Ruth Towell Photography and Film

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Ruth Towell Photography and Film

Photographer, Filmmaker, Adventurer.

09/07/2026

View from the balcony - Hasliberg, Switzerland.

We escaped the last heatwave by hiding up in the Swiss Alps, what a special place to be.

Today I’m sitting in my warm studio two weeks later, with fans whirring and curtains shut, wishing I was back up in the mountains.

I’ll be back though, I think Switzerland is one of those places you just return to…

15/06/2026

Sometimes I look at photos I created before I became a parent and connect with them in a whole new way.

Small little moments of parenthood that transcend countries, cultures and socioeconomic statuses. An international understanding of what it’s like to balance your toddler on your hip whilst cleaning dinner plates away, whether you’re in Myanmar or the UK. These ‘mundane moments’ create an incredible shared language. No matter where you are in the world, there will always be a parent who gets it.

What a gift.

📍Mawlamyine Leprosy Hospital, Myanmar.

Photographed whilst in assignment for The Leprosy Mission

10/06/2026

I’m resolving to share more of my work on here. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of running a creative business and forget to celebrate the work that I’ve created!

A couple of months ago I had the privilege of working with Radio 1Xtra DJ & Presenter to create a series of portraits which would accompany an editorial piece in .

We met outside National Broadcasting house and explored the surrounding area, chatting and finding unique locations to create photos. Just before we met, I’d spotted an eye catching iridescent window wrap, which made for a really unique background (see no.6).

These kind of assignments are always a joy, as they unlock an in-the-moment creativity that is fun to explore!

13/05/2026

Sometimes my brain feels like it’s constantly battling itself. A million fragments of thought, idea and emotion whirling through my mind. At times I can piece these fragments together and find a moment of calm, but sometimes they buzz loudly as I carry on with life.

For years I would struggle with not being able to sit still and focus like a ‘normal’ person. I found coping mechanisms to mask my overwhelming brain, but I still felt the internal shame of not being able to work like society expected me to, blaming myself for not being disciplined enough.

It was when I started seeking help for the depression that this shame had pulled me into, that I realised my brain might be wired differently. Women started talking about ADHD, what they said resonated. I’m not the only person with a brain that constantly fizzes, my lack of focus isn’t poor self-discipline. Three years ago I received the diagnoses which helped me onto the first step of peace with myself. I didn’t choose medication at that point, maybe influenced by societies’ stigma around medicating mental health problems. Whilst it’s been useful learning how my brain works, it’s also become clear that the chemicals in my brain do not regulate in the same way as a neurotypical person - this is something that can’t simply be controlled by willpower.

Becoming a mum filled my brain with more fragments and also condensed my working days from 5 to 3. When I’m out on a shoot I feel alive, but on days at my desk my brain often burns out, focus can sometimes feel exhausting. Unless I’m in ‘deadline mode’, where the beauty of hyper focus kicks in and I feel like some kind of productivity superhero (ADHD has its upsides too!). I’ve heard a few people talk positively about medication recently, so maybe that’s the next step for me? It’s well worth saying ‘screw you’ to stigma and saying yes to science if it has the chance of changing your life for the better.

I wasn’t sure whether to share this… would people be interested? Is it oversharing? Am I being too vulnerable? But also.. what if someone can resonate with my story and finds help? If my story helps one person feel less alone, then I’m so happy to share with you.

19/02/2026

Sunday marked Children’s Cancer Awareness day and commemorated this day by launching their new brand identity. Pasic has supported families affected by childhood cancer for 50 years; so it was an absolute privilege to be commissioned by Pasic and to create the photographs to accompany this new brand.

I spent a day with the team at Pasic, working with them and some of the families they support to create photographs which show both the joy and challenges that exist within the work they do. Taking a gentle approach to put children, families and staff at ease in front of the camera - with the goal of making it feel like I wasn’t even there. I always feel this translates in the images I produce, making them relatable and authentic to those viewing them.

It’s always such a joy to be able to create images that tell the stories of organisations such as Pasic. I’m aware of how important photographs are in connecting people to the work of a charity; whether it’s inspiring people to support financially, or to help put families at ease when reaching out for help by visualising the services available.

A real joy to collaborate with such a skilled team on this project:

Brand strategy — Reuben Turner
Lead brand designer - Gemma Roszkowski
Copywriting — Lizzie Russell
Designer — Emily Gorham
Photography — Ruth Towell
Animation — Emmett Green
Project Manager and Website — Bex Toms

12/02/2026

Notes from a walk.

This place feels like an extension of my garden. I don’t know how many times I’ve journeyed through its paths, must be over a thousand by now. I’m not bored of it though. It constantly grows, changes and teems with life at all levels.

This space knows my feelings; it’s where I go to process, to dream and to be - just me. It’s safe and restorative. It’s a blessing to live near, one of the very reasons why I moved here.

Nature gives us life, it’s nurtures us. So we should nurture it too. Nature gives so much more than the things that often destroy it. Respect it, and it will respect you.

11/02/2026

The question I get asked time and again as a creative is, ‘what are you working on?’

A simple and incredibly normal question, which somehow triggers an anxious shift within me. The truth is I’m working on so many things, paid work in areas that do feel important and meaningful. But not creative projects that truly spark purpose and excitement for me.

I sometimes feel ashamed, it feels like every other creative is pursuing at least a side project that brings them life. But I have three days of childcare (which I don’t want to increase) and a whole career to squeeze into that time.

The thing is, the projects that truly light my soul are the ones that feel so hard to attain right now. I’d love my heart to be filled with purpose by topics on my doorstep - but the projects that have always bought me the most excitement are the ones that have sent me far from home.

It’s not that I don’t want to travel, I do, but it’s not quite as simple as it once was. But maybe I’ve built barriers in my mind, to stop me looking for the work I love. Maybe I need to take a step, be confident, and look for something that drives that creative purpose once again.

Anyway, here’s a photo from one of the projects that filled me with that fulfilment. It’s of the lovely Abeer, an Iraqi woman living with her family in a displacement camp. She had hope of returning home, as the war had ended. The possibility of rebuilding a home with brick walls, rather than flapping tarpaulin.

I don’t know where she is now, but I do hope Abeer and her family have that security now.

22/12/2025

I met Dalya a few weeks ago, when I’d been commissioned by The Sunday Times Magazine to take her portrait. We explored her Girton College, her base in Cambridge whilst she studies her PhD, chatting and creating photographs along the way.

Once we finished taking photos, we sat down with a hot chocolate in the cafeteria. Here Dalya shared her story with me. She was a teacher in Gaza and won a scholarship to study her masters in education at Durham. It would mean leaving her daughter in Gaza for 10 months, but would be worth it to bring her newly acquired knowledge home, to share with the children she was educating. But a couple of weeks after arriving in the UK the war started and Gaza’s borders were closed. It’s been two years since Dalya has seen her young daughter, who’s currently living in a tent with her parents. Dalya has spent time and money applying for a visa to be reunited with her daughter, and she has a home ready and waiting for her in Cambridge. But, the visa process is slow and inaccessible, so whilst in principle everything should be approved, despite all Dalya’s efforts and campaigning she still does not know when she will see her daughter again.

As a mother, hearing Dalya share her story was incredibly stirring. No parent should be separated from their child in such a way. Having the privilege to take Dalya’s photos felt very important. As the magazine carrying her story dropped on people’s doorsteps yesterday, I prayed that it would be read by those who can make a difference and have the power to reunite Dalya and her daughter very soon.

10/12/2025

Life’s been busy, so I’m only just getting round to sharing these photos from the beautiful island of Malta. Travelling with a toddler means my hands are often very full, so my camera gets left in it’s bag. But it was nice to have a couple of moments on this trip where I could grab my camera again. There’s something freeing about taking photos just for me, rather than for a client or brief.

So here’s a few frames from Malta. Enjoy and soak in the warmth and sunshine as northern Europe is in the midst of winter.

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