On Hands
Monique Campbell
19 May, 2026
Monique Campbell (she/her) is a humanist street and fine art photographer based in Hamilton, Canada. A graduate of the Western Pacific Academy of Photography, she has over 35 years of experience as a professional photographer. Her work is shaped by a sensitivity to both the world around her and the emotions carried by the people within it. She often speaks about noticing the light that shines through the cracks, both literally and figuratively. For her, light is more than a visual element. It becomes a metaphor for the humanity, vulnerability, and quiet resilience present in every story.
Many find that hands have an intriguing ability to tell stories. My interest in photographing hands began during my years as a wedding photographer, when I created images of the bride and groom's hands with their wedding rings. This interest grew when I became a humanist street photographer, capturing both candid images and portraits. In my 'On Hands' series, the lines, wrinkles, and textures of each pair of hands convey a unique story.
Over the years, I have been inspired by the works of other photographers, including portraits made by Alfred Stieglitz of artist Georgia O'Keeffe's hands and those by Robert Maplethorpe. Elliott Erwitt's Handbook has been a bible to me. His collection of candid photographs has motivated me to continue this work.
Upon graduating from the Western Pacific Academy of Photography, I spent my early career years working as a photojournalist, often chasing fire trucks and ambulances in pursuit of spot news stories. This influenced my photographic
style. It sharpened my instincts as a photographer and trained me to observe quickly, anticipate moments, and recognize the emotional weight behind the scenes unfolding in front of me. With all this experience I approached my artistic work “On Hands” with an awareness of both struggle and resilience shown in the hands of people around me.
Each image I create is a tribute to the person photographed. Their gesture, lighting, and composition all work together to evoke memory and emotion in the viewer. I particularly thrill at finding candid moments with strangers’ hands.
What appeals to me most is that each viewer has their own narrative when observing these images based on their own life experiences.
A face can mask itself, but hands are a true representation of a person. I see a delicate balance between hardship and beauty. It reminds us that both can exist within the same frame.
One of my earlier images is of a woman's hands holding her purse on a trolley in Amsterdam. It was an ordinary scene on an ordinary day. I could envision her life with her neatly folded hands juxtaposed against the weathered leather as she traveled home after work. It was a subtle scene that most people passed by without a glance.
I began looking for people's hands during my travels. On Christmas Day in Pigalle, the 18th arrondissement in Paris, a woman caught my eye. Intrigued by the way her latte cup obscured her face, I pressed my shutter at that precise moment. Inspecting the image later, I noticed the rings on her fingers, which add considerably to the moment.
Another time, I saw a man playing his harmonica for his supper on a sidewalk in Amsterdam. He looked up as I snapped the photograph. The gritty appearance of his hands spoke of his life.
Closer to home, I captured a candid moment of a Trans person, Francis Beverly Worden, He/She, as they were straightening their hair, hands against face, giving an air of mystery.
My friend Uwe Harders has become my muse. First, I photographed him reading from his braille book, and more recently, as he knitted. The continuity of the subject appeals to me as I return to photograph him repeatedly.
My one regret is that I didn't photograph my Mama's hands nearly enough before she passed. I now look back and see myself reflected in her hands, and her spirit lives on.
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