to study photography at the Cambridge School of Art, graduating in 2009. Whilst there he shot almost exclusively on film and learnt the fundamentals of darkroom processing under the guidance of celebrated photographer HAG.
Moving to London in 2010 he worked extensively in commercial studios honing his craft photographing fashion, still life and interiors for leading UK brands. In 2014 his work took him to South East Asia where he spent several years travelling between China, Vietnam and India photographing furniture and documenting the makers there.
Bringing these pictorial stories back home added weight and provenance to the designs. It helped educate UK consumers on the often-unseen effort and artistry that goes into making beautiful products, showcasing heritage skills and the value of proper craftspeople.
Josh continues to enjoy predominantly shooting interiors but in more recent years, and since moving to Cornwall, his personal work has again turned towards documenting makers, heritage buildings and gardens in this wonderful landscape. When capturing these images, he strives for simplicity and truthfulness (no artificial light, no post-production wizardry) and lets each process or place present its own story to the viewer. Shooting handheld on compact mirrorless cameras means he can be as unobtrusive as possible in enclosed spaces and fast and light when on location.
Josh currently lives in Penzance with his wife Molly, who is an architect, and their young daughter Florence. They spend as much free time outdoors as possible, engaging with what Cornwall has to offer, such as surfing, hiking and visiting local landmarks and historical gardens. Their favourite spots are Trebah, Botallack and Godolphin House. The latter is the focus of one of Josh’s current personal projects as he aims to document the gardens and grounds through all seasons and all weathers.
Josh welcomes commissions and works both locally and nationally. More of Josh’s work can be found on his website.
