A wonderful opportunity to meet and photograph former footballers Nedum Onuoha (ex-QPR and Manchester City), David Thompson (ex-Liverpool, Coventry and Blackburn) and Joe Thompson (ex-Rochdale and Tranmere) for a recent ESPN article discussing their varied experiences of retiring from the game.
Photographing for Art Fund at the Bronte Museum
Art Fund is a UK-based charity that aims to help museums and galleries to acquire and display works of art. The charity was established in 1903 and has since supported hundreds of museums and galleries across the country, helping to enhance their collections and make art more accessible to the public.
One of the most notable initiatives of Art Fund is the National Art Pass, which provides free entry or discounted admission to over 240 museums and galleries across the UK, as well as other benefits such as exclusive events and discounts at art-related shops and restaurants.
Meet Me at the Museum is a podcast series published by Art Fund where famous faces take their best mate, their mum, their neighbour (whoever they want) for an afternoon at a favourite museum or gallery. As well as getting a peek behind the scenes, seeing what makes a museum tick, it's also the starting point for some great conversations about life, the universe and everything. As well as a chance to eat lots of cake in the cafe.
During the production of this episode, I photographed writer Amy Liptrot, author of The Outrun and The Instant, as she took her friend, poet Zaffar Kunial, to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire. Together they explore the former home of the Brontë sisters – Charlotte, Emily and Anne – and see where some of their most famous novels were written. From the dining table where the sisters shared their work, to early reviews of Wuthering Heights, intimate objects and artefacts prompt conversations about Amy and Zaffar’s own inspirations as writers. And, after exploring the house and museum, they head out into the landscape and discover a poem in the wild.
The Bronte Museum, located in the picturesque village of Haworth in West Yorkshire, England, is a must-visit destination for literature lovers and fans of the Bronte sisters. The museum is dedicated to the lives and works of the Bronte family, particularly the three sisters - Charlotte, Emily, and Anne - who wrote some of the most celebrated novels of the 19th century, including "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights", and "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall".
The museum is housed in the former home of the Bronte family, which has been carefully preserved to provide visitors with an authentic glimpse into the lives of the famous siblings. The museum contains an extensive collection of Bronte memorabilia, including original manuscripts, letters, personal belongings, and artworks. Visitors can explore the various rooms of the museum, including the dining room, drawing room, and bedrooms, which have been furnished to recreate the atmosphere of the Bronte family home.
UK Youth Royal visit
A commission from UK Youth to document the visit of Princess Anne to The Station, Bristol.
Read MoreAnn Treneman for The Times
It was a pleasure to photograph Ann Treneman for The Times recently, a shoot that resulted in my first cover for The Times Weekend supplement and my first image on the cover of The Times newspaper.
Read MoreJohn Junior for Samaritans
Another great shoot for Samaritans, photographing mental health activist John Junior.
In 2019, John started vlogging about his experiences of mental health issues on Instagram in order "to reach out to others with mental health difficulties". In May 2020 his vlogs on Instagram caught the attention of UNILAD, who approached Junior to test Samaritans self-help app during mental health awareness week and to help raise awareness for world suicide prevention day on 10 September 2020.
Read MoreLillian and Fidaa for Asthma UK - British Lung Foundation
It was wonderful to meet and photograph Fidaa and Lily and be a part of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation’s vital campaign for clean air.
Lily has asthma, which is exacerbated by air pollution.
“She is nine years old now and has had breathing problems since she was a baby. Her old school was in an area with very high pollution levels, despite being near a park and off the main road. School is a place where children should be safe, but too many of them are in high air pollution areas.”
The family didn’t realise how bad the pollution was until Lily’s friend’s mum, Ruth, borrowed an air quality monitor from the British Lung Foundation. The results showed regular spikes of nitrogen dioxide that peak 50 per cent above EU legal limits. Ruth pushed the council to take action, starting a petition to create ‘school streets’ and ban cars on the roads close to schools at drop off and pick up times.
“Politicians simply aren’t taking enough action to clean our air. We need less traffic on the roads and social housing needs to be safer for children with asthma. They need more trees and green spaces to clean the air. Fresh air is so good for their lungs.”
Read MoreLangfields
Langfields are specialist fabricators of process plant for the Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Offshore, Oil & Gas, Marine, Defence, Nuclear and other process industries. Based only one mile from Deansgate they demonstrate that there is still some manufacturing industry in the post-industrial city.
As a former engineer, I love visiting these places and finding out what’s being made and the techniques used.
The fabricators at Langfields receive giant 18mm Aluminium plates and within the space of only 20 metres, cut, bend and weld it into complex, water-jacketed vessels according to the exacting specifications of high tech industries.
Read MoreMark Radcliffe for Art Fund
I was very pleased to be asked to contribute stills for a forthcoming episode of Art Fund’s Meet Me at the Museum podcast, in which radio presenter Mark Radcliffe and his bandmate Paul Langley tour Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry.
Read MoreSheila Anderson for Samaritans
Earlier in the year I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing the wonderful Sheila Anderson on behalf of the Samaritans. Sheila had taken part in the Samaritans’ Managing Suicidal Conversations training while working for the railways and has since helped a number of people in very difficult situations.
Sheila was on her way to the weekly shop when she saw someone who needed help – trusting her instincts, she struck up a conversation and managed to get them to safety, potentially saving their life.
“Around the beginning of last year, I was on the way to my weekly shop when I came across a young woman in floods of tears, I stopped the car and slowly approached her. I asked, “has something happened to bring you here today?” and I could tell that instantly broke her thoughts. She told me her name and said she was struggling to cope as she wasn’t able to get the support she needed.
Read MoreBrades Farm for the Financial Times
I had an informative and enjoyable day at Brades Farm near Lancaster shooting pictures for an article about the ecological impact of dairy farming for the Financial Times.
Father and son farmers John and Ed Towers add Mootral - a garlic-based supplement - to their cows feed, reducing the methane emissions from their (the cows) profuse flatulence by 20% and lowering the environmental impact of the farm by 10%.
Thanks to Ed and John for the comprehensive tour, the coffees and the much needed lend of the wellies.
Read MoreBruce Grobbelaar for 11 Freunde
A recent commission to photograph Liverpool FC legend Bruce Grobbelaar for German football magazine 11 Freunde.
A total gent who even bought me a beer at the end of the shoot, I think that’s the first time that’s happened in 20 years!
Read MoreCloud Studies by Forensic Architecture
Photographs from the excellent new exhibition Cloud Studies by Forensic Architecture currently showing at Whitworth Art Gallery as part of Manchester International Festival.
https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/cloudstudies
‘Cloud Studies’ was made for the exhibition Critical Zones: Observatories for earthly politics at ZKM Centre for Art and Media in Karlsruhe. Alongside the physical exhibition, our work is also presented on the virtual exhibition platform.
Read MoreSue Steer for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
I was asked by London-based agency Sunday to visit Sue Steer at her home in Shropshire a few weeks ago to take some portrait photographs. Sue is a rural surveyor and the pictures were to accompany an article in the Royal Society for Chartered Surveyors’ Modus magazine.
Read MoreBradley Dreha for Dwell Magazine
When Bradley Dreha revamped his bedroom he decided to post before and after pictures on TikTok. The results were so good that San Francisco based design magazine Dwell got in touch to ask him for an interview.
Dwell then asked me to visit Bradley at his home in Walton, Merseyside to photograph him and his room for the latest issue of the magazine.
You can see more of Bradley’s work on Instagram @shitprints2
Dwell magazine can be found at dwell.com
Read MoreFran Millar for Rouleur
It was great to photograph Fran Millar CEO of Belstaff and former CEO of Team Ineos for this month’s Rouleur magazine, an entire edition dedicated to and celebrating women and cycling.
Read More50 Windows of Creativity. An assignment for Wild in Art
This autumn, Manchester is hosting 50 Windows of Creativity, a showcase of the work of artists and makers displayed in a series of windows, venues, businesses and spaces across the city centre.
The displays feature multiple art forms from fine art and photography to ceramics, crafts, mosaics and murals curated by well-known and emerging artists and collectives – all with a connection to Greater Manchester.
Read MoreMark Radcliffe for the Daily Telegraph
Mark Radcliffe is as nice in person in real life as his radio persona would suggest. Music nerd, City fan, all round good egg.
I’ve photographed him a couple of times, here in Dunham Massey country park in Cheshire with a beautiful vintage VW Beetle for a motoring feature in the Daily Telegraph.
Read MorePaddy Wagon Removals
Paddy Wagon is a family run independent Manchester removals business run by my friends the Wagon family.
During lockdown I worked with them on a number of jobs, taking photographs along the way and finally designing their new website.
Read MoreDocumentary Photography for Buzzfeed News
Harassment Outside Abortion Clinics Is Still Happening, But Local Authorities Are Struggling To Stop It
The Home Office has rejected calls to put a national ban on abortion clinic protests, but councils are a long way off tackling the issue locally.
Read MoreVietnam
In October I made my first trip to Vietnam, a country that I’ve been wanting to visit for as long as I can remember. I was attracted by the culture, the cuisine and the thought of getting away from this year’s dismally dreary ‘summer’ to a country that while it has its fair share of rainfall also has its fair share of heat. Oh and scooters…
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