I could never have imagined last March what it would feel like to still be in a national lockdown almost a year after the first one started, but here we are. My children are all at home again, sitting in live classes which would also have seemed incredible to me a year ago. Even over the summer months when some in-person portrait photography was possible, it happened almost entirely outdoors. I do miss real life, personal contact, but I am also delighted to be working on my sixth series of Zoom portraits since the pandemic began. This was a technique that was just a vague idea in the back of my head until the beginning of 2020, which I soon realised had found its moment. I love the fact that I can photograph someone as easily in South Korea or Colombia (apart from the time difference), as I can someone at the end of my street. The added advantage of a lot more people being at home during this period, makes it easier for me to find subjects.
The latest series of portraits is of people who are participating in the vaccine trials. We are witnessing an unprecedented global effort to develop and approve vaccines against COVID19. In the UK, three vaccines are already approved for distribution, but we need many more if we are to vaccinate all kinds of people, all over the world. The creation of these vaccines would not be possible without the people who volunteer to be part of clinical trials. These participants help to ensure that the vaccines are both safe and effective. They provide the data that allows government authorities to decide whether they wish to roll out these jabs to their populations.
I have been so inspired by the range of people who I’ve found so far. I’ve photographed people on the Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, Imperial College, Novavax, Valneva and Janssen trials. While making the portraits, I have also gathered stories. For most, it is the first time they have taken part in a medical trial. They are ordinary people, driven by a desire to do their bit to help save lives and bring an end to repeated lockdowns. I have spoken to people in a wide-range of situations. The old and young, the high risk and low risk, those with and without family support. Without their participation in the trials, front line health care workers and the most vulnerable members of the population would not be being vaccinated already, less than a year after the first case of COVID19 was reported in the UK. I feel very grateful to them.