Framed By community
Hi, I’m Milly, a university student and the social media manager for Braunton Eyeworks. I love using creative storytelling to showcase the people, frames and community that make this practice so special.
There’s a certain kind of magic that lives in Braunton, not just in the place itself, but in the people who show up for it every day. Not the polished version. Not the highlight reel. But the real, lived-in, deeply human one.
Framed by Community is a portrait series created to celebrate exactly that.
This project is about the people who make Braunton feel like Braunton, the familiar faces, the quiet grafters, the creatives, the carers, the business owners, the friends and families. The ones whose presence shapes the atmosphere, often without them even realising it.
Why this project exists
Framed by Community began as part of a university assignment, I needed to create a narrative. But it never felt right to invent something for the sake of it. If I was going to tell a story, it had to be real. I love this community, and it felt only right to centre something that already mattered to me. Braunton is full of connection, creativity, and people supporting people, and I wanted to honour that in a way that felt genuine rather than staged. So often, communities are represented through branding, buildings, or events. This project does the opposite. It puts people first.
Who is included
This series brings together people from across the Braunton community different ages, backgrounds, roles, and walks of life.
Some are creatives.
Some run local businesses.
Some have lived here forever.
Some are newer faces already woven into the fabric.
What connects them isn’t visibility or status it’s belonging. Each person was included because they are part of the community, not because they fit a particular idea of what a community should look like.
How it feels to create
Photographing this project has been grounding, exciting, and emotional in equal measure.
I’ve felt deeply connected to the people I’ve photographed proud of who they are, proud of where we live, and excited to share these moments. Each portrait feels like a quiet collaboration, shaped by conversation, comfort, and trust.
There’s no brief. No expectation. No pressure to perform. Just people being themselves.
A community in motion
Braunton is a place where locals support locals, something that feels especially important right now. This project exists within that movement, reflecting a community that is evolving while still holding onto its sense of togetherness.
Framed by Community isn’t about freezing time, it’s about acknowledging it. About recognising the people who are here now, shaping the place in ways big and small.
What I hope you feel
This is an ongoing project, a growing visual archive rather than a finished statement.
My hope is that when you view these portraits, you feel:
a sense of belonging
warmth and familiarity
recognition
pride in this place and its people
Most of all, I hope it feels human.
Thank you to everyone who has stepped into the frame so far. And to those who haven’t yet there’s always space.
Framed by Community is shared gradually, one portrait at a time, to honour each person’s presence and story.
Milly x
First up Steph from Eightfold Tattoo shop, a familiar face in Braunton and one half of the team behind Eightfold, which she and her partner, Woody, have been running for the past 10 years! A local business built on creativity, trust and community, just like Braunton itself.
Steph is wearing Bird frames in the style Athene, colour Saffron.
Next up is Andy from Second Skin surf shop, a true Braunton legend and a name that's been part of North Devon's surf scene for decades. From catching his first wave as a kid to pioneering wetsuit design and running Second Skin here in Braunton, Andy's story is woven into the fabric of this place. A lifetime of experience, innovation and love for the ocean, now shared through the shop he continues to run.
This series celebrates the people who shape our community simply by being part of it, and Andy is exactly that.
Andy is wearing Ferucci 735 frames.
Meet Emily, she is part of the team at Gibbs Lettings, a busy and thriving independent letting agency that’s been part of the North Devon community for the past 8 years. Gibbs is a small, all-female team with a combined 30 years of experience, helping people find homes across North Devon, built on local knowledge, care, and trust.
Alongside her work in lettings, Emily also runs her own creative business, Emily’s shed , making beautifully handmade bags, bunting and more, with stock in local shops and all created from her home. A perfect example of the many layers that make up our community.
Emily is wearing Bird Frames in the style Hawk.
Next up is Isobel from North Devon Accounts, part of a small, friendly independent accountancy practice supporting businesses, self-employed individuals and landlords across North Devon.
With offices in Braunton and Barnstaple, North Devon Accounts is known for its personal approach, clear advice and focus on making finances feel straightforward and manageable, helping local businesses do what they do best.
Another example of the trusted, behind-the-scenes support that keeps our local community running.
Isobel is wearing Emporium Eyewear Brooklyn, D229 colour black gold.
Last in this series is Will, part of the team at the Williams Arms — a much-loved local pub just outside Braunton.
Will has worked at the Williams Arms for the past 7 years and is also a familiar face on the village football pitch, playing for the local team. A great example of the people who quietly contribute to the rhythm of everyday life here.
The Williams Arms itself has been welcoming locals and visitors for generations — a historic thatched inn, family-run for over three generations, and a place where people come together to eat, drink, celebrate, and catch up.
A fitting way to close our Framed by Community series — celebrating the people and places that make Braunton what it is.
Will is wearing Ray-Bans in the style Elliott.