I’m Olivia Harris and I’m a visual artist.

You may have seen my work in Time Magazine, the New York Times or in advertising campaigns for clients like Apple, Ogilvy and Vodafone. I originally trained as a photojournalist for Reuters covering breaking news across Asia and the UK.

I was first inspired to make this work of my daughter when she turned one-year-old.

She was changing every day. I wanted to hold on to how I felt about her at that moment.

I am so glad I did. Every day she’s more grown up and these portraits become more special.

My background

I’m a World Press winning photographer and I’ve spent almost 20 years in the industry working with some of the best publications in the business like Time Magazine, the New York Times and Harpers Bazaar, and companies like Ogilvy, Vodafone, Bloomberg and Apple.

In 2021 I published my first book Days on Repeat about how Londoners -in the midst of a heatwave - coped with the first lockdown. It’s been bought by the Bodleian library amongst other collectors.

I'm drawn again and again to the liberating world of young children.

I’ve seen my portraits of Catherine, Princess of Wales and Kate Winslett on magazine covers. I’ve exhibited alongside the world’s best photographers in Los Angeles, London and Shanghai. I’ve taken era defining images during world events; the Olympic Games in London, Aung San Suu Kyi’s election in Burma.

I’ve done important but dangerous investigative photojournalism in places like Myanmar and Thailand. I’ve negotiated snowy peaks by helicopter to bring news of earthquake survivors in the high Himalayas. I’ve chased people- traffickers around the Andaman Sea. 

I’ve made individual portraits of pop stars with a team of 30 behind the scenes and I’ve sat one-on-one to photograph the Dalai Lama.

While I’ve been fortunate to be published by the best magazines and newspapers, and exhibited worldwide...

I'm drawn again and again to the world of young children and how straight-forwardly their communicate their feelings'. I love their freedom, openness and vitality. They haven’t yet learnt to hide parts of themselves.

I’m drawn to the portraits that show my subjects as whole, dynamic people with a range of feelings and ideas. I love to see the depths of someone’s character. It makes me feel even more in awe of who they’re becoming.

I love the simplicity and beauty of high key studio photography.

With hundreds of commissions in every conceivable type of photography, I've developed a smooth, efficient process, ensuring every client receives a
personalised experience.

I consistently deliver high-quality, bespoke artwork. I want to use all my experience in this industry to create striking and meaningful artwork for your home.

I’m happy to say that one client
recently told me, “These images bring me so much JOY. Thank you.”

And my goal is to create that for every client.

Publications

Creative Review
Time Magazine
An0ther Magazine
Creative Lives in Progress
We Present
The Guardian Magazine
Stylist Magazine
i-D Magazine
The Times
Der Speigel
World Press Photo
Arts Council England
The Observer (New Review)
Reuters Our World Now
Hoxton Mini Press

Awards

Arts Council England, 2021
Creative Review, Photographs of the Year, 2020
World Press Photo, First prize Stories, 2019
Foreign Press Award, Stories, 2019
International Photography Awards, 2016
The Guardian Photographer of the Year, 2015
New York Times Photo of the Year, 2014
Lucie Awards, 2014
PDN Awards, 2013

Books

Days on Repeat, 2021
London in Lockdown, Hoxton Mini Press, 2021
Reuters, Our World Now 6, 2013
Reuters, Our World Now 5, 2012

Exhibitions

Solo
Days on Repeat, London, E5, June - September 2022
Days on Repeat, London, E2, July - August 2021
Blessed be The Fruit, DocField Barcelona, November 2018

Group
Beauty as Protest, Iris Studios, London, 2020
Resilience - stories of Women Inspiring Change, World Press Photo touring exhibition, 2022
Gallery of Photography Ireland, Dublin, 2022
Visa Pour L’Image, Perpignan, France, 2019
World Press Photo 2019, Touring 100 cities and 45 countries 2019
Open Walls Arles, France, 2018
Force Majeure, Photo Bogota Colombia, 2016