May
Farmers are essential workers. During this unprecedented time, they are still up at dawn to care for livestock, start seeds, make repairs and do everything else it takes to get food to market. Without their hard work and resourcefulness, our plates would be empty. A global pandemic underscores the vital importance of strong local food systems. Farmers around the world are facing new challenges and small farms are particularly vulnerable.
I have photographed every sort of farm, plus the people / farmers behind the farms that supply Sainsbury’s.
Sainsbury’s are working closely with farmers, growers and suppliers – in the UK and internationally – so that they can improve and reassure customers about product availability These are really challenging circumstances, constantly trying to balance the need to serve customers well, to keep shelves stocked and to help people get in and out of shops as quickly as possible.
I hope that the silver lining to all of this will be for people to place a greater value on what they eat, and more importantly, the people who go to extraordinary lengths to provide it.
May
In times like these it is beneficial to be diverse and adaptable. If you look at my website then you will see reportage, travel photography and portraits for magazines; annual report stock photography, portraits and commercial photography for corporate clients; architecture and interiors for designers; and humanitarian and campaign photography for charitable organisations. I really enjoy the range of work.
I do not think this dilutes my focus, in fact I believe that it is a strength for the people I work with, and for my position in the professional world of photography. I apply the same enthusiasm of seeking to capture the best photos possible for every assignment. This seems to have worked so far, receiving international awards in all sectors of my work.
It means I can supply clients with every aspect of photography. So, as well as photographing interiors and architecture, I can also photograph the designers behind the projects. Here are some of the creatives that I have photographed alongside photographing the architect’s projects.
May
The British Red Cross has supported people in crisis for over 150 years. I have been supporting them with my photography for over sixteen years. I have photographed everything from disaster relief to Royal events. They are, and always will be, the organisation that I most enjoy working with.
The work that I have witnessed has been amazing and the people that I have worked are incredible. The British Red Cross is always on standby to help with UK emergencies and the coronavirus is no exception.
Over 70,000 people have signed up as community reserve volunteers for the British Red Cross, with more joining the Movement every day.
You could be doing anything from helping at your local food bank to playing a vital role in easing the pressure on the NHS by delivering essential goods and supplies.
There are many ways of supporting the British Red Cross.
Apr
A University of Oxford consortium behind one of the leading vaccine candidates for the coronavirus selected Oxford Biomedica as its lead manufacturer. I was allowed access to photograph at the new OXBOX £20 million facility called Ox Box on the Oxford Business Park.
The Jenner Institute at Oxford is currently working on its vaccine candidate with clinical trials about to begin, and Oxford Biomedical is the lead producer should the human trials prove successful.
The Oxford vaccine candidate relies on adenoviral vector technology, ChAdOx1, developed at the Jenner Institute, in Oxford. It is seen as one of the most promising vaccine technologies for COVID-19 as ChAdOx1 has been shown to generate a strong immune response from one dose and it has demonstrated a good safety profile in pre-clinical and clinical trials conducted to date.
Britain has agreed a deal with the World Health Organisation to work with 20 other countries and global organisations including France, Germany and Italy to find a vaccine and to share the results.
The British government has pledged £20 million in funding with Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, saying “We are going to back them to the hilt and give them every resource they need to give them the best chance of success”.
Oxford Biomedica is a leading, fully integrated, gene and cell therapy group focused on developing life changing treatments for serious diseases.
John Dawson, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Biomedica, said: “As an established clinical and commercial manufacturer of viral vectors, we are very pleased to be in a strong position in terms of capacity and capabilities to support the important and urgent efforts of the Consortium led by the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, to develop and scale up manufacturing of this promising vaccine candidate for COVID-19.”
