Unforseen

Photographing Justyna Jablonska's new album, from a blacked-out studio in Glasgow to a launch night in Edinburgh.

I've been photographing the brilliant cellist Justyna Jablonska for a few years now, and this is the first time one of her records has felt like it was partly about me too.

Unforeseen: Improvising Life and Music is about migration - Polish, Ukrainian and Roma memories, the things that get carried over and the things that don't. As part of her research Justyna interviewed me and a number of other Eastern European migrants living here.

We shot the promo photography at Basement49 earlier this year - long exposure, light painting, the two of us and my friend Marta (fellow Pole, and my assistant on the day) working in the dark with a multi-colour LED torch, Justyna holding her position while I moved around her trying to get the light to do what I wanted.

There's a track on the album called Bloki - Polish for the high-rise flats Justyna and myself (as well as pretty much everyone else we know) grew up around. Ideally we'd have shot some of this in Poland, among the real architecture, but there was no budget for that, so we had to improvise a concept in a studio in Glasgow instead.

The flower headpieces were crucial to the whole thing. I sent Jacqueline at Sugar Rose & Petal in Falkirk a few reference images, and she came back with two headdresses made entirely from fresh flowers that echo traditional Polish headwear almost exactly. The idea was contrast - something earthy and rooted worn against Dior in some shots, a modern jumpsuit in others.

Then, a few weeks ago, the launch at Biscuit Factory in Edinburgh. I've worked with Justyna for years and had never actually seen her perform solo until that night. It was an emotional one.

The album's out now and it’s a thing of beauty.