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Photography

It still matters

Ministry of Justice

(Trigger warning: sexual violence)
Sexual violence campaign. A teenager's bedroom with posters on the wall and an unmade bed. Some classic 90s toys are laid out on the floor, connect 4, a stretch armstrong and a joystick. The date 1995 is written over the image.
Sexual violence campaign. A messy living room. A brown leather sofa is draped in colourful blankets. An open newspaper and empty coffee cup sit on a coffee table. The date 1977 is written over the image.
Sexual violence campaign. A living room with a large patterned rug on the floor in front of a lit fireplace. The date 2002 is written over the image.

The challenge

The Ministry of Justice asked us to develop a social media campaign encouraging survivors of sexual abuse to reach out for support. However, reaching out means facing up to the complex pain and trauma of the abuse, leading many survivors to keep it inside for months, years or even decades. We needed to talk to both male and female survivors, of all backgrounds, in a way that respected the sensitivity of the topic, and helped ease the emotional barriers to asking for support.

Our solution

Our striking creative concept sends a powerful message to survivors: no matter when the abuse happened, support is always there. Atmospheric footage of domestic scenes throughout the decades evokes memories of a past marred by the impact of abuse, while acknowledging that living with the abuse can be as difficult as talking about it. This empathic and subtle approach gently nudges survivors in the direction of support. Read our blog post to learn how we put survivors’ voices at the centre of the creative process.

LGBT Veterans Independent Review

Cabinet Office
An LGBT veteran is photographed whilst painting on canvas. He looks directly into the camera.
An LGBT veteran is photographed smiling whilst cooking in a pub kitchen. He wears chefs whites and a black apron.
An LGBT veteran is photographed whilst standing behind the bar in a pub. He leans on a beer pump and has a cloth in one hand.

The challenge

In July of 2022 the Government established an independent Review to examine the effect that the pre-2000 ban on homosexuality in the UK Armed Forces has had on LGBT veterans. The Review was created seek to better understand the experience of LGBT veterans who served in the UK Armed Forces between 1967 and 2000. Once the Review has gathered all its findings and testimonies, Design102 was then commissioned to design the actual report. Photography was required as part of that process, and so a team was put together to deliver images that would accurately reflect the journeys of 4 LGBT veterans from around the United Kingdom.

Our solution

After the review board had selected some suitable candidates, we held discovery calls to try and better understand what the volunteers had been through and use that information to formulate a creative approach to the photography that would represent our subjects sensitively and respectfully. The team then travelled to Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Northern England to meet and photograph the subjects in and around their homes, using our research to ensure the photographs accurately portrayed the emotional difficulties they had experienced by allowing their personality to shine through in the photographs we took.

GSS Conference 2018

Government Statistical Service
  • A woman working at the event helps an attendee find his name badge on a table.
  • A speaker presents beside a large screen showing a slide titled 'The Data and Insight Team in Ofsted'. The photograph is taken from behind the audience.
  • A dark silhouette of a man speaking into a microphone, against a light blue background.
  • A close-up portrait of a middle-aged man wearing glasses. He has a serious expression and is turning his head towards the left side of the image.

The challenge

The Government Statistical Service held a two-day event in Manchester that brought together analysts from statistical functions across government. GSS wanted natural, high-resolution shots of speakers, delegates involved in workshops and people networking to show the general feel of the event.

Our solution

We travelled to Manchester to capture both days of the event reportage-style. We took hundreds of pictures. It was important that we were aware of the event’s schedule so we could choose the best parts to photograph. We were also mindful that the schedule could change at any given moment.

Portraits

  • Dr Patrick Vallance, Chief Scientific Adviser to the government, sits at a table with his hands resting on top of it. He smiles directly into the camera.
  • The Right Honourable Lady Justice Thirlwall stands in a courtroom setting, with wood-framed doors and windows visible behind her.
  • Naomi Mallick, Director for Ministry of Justice's Legal Services smiles, looking straight into the camera. The shot shows her head and shoulders.
  • Max Hill QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, looks directly into the camera. The shot shows his head and shoulders against a plain white background.
  • Peter Lawrence OBE sits on a bench in Westminster, looking towards the Thames. He is in focus but the buildings and tree in the background are blurred.

The challenge

We are often asked to capture portraits. There are many things to think about when creating these – it’s not easy to capture someone’s whole personality in one image. To get the best shot, we have to think about technical elements such as lighting and settings, while bearing in mind the not-so-technical element of keeping our subject at ease. Portraits need to be versatile so they can be used on a variety of platforms and it’s important that the subjects like them.

Our solution

We regularly create portraits of people from all walks of life, so know how to put our subjects at ease to get the best representation of them in a snapshot. We can shoot subjects in a variety of styles, including with bright key-lit backgrounds, shallow depth of field ‘blurry’ backgrounds or the subject’s surroundings. We usually capture a lot of different image crops, facial expressions and poses to give the client a variety of images to use in the future.

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