Lana’s lens

In the lead-up to the competition, Skeldon has unveiled her first exhibition at St George’s Bristol, the city where she also represents her club side, Bristol Bears. The showcase debuted last week and will remain open until 29 September. For her, photography offers far more than a hobby – it has become a creative sanctuary. 

“I just really liked capturing moments for me and other people,” she explained. 

“I’m someone who has always wanted to give a lot to others, and photography is a different way of doing that. I also realised that it’s a real way to switch off from rugby. I don’t think when I’m behind the camera, even when I take photos of the girls in the gym, I don’t think about anything. It’s just about the shot, in the moment.” 

Her subjects range from the everyday to the extraordinary. 

“I love taking pictures of dogs,” she said with a smile (Chloe Rollie’s dogs Nellie, Bonnie and Lola, often her subject). 

“But I have a real thing for sunrise and sunset. I think it’s the colours. The orange and pinks you can catch, or if there is water nearby, the way it reflects; it just captures a totally different perspective. 

“Equally, I love to capture photos of behind the scenes, so moments where I’m not quite there, it’s sort of capturing the magic of someone in a moment. That’s definitely the hardest thing to do, so I want to get better at it, but I love it when I do capture those moments.” 

One of Lana’s photos from her exhibition of the Forth Bridges.

Her photography began as a private passion, but it has gradually grown into something more public. 

“I started my Instagram page (@skeldonshoots) because I realised I just had so many photos that I loved and wanted to share, but didn’t really want them on my main channels because that’s really rugby focused. 

“I thought, ‘what can I do? How can I share them with people?’ but it was also like, I wanted a sort of visual diary; something that I could look back on, so that’s the main driver. It’s for me to have that outlet, and if anyone else is interested they can look too. But it’s really just for me, if people want to follow, that’s cool.” 

But, it was through that account that her talent was spotted and she was offered up a spot at the exhibition in St George’s, Bristol. 

“After I set up my Instagram I was approached by Trish Brown, Operations Director at St George’s Bristol, which is like an arts venue, saying she saw my pictures and thought they were cool. She made the link of me playing for Bears and going to the Rugby World Cup, so she asked if I would like to exhibit some photos. 

“To begin with, I’ll be honest I wasn’t sure what it meant but after chatting to her, I realised what a cool opportunity it was. She asked me to pick eight pictures – and it was so hard to choose. I don’t think I picked my best, crystal clear pictures, I picked ones that reflect me and what I call my switch-off moments.” 

The timing and location could hardly be more fitting, with Skeldon playing her club rugby in the city and with it being one of the host cities for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, and the destination for Scotland’s quarter-final against England.

“Given the link I have to Bristol through playing for club and hopefully at the World Cup, it’s so special. It’s such a massive sporting city, and so community driven. The fact that I can showcase my photos there, it means a lot. 

“I love the opportunity it has given to show a different side to me. I’m not just a rugby player, I have this other interest and I hope that others find that interesting too. To have this exhibition makes me feel part of the community.” 

While her rugby career is still at the forefront, Skeldon admits she has aspirations to develop her photography further. 

“I want to keep getting better at it. I’d like to start doing some formal photoshoots for special occasions or moments that are just really important. I just really want to give back to people, because rugby has given me so much. That doesn’t necessarily have to be rugby, but what can I do for others. 

“I think over the next few years I’ll do some voluntary things, get experience through a mix of opportunities. I might look at getting experience of shooting action at local games, but also sticking to stuff I like, so maybe if someone has a newborn, doing something special like that. For the moment I am just really enjoying what I do, capturing the wee moments in life that people maybe don’t expect that I have.” 

Angus, one of Lana’s favourite subjects to photograph.

For Skeldon, the camera is more than a pastime, it’s a tool for balance. 

“When you’re in rugby, you have to be on it all the time. So having something that allows you to switch off is really important, it means that when you are on, you are on and you can stay fresh because you’ve had that off time. It’s important that I have that thing to escape. It makes my good days even better and turns my bad days to good ones.” 

From the pitch to the gallery, Skeldon is proving that her vision extends far beyond rugby’s whitewash.