About Simone
Simone Jimena Rudolphi is a German- born, socially engaged photographer with a strong documentary thread her project work.
She documents moments for exhibition projects, community events, special occasions such as weddings as well as turning her eyes on important issues of our day with particular focus on climate justice and political struggle against poverty and racism, and for peace. Her empathetic focus is guided by her own need for learning.
Her practise turns moments – regardless whether happy or sad, easy or difficult – into an opportunity with endless possibilities at the heart of which rests bearing witness and trusting in our common humanity.
Accreditation via the Carbon Literacy Project received August 2022 following the completion of the Redeye Photography Network course, which was the first photography sector specifiv course.
HEFAT - certificate of completion of a COSAIN CONSULTANCY course (in collaboration with ACOS ALLIANCE in Birmingham in August 2022.
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Photography Milestones
pre-2012
Conscientiously documenting moments of my three daughters' lives from birth to teenage years in 35mm film, followed in the late noughties with a simple Samson 'point&shoot' digital camera. There is much laughter and some sorrow too.
2012
After 2 years of self-employment as interpreter/translator, I decided to persue earlier passions. During my teacher training, I completed video making and old-style editing as my extra-professional experience and hoped to get back into editing and film making. Practical barriers as single mother of 3 and financial challenges made me refocus and I bought a Canon 60D second hand in a little camera repair shop in Newcastle, Old Eldon Square in May and began documenting my walks, family, and variuos gigs and theatre collaborations at Tyneside Irish Centre. The camera soon became a way of seeing and being.
2014
One of the great things about walking and seeing and documenting moments are not so much the images but the myriad of ENCOUNTERS which allow for a constant learning experience and new ways for seeing the world around me and within me.
One such encounter led to my involvement with the inaugural Newcastle Photography Festival (2 editions to date 2014 & 2016) which in turn guided me on several trips to Romania where the directors of Photo Romania were initiating a European Festival Network. This experience gave me a new perspective on the PHOTOGRAPHY world, a new network and possibilities for my own image making and activism using photographing and images for social engagement.
2016-2018
Documenting Moments helped me live beyond Breast Cancer diagnosis (2013), surgery and treatment. My technical skills improved by living each moment & photography became a companion, a way of meeting new people and focusing on life beyond my own sorrows.
I was now eager to 'do more WITH my images' and after some signposting by friends I decided to embark on the MA Photography at the Northern Centre of Photography, University of Sunderland.
This was an amazing learning experience and I graduated with a Distinction in November 2018.
2019
This year was fully immersed in photographing many a demo, live music, both here in England and in Irleand, as well as ongoing work documenting the fierce campaign against more opencast coal extraction in the North East of England.
2021
13 May 2021
During the Age of Corona, I mostly documented the field and the little game keeper woods across the field from Little Cottage.
Also some major demos in Newcastle: Payrise for the NHS, BLM and against the Police,Crime ,Courts and Sentencing Bill.
I discovered, in more detail, Cyanotype for documenting my walks and making prints... which was also a means of earning some money for food through the winter.
Now I find myself once again at a major cross roads and currently standing still, or as is my habit at roundabouts if directions are unclear, going round and round until the way forward presents itself!
2022
February arrived with the fantastic news that I alongside 3 others had been awarded the NEPN SHIFTS Bursary allowing me to spend more time to work on my projects, my own research and development and my archive of images from the Pont Valley Protection Camp. This has been an exciting and much needed boost even more so when you look at the calibre of people on the judging panel. A few months in, I am back in the Darkroom printing and busy writing a couple of grant award proposals. I will also take part in the Redeye 'Climate Aware Photographer' course which appears to be first such course in the UK and will finish with accredition via the Climate Literacy Trust.
In July, I was filled with joy to accept an internship/research visit to the visionary DRIK in Dhaka, Bangladesh and learn a lot about history, photography, community from Rahnuma Ahmed and Shahidul Alam and the whole team in the Drik/Path buidling. Unforgettable and hoping to be back soon...
In August, I was selected to do a HEFAT course for independent (photo)journalists/filmmakers in Birmingham . I am hoping this will help to get more commissions.
Meanwhile the activism side of me is busy as ever amplyfying voices, connecting people and trying to make a small difference whenever I can to migrant lives and for Climate Justice.