Photovoice: Lucy Mayers (myself)

Hello, my name is Lucy, and I am deeply passionate about both sport and art. Both have shaped and inspired me in countless ways, and I’ve always been fascinated by how they can intersect. I love challenging expectations and proving people wrong when they’ve dismissed my ideas as “silly” or impossible.

I wanted to explore this intersection through autoethnographic work, reflecting my personal experiences. Injuries have been a constant part of my journey. I’ve endured everything from dislocating my pinkie—almost to the point of needing amputation—to tearing my right knee meniscus, suffering concussions with memory loss, and rupturing ligaments and tendons in my left ankle. Each time, I’ve been fortunate to come back stronger, though the recovery process never feels easy.

The photographs included in this series document the bruises and marks I’ve sustained as a goalkeeper in lacrosse—purple and yellow patterns across my arms, legs, and torso, each telling a story of impact, resilience, and the physical demands of the sport. Through these images, I aim to make visible the often-hidden toll of athletic performance while also celebrating the strength and perseverance it demands.

Below are my cyanotypes I created:

I have really enjoyed this process, I am forever grateful on being shown this method. I love the depth on contrast in the pigment from rich dark blue to much lighter really emphasizing the detail of the image but same time softening it, I think by removing the harsh bruised coloured like red and purple the blue really works especially when a fresh bruise colour day after injury is a bluey purple. It has changed my view as I preferer the injury in cyanotype but also like the original image of family but still surprised when the cyanotype can still pick up details in the face.