Between the ages of three and nineteen, I grew up in this town. Like most teens, I developed a strong bittersweet relationship with it; romanticising every corner, shadow and street - and yet knowing that I needed to leave it.

Between nineteen and twenty one (current), I have returned only once or twice a year, dwelling for a few months here and there. And in this time, more than ever, I've come to know this place (among many others) as home.

These photos were lived in, taken, and edited during the summer of 2019, after my first year away at university. This summer, I not only returned to the streets, but to myself.

Here's to hometowns.

Hometown is a photo series I shot this summer. Like most of my photography, it didn't start out as an intentional series. But after a few nights taking to the streets with my camera, out of boredom or inspiration, a theme started to crop up. With most of my friends and family engaged in other commitments, I shot landscapes instead of portraits. Shooting the streets and listening to music while I did it quickly became my new favourite hobby.

Here's what I listened to:

Leaving You - Wolf Alice

Small Town Moon - Regina Spektor

Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells

Across the Universe - Fiona Apple

I'm sure most photographers can attest to the adrenaline they get when shooting, but for me, nothing gives me goosebumps like editing. In editing, I have the freedom to manipulate colours - to isolate colours, to brighten and dull them according to what I feel in the moment, and what each photo means to me. In this series I felt naturally drawn to greens; promising greens, nostalgic greens, unknowing greens. It's a love letter of colour, of gratitude and hope and uncertainty, all leading back to this town and how tied up I am in it.

By Molly Bernardin

21, Norwich/Worthing, UK