National Deaf Children’s Society @ndcs_uk came to my studio a couple of months ago & we spoke about my deafness and&my photography career. “From photographing for the @nationalportraitgallery to photographing the legend that is @Paulmcartney Lily’s learned to make her deafness her superpower. As she chats about her experience of photographing @paulmccartney, Lily’s career as a photographer seems to be a star-studded success. But behind the scenes, Lily’s success hasn’t always been easy. “I’ve always wanted to be a photographer,” remembers Lily, who has Pendred syndrome, a genetic disorder which affects the thyroid gland and causes childhood deafness. “My dad’s an actor and my mum is a casting director, so I grew up in a creative household. From a young age, I realised that photography was a way of communicating with the world which didn’t require sound. I’m a very visual person. I think my deafness is part of the reason why I love photography.” By the age of nine, Lily, who began losing her hearing as a baby, was profoundly deaf and was offered cochlear implant surgery. “My family were very supportive. Now an established photographer who’s worked with the likes of @damienhirst @thandiwenewton, Lily believes that her deafness is a benefit. “I shoot with analogue cameras which are different to digital cameras because, with each shot, you have to take your time before you take the photograph. You look through the camera in a different way. You really observe the world. “Because I lip-read, I’m very aware of people’s body language. My work involves meeting many different people. I have to get to know the person I’m photographing quickly to decide how to work with them. My deafness helps me to pick up visual cues about a person’s character and how to portray them on film. Lip-reading is my superpower! “My advice to a deaf young person who wants to become a photographer is to just pick up a camera and start taking photos. You don’t have to go to art school or university; you can learn how to use a camera on YouTube. Just start taking pictures and see what happens.” . Link to read the article is on my bio! 📸 @evaksalvi Words by @abbibrown92 #deafawareness