Fieldwork Commissioning

Aishling Muller works with selected organisations, research teams, institutions, publications and aligned partners on field-based projects concerned with landscape, environmental transformation and ecological change.

Working across photography, moving image and artistic research, each project develops through sustained observation, pattern recognition, embodied encounter and independent artistic response. The work is shaped by the conditions of the place, the questions being explored and what emerges through the fieldwork.

Aishling’s approach draws on independently developed fieldwork

projects in Iceland, Greenland, Greece, Ireland and Sweden.

Commissioned Fieldwork · Editorial Visual Storytelling · Research Collaboration · Archive and Licensing

Is this a fit?

Fieldwork commissions are particularly suited to organisations and publications exploring environmental transition, landscape change, ecological processes, material systems and relationships between people and place.

A project may be a good fit when:

• the subject benefits from sustained or repeated observation
• a landscape or community is undergoing visible or less visible change
• research, access or local knowledge can inform the visual work
• the brief allows for an authored artistic response rather than a predetermined visual formula
• photography may need to work alongside moving image, sound, writing or other forms.

Every enquiry is considered individually, with attention to artistic fit, environmental and ethical alignment, access, working conditions, authorship and the intended use of the work.

How a Commission Develops

1. Initial Conversation

We begin with the subject, location, research question, intended audience, proposed time frame and available budget. This conversation establishes whether the project and working approach are appropriately aligned. 

The initial conversation is exploratory and does not itself confirm a commission. If the project proceeds, a named lead contact will be identified for communication, decisions and feedback throughout the work.

2. Research and Access

The project is developed through relevant background research, conversations, archive material and practical planning. Access, permissions, environmental considerations and relationships with participating people or organisations are identified at this stage. Where substantial proposal development, preparatory research or a site visit is required before appointment, the scope, fee and associated expenses for that work will be agreed in advance.

3. Before the Work Begins

A commission proceeds only after the artist and commissioner have approved a written agreement covering the scope and outputs, schedule, fees and payment schedule, expenses, responsibilities, access, insurance and health and safety where applicable, authorship, copyright, licensing, credits, documentation and arrangements for changes or cancellation.

Artist and commissioner responsibilities are agreed in relation to access, permissions, introductions, participant communication, health and safety, insurance, travel, production, approvals, documentation and delivery. The precise division of responsibility will depend on the location, context and form of each project. An access rider is available for confirmed collaborations to support clear communication, planning and sustainable working arrangements.

4. Fieldwork and Development

The work develops through direct engagement with the location or subject. Depending on the project, this may involve repeated visits, an extended period in the field or work conducted alongside researchers, communities or institutional partners.

5. Editing and Delivery

The material is edited and developed in relation to the agreed context and outputs. Photography may be accompanied by moving image, sound, writing, research material or a presentation where these strengthen the project.

6. Completion and Review

The agreed work and supporting material are delivered in the agreed formats. Where appropriate, the project concludes with documentation, a review conversation or an agreed form of evaluation.

Fieldwork in Motion

Possible Commissions and Outputs

Selected Fieldwork

These independently initiated and field-led projects demonstrate the sustained observation, research and visual development that inform Muller’s approach to commissioned work.

Relevant Experience and Recognition

Based in Ireland · Working Internationally

Tomorrow’s Air - Artist for Air   

Art for Social Change Collective (UK) - Co-founder

Patagonia PRO Community - Member

Magnum in Motion, New York - Internship & professional development

Tokyo International Foto Award - Honourable Mention, FA Landscape

FÍSL -  Member of the Icelandic Contemporary Photography Association

Discuss a Fieldwork Project

Projects may begin with an existing story, an archive enquiry, a landscape, a research question or a place requiring sustained visual investigation. 

For editorial assignments, commissioned fieldwork, image licensing and institutional collaborations, please provide the available details below. Fields marked * are required

Currently considering selected fieldwork commissions, research collaborations, editorial projects, licensing enquiries and institutional partnerships for 2026–27.