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