22/04/2026
Daniel Murphy is a Manchester Based former BA Photography student at SODA who was part of last year’s cohort of graduates.
His degree show project “Touching Distance” is a thoughtful narrative-driven body of work that explores identity, transition and the uncertain space between youth and adulthood.
“When I set out to create this project, my primary aim was to make something that felt deliberate, intimate, and executed with care,” Daniel explains. “With hopes of building a career in fashion and portrait photography, I viewed this as a chance to produce work that felt more artistically considered while embracing a contemporary visual presentation.”
During his time on the course, Daniel developed his analogue practice through regular darkroom use and hands-on experimentation, helping him refine both his creative voice and technical style.
Since graduating from Manchester Met, he has been building experience across the industry through assisting, production work and his own commissions, while continuing to develop his independent practice. His recent work has leaned further into fashion, press and portraiture as he works towards a career in commercial photography.
Touching Distance has also been realised in book form as a visual essay on maturity, memory and the spaces we inhabit while discovering who we are becoming.
We’re excited to see where Daniel’s creative journey takes him next.
Images 1-4: Touching Distance
Images 5-6: Recent Work
