Multi award-winning Saundersfoot photographer Joann Randles will be representing Wales by showcasing a collection of her images at the ‘Interceltique de Lorient (FIL)’ - the largest annual festival of Celtic culture of its kind.

The festival held in Brittany between August 1 and 10 is a celebration of the cultural traditions of the Celtic nations and regions, highlighting music, dance and visual arts as well as sports and gastronomy, attracting around 800,000 people over 10 days.

Wales will have a delegation at the festival again this year, including three bands, a male voice choir, harpist and a visual artist.

Siblings, Joanie Jones, 8, and Howie Jones, 6, of Cefn Stud, Swansea, tend to their delightful Section C, cob type Welsh hill pony named Gavin. Cefn Stud has been in the family since 1910 and have their ponies conservation graze the picturesque, historical hillside, around Cefn Bryn throughout the year.
Siblings, Joanie Jones, 8, and Howie Jones, 6, of Cefn Stud, Swansea, tend to their delightful Section C, cob type Welsh hill pony named Gavin. Cefn Stud has been in the family since 1910 and have their ponies conservation graze the picturesque, historical hillside, around Cefn Bryn throughout the year. (Joann Randles)

There will be an exhibition of stunning cultural photographs by Joann, as part of the EuroCeltic Art exhibition, at the Palais des Congrès in the centre of Lorient. Thousands of people visit the exhibition every year, which includes work by artists from all of the Celtic nations.

Joann told the Observer: “I'm going to be representing Wales as their artist in the gallery space section at the Interceltic festival in Brittany this year with a number of my Welsh culture/life portraits. Only one artist per nation features in this section.

“It will include everything from my images, from dancers, to coracles and Mari.

“As a press photographer/photojournalist, it was really nice to be asked as you know what we do can’t be manipulated in post-production or tampered with. So will be lovely to show off what it means to be a press photographer and capturing everything right in camera, in my case specialising in portraits,” she added.

Joann is known for her compelling portraiture and evocative storytelling. Her passion for the arts began in early childhood and has since developed into a distinctive career that not only champions Welsh identity but also elevates press photography to an expressive and artful discipline.

With a family lineage that stretches back generations in Wales, Joann’s connection to her homeland is intrinsic to her work.

Her photographic practice reflects a profound sense of place, culture, and heritage, celebrating the richness of Welsh life through powerful visual narratives.

Working predominantly on location and often in challenging conditions, Joann operates solo on her photoshoots, mastering natural and artificial light with the precision of a painter.

Her artistic influences are rooted in the classical traditions of fine art, most notably Rembrandt’s dramatic chiaroscuro and the dynamic compositions of Renaissance masters such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.

5am, and as the heavy mist rolls in over the River Towy, Carmarthen, some of the coracle fishermen of the Carmarthen Coracle and Netsmen’s Association complete their fishing session of the morning. The beginning of May marks the start of coracle fishing season. Coracle fishing is one of Carmarthen’s oldest traditions, dating back approximately 2000 years. The fishermen fish for sea trout, which are called “sewen” in West Wales, and salmon. In 2017, West Wales coracle caught sewin and salmon received European Protection status. This is the only part of the world, that you can uniquely witness these coracle vessels fishing for migratory fish on a river with a net. In the image, the coracle fisherman: Alex Hughes
Coracle fisherman Alex Hughes on the banks of the River Towy as the early mirnin mist rolls in. (Joann Randles)

These references are woven into her photographic technique, infusing her portraits with depth, motion, and emotional gravity.

A defining feature of Joann’s work is her specialist role as a professional press photographer, a field that demands not only artistic vision but also rigorous adherence to journalistic ethics.

Press photography is unique in its constraints. Unlike many forms of contemporary photography, where digital manipulation is commonplace, press images must maintain factual integrity.

This means that all of Joann’s portraits, both those exhibited here and those published globally, are captured entirely in-camera.

Only minimal post-processing adjustments are permitted, such as subtle colour correction, cropping, and removal of dust spots.

This restriction places a premium on technical skill, precision, and timing. Joann must "get it right in-camera” in the moment, relying on her mastery of lighting, composition, and subject engagement, often under intense time pressure or unpredictable environmental conditions.

It is this commitment to truth, paired with an unmistakably artistic eye, that makes her work so distinctive within the press photography genre.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Joann expanded her visual storytelling practice, bringing her background in filmmaking into sharper focus through still imagery.

Her striking photographs from this period gained wide recognition, and her work has since been exhibited in renowned institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), and featured in leading national and international media outlets, both in print and online.

Multi award-winning Saundersfoot photographer Joann Randles will be representing Wales by showcasing a collection of her images at the ‘Interceltique de Lorient (FIL)’ - the largest annual festival of Celtic culture of its kind.
Multi award-winning Saundersfoot photographer Joann Randles (pictured) will be representing Wales by showcasing a collection of her images at the ‘Interceltique de Lorient (FIL)’ - the largest annual festival of Celtic culture of its kind. (Joann Randles)

Joann is especially celebrated for her ongoing work documenting Welsh folk dance and the cultural life of Wales. Her portraits vibrantly express the traditions, identities, and communities of her nation, making Welsh culture accessible to global audiences through the universal language of visual storytelling.

In this exhibition, titled ‘Painting With Light - A Welsh Perspective Through The Press Lens’ you are invited to experience Joann’s unique ability to paint with light, an exploration not only of photographic excellence but also of cultural pride, integrity, and the art of truthful storytelling

Antwn Owen-Hicks, Delegation Leader for Wales at the Festival said: "We’re presenting a very strong programme of artists again this year that reflects the ongoing confidence and development in our music and culture, tying in with the theme of the year.”