I’m getting very sick of the project work I’m trying to shoot at the moment for my MA as it’s just not enjoyable. I’m constantly on the defensive, with people thinking the worst of me and my intentions and it’s grinding me down. Yesterday for a while I felt like I had a very modest breakthrough – I met a few young mums on the Travellers’ camp I’ve been visiting over recent weeks, and made a few images although the women were all relunctant to be photographed without their make up (a bit of an excuse I think). There were two young sisters who I particularly warmed to, aged 21 and 24, and I spent really quite a long time talking to them about people’s perceptions of Gypsies and their own experiences growing up and as adults. Both were very thoughtful and bright, and independently volunteered lots of interesting opinions. Later, I received a phone call from the woman who had introduced me to her neighbours. The two sisters were now very suspicions of the fact that a ‘house person’ was interested in them and their community and were worried that I might be an undercover policewoman or in some way damage their husbands businesses. The only thing we discussed about this was how the men go about finding customers…I asked because I’m genuinely curious about most things. I do ask a lot of questions, but that they are freaking out makes me feel bad because I was only being friendly and being myself. This project is starting to do my head in now. I’m used to people sometimes reacting negatively towards me because I’m a journalist and they have preconceptions about what that means. Of course I understand why the Gypsy community is closed off and have experienced it before. But this is a constant drip-drip of hostility and mistrust and misunderstanding and is incredibly corrosive for me and the way I approach what I’m doing.