A nice cup of tea
The Gratitude Project
Portraits of Historians
Female Fellows at Oxford University
Diversifying Portraiture
Media Trust Portraits
Still Life
Entrepreneurs
Cold Water Swimming
How to Make a Difference
#onedaywithoutus
Entering Motherhood
Author Portraits
Eu Migrants Portraits
Canal Dwellers
A nice cup of tea
This year I am the photographer for a project called ‘A Nice Cup of Tea’. This is a programme of exhibitions, discussions and performances exploring the complex legacy of Empire, transatlantic slavery and trade, particularly in relation to Oxford City and Oxford University. It is in part to commemorate the arrival of the Empire Windrush in 1948, bringing migrants from the Caribbean to start a new life in Britain. We started talking about it long before the Windrush Generation became so prominent in the news. It now seems more important than ever to raise awareness of the complex issues surrounding this most British of beverages.
The Gratitude Project
Portraits of Historians
I regularly make portraits of historians for BBC History Magazine and World Histories Magazine. This is a selection:
Female Fellows at Oxford University
These portraits were commissioned by St Peter’s College, Oxford, to be hung in their dining hall. The eleven women pictured are all the current and past female fellows of the college
Diversifying Portraiture
Oxford University is currently investing in portraits which move away from the typical “white male” faces we see on most of the walls. I was delighted to be commissioned to make two of the portraits of this new series. Kumi Naidoo, a South African human rights activist, who used to be International Executive Director of Greenpeace and Reeta Chakrabarti the British news journalist, presenter and correspondent for BBC News.
These pictures were shown in an exhibition in the Weston Library in Oxford and are now permanently hung in Examination Schools.
Media Trust Portraits
These portraits were all taken for the Media Trust, an organisation which links media professionals with charities.
Still Life
I have been enjoying experimenting with making still life images.
Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs often need a strong portrait to use for publicity purposes. I am often asked to help people with this. These are some examples of that work:
Cold Water Swimming
I love the inability to remain self conscious when dunking your head under cold water. All these images have been made of swimmers, sometimes me, mostly in the Thames, often in winter when temperatures drop to about 4 degrees.
How to Make a Difference
Ever since I first became a photographer 15 years ago, I have been photographing and interviewing people who are trying to make the world a better place, in a variety of ways. This is just a small selection of the people who I have met. Some of the images demonstrate an evolution of my photography over the years. The entire back catalogue can be found on the How to Make a Difference website.
#onedaywithoutus
In June 2017, one year after the Brexit vote in the UK, there was a national day of action, calling people everywhere to imagine one day without the immigrants who have made the UK their home. These are the images from a photo booth which I ran for one hour at Oxford Town Hall on that day. This was a random selection of people who volunteered to be photographed. I am very proud to live in such a diverse city. It’s part of what makes it so special.
In May 2018 Oxford’s twin city in Grenoble held an exhibition at Maison de L’international including some of these images.
Entering Motherhood
I photographed a group of women before and after having their first child, as a way of reflecting on what becoming a mother means. I was struck by how much more confident the women appear after their child has arrived.
Author Portraits
I am often asked to make portraits of authors. Here are few examples of that work.
Eu Migrants Portraits
During the campaign before the UK’s referendum on EU membership in 2016 there was little emphasis on the positive aspects of migration. I made this series of portraits of people, who would most likely not have been able to come to this country if we had, as was much touted, an “Australian-style” points system. I wanted to show respect for the hard work of all types of migrants in our society, not just those who already have a profession or a degree when they come here.
Canal Dwellers
Over the years I have been photographing people who live on the Oxford Canal. I love the quality of light in their boats and the variety of life styles they lead.
