A few months ago I had the real pleasure of photographing poets Andrew McMillan and his father Ian McMillan for the Relative Values feature in The Sunday Times. Spending time with the two of them was both humbling and enjoyable, and the resulting portraits reflect not just their connection as father and son but also their remarkable contributions to British poetry and culture.
I’ve known of Ian’s work from radio appearances throughout my youth and of course from his long‑standing role as the official poet of Barnsley Football Club. Born in Darfield, South Yorkshire in 1956, Ian McMillan is an English poet, journalist, playwright and broadcaster known for his warm Northern voice and distinctive Yorkshire accent. He has presented BBC Radio 3’s The Verb, written extensively for national publications, and remains deeply rooted in the cultural life of his home region.
His son Andrew McMillan is a leading voice in contemporary British poetry in his own right. Born near Barnsley in 1988, Andrew’s debut poetry collection Physical was published by Jonathan Cape and made history as the first poetry collection to win the Guardian First Book Award. Since then he has published multiple acclaimed works and serves as Professor of Contemporary Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Photographing them together was an opportunity to explore both shared legacy and individual achievement. The session was unhurried and conversational, enabling us to create portraits that communicate personality, mutual respect, and the unique dynamic between two generations of writers. Much of our conversation, inevitably, turned to football — not surprising given Ian’s poetic celebration of sport and his unofficial title as Barnsley’s “Bard” — and it was fascinating to see how the everyday passions of life in Yorkshire inform both of their creative worlds.
The portraits were commissioned to accompany The Sunday Times feature, which invited readers inside the personal and professional lives of these two poets. Editorial portraiture like this goes beyond capturing a likeness; the aim is to reflect character and context, helping readers connect with the subjects on a deeper level. In this case, the images complement the written piece by conveying warmth, humour and the richness of a life spent in language.
Ian’s body of work spans poetry collections, plays, journalism and broadcasting, and he has long been celebrated for promoting poetry to wider audiences. Whether performing live, writing columns or bringing regional voices into national conversation, his career has been rooted in community and accessibility. Andrew’s work is both deeply personal and widely resonant, addressing themes of identity, belonging and emotion while winning recognition on major literary stages. The time spent photographing them offered a glimpse into how these creative lives intersect and diverge, making for a compelling visual story.
In the portraits, you’ll see expressions and gestures that hint at their personalities — Ian’s ease and characteristic humour, Andrew’s quiet intensity and reflective presence — and a sense of connection that only time spent in conversation can reveal. These images do more than illustrate a feature; they document a moment in the lives of two major voices in contemporary poetry.
It was a pleasure to be part of this project, and I’m grateful to The Sunday Times for the opportunity to shoot such thoughtful subjects.
