Ghost Project shows off Mara’s soul-searching pictures

The eerie but beautiful selection of snaps are called The Ghost Project and were taken during a time of soul-searching by Mara, after her dear mum became critically ill with cancer.

The images were shot by Mara in various locations around the North East and East Anglia.

Today the Mail prints some of the gothic and spiritual pictures for readers to enjoy.

Mara, from Peterlee, said: “The project was started a few years ago after I faced becoming the last living member of my family when my mother became critically ill with cancer.

“The images were shot around East Anglia and the North East, and were a visual exploration of what might happen if I became a ghost upon my own death.

“Finished in black and white, the images depict the places I believe my ghost may go; every image being influenced by my emotional attachment to lost family members.

“Whist taking the shots great emphasis was placed on creating the ‘ghost’ at the time the shot was taken wherever possible, a difficult in-camera technique but one capable of producing dramatic results.”

She added: “A panel of 15 images from the project was recognised by the Royal Photographic Society and I was awarded an Associateship from their Contemporary Photography Panel.

“They have since been used by the Society as a teaching aid and exemplar to help other photographers refine and improve their own work when aspiring to gain professional distinctions.”

Mara previously worked as a secondary science teacher before leaving her job and moving back to Peterlee to care for her mother in the final stages of her illness.

She is now studying for a Masters of Arts in Photography at Sunderland University and is an active member of the Hartlepool Camera Club.