Simon Bray

Simon Bray has explored the unique relationships people have with their siblings, through a series of black-and-white portraits.

Bray photographed five sets of siblings in locations important to their childhoods, across the UK, including woods in Cheshire and a football pitch in Wiltshire.

Drawing on his experience of losing his own younger sister, Jess, Bray found The Work particularly personal.

In 2018, Bray reflected on his loss, through the, in which participants found a photograph of themselves with their lost loved one before returning to the location to replicate The Image .

In his latest series, Bray's sister was at the forefront of his mind.

" For me, this wasn't always an easy project to Make - it was certainly painful at times because I was observing what I was now never going to have again, " he told Bbc News .

Some of the photographed siblings are Bray's friends, others people he connected with through Social Media .

" There was a very tangible sense of togetherness with each set of siblings, of real tenderness and a sense of companionship, which I hope comes through in the images, " He Said .

" I knew that the Two Brothers were quite competitive, so I played on that and got them racing up and down The Hill .

" My hope is that the images offer the viewer space for reflection upon their own sibling relationships.

" Some of those relationships could be extremely close, perhaps even on a day-to-day basis, but I imagine there are many people Out There whose lives now operate quite far from their siblings and they wish they had more time together.

" Sibling relationships can be extremely Hard . . estrangement comes about for a whole number of reasons.

" Sometimes, it's simply drifting apart.

" For others it's more direct, a decision about inheritance, responsibilities or healthcare.

" These things seemingly only get more complicated the older we get. "

The Photos form part of a book, which includes a short essay by Simon Barber featuring poignant insights into the nature of sibling relationships.

He says: " A sibling relationship can be a complicated orchard - those standards were born out of love, respect and even admiration for the sibling who set them, and yet from the same tree can grow a bitterness, a jealousy and even a hostility for the standards they attain which we may not. "

Bray says: " Jess was such a beautiful sister, always fizzing with life, so much enthusiasm and care for others.

" We lived at opposite ends of the country but did our best to see each other often and share special occasions together.

" She certainly taught me to be more conscientious and demonstrated How To Make positive and proactive parenting decisions, which I now have the chance to appreciate, since The Arrival of my kids.

" Throughout our childhoods we shared a passion for music, playing and performing in concerts, and I think we were both very proud of what we were able to achieve.

" I hope she knew that she made The World a better place To Live in. "

Photos courtesy of.

Source of news: bbc.com