2020 has been arguably one of the most challenging and life changing years of my life, and I'm sure everyone else's - I don't think any of us saw this one coming.
In April of 2020, I saw a couple of local photographers on social media putting together a collective project involving 100 photographers from across the UK, the mission was to take portrait photographs of NHS and healthcare workers as a tribute to their selfless contribution during the Coronavirus pandemic. I was so excited when I started talking to the organisers and sure enough I got involved.
Like many of us, I was highly anxious and worried when we went into lockdown, it threw everything and everyone into a state of panic and nobody knew what the hell was going on.
Like so many I was concerned for my family, but mainly my sister who is a carer and would be thrown into the deep end not knowing day to day what was going to happen next. Part of my reason for being a part of this incredible project was to photograph the people behind the mask, health care workers and NHS staff were being talked about by our government as numbers, but they are people and they were risking their lives to help others because they had to. I set out to find my subjects and found them through social media, as a photographer it was very important to wait until it was safe to photograph people, so as July came around and lockdown began to ease a little I was able to plan my shoots and shoot my subjects outside, at a two meter distance using my beautiful 50mm portrait lense.
I shot with a junior doctor called Sofia, and a midwife called Emily within a few weeks of each other, the stories were harrowing, shocking but at the same time beautiful because both women clearly loved what they did and pandemic or not they were not giving up.
One consistent point made by both women and other health care professionals I've spoken with since, is that they wouldn't change it and that their professions were the best in the world. I am in awe of these incredible individuals who selflessly seemed to take it in their stride, I hope we look back at 2020 and remember the sacrifice that our NHS and health workers made, but also remind ourselves to support them and make decisions that enable them to be rewarded and recognised.
I received news in August that one of my images would be exhibited in London at St Ethelburga's Centre & Events Venue in Bishopsgate, I am so excited and honoured that one of my images was chosen for the showcase, images to be published on my site soon.
Links to the event and more information about the project: