Behind the scenes of my Howfen Portraits lockdown series
It was a boiling hot day and I was sat having a brew in the back garden when the idea of doorstep portraits came to mind. A friend of mine from the local running club had put a team of volunteers together to sew scrub bags for Bolton Hospital ICU - and, given that I’m hopeless at sewing - I thought I’d use photography to try and raise some awareness/funds for their materials.
I’d seen various photographers taking lockdown street photos across the country, using different styles. Some were charging for their work - in lieu of any paid shoots due to the pandemic; others were raising money for charity. But at the time no-one was taking any on my local patch in Westhoughton. After a conversation with another pal from Sheffield, I decided to give it a go during lockdown, with a mile radius restriction from home (mostly due to the weight of my kit, but also because they needed to be completed on my once-a-day allowable walk which was only an hour long).
Organising the shoots
It was an administrative challenge. Safety was paramount. Here’s how they worked:
I set up a Google Form which I asked bookers to complete with their address details (all working within my privacy policy) and a preference for days/AM or PM (the Ts and Cs and safety info was included on the form)
I located the bookers using Google Maps, and organised them into daily walks that made sense geographically (maximum 4 in a walk)
I messaged the bookers to explain when I was going to be in their area, and gave them a time band (e.g. between 1pm - 2pm)
The bookers then confirmed if they wanted to accept the slot
I texted when I set off from home/the previous household with an ETA
I messaged again when I was near so they could hop outside, I could take the photo and walk on.
I edited the shoots
Their photo/s were uploaded to my portfolio site to download, which I then emailed.
It took a lot of time. But it was worth it to make sure everyone was safe, knew when to expect me, and I had chance to catch my breath between visits.
Over the period of three weeks I worked full-time on the project: administering, shooting, editing and sharing over 60 portraits.
The kit I used
I had to stay a good distance from my subjects (over two metres away). And often I had little room for manouevre when it came to composition. So I typically took both my Canon 7D and Canon 6D bodies out, along with my Sigma 35mm f1.4, Tamron 28 - 75mm f2.8, and my nifty fifty (Canon 50mm f1.8).
What happened next
I shared the photos (with permission) on my project page. The Bolton News covered the story in a full spread in the printed version and online. One of my portraits was included in Sitcom Soldier’s Film for the Bolton community, narrated by Maxine Peake. And the same image featured in the very first issue of This Detailed Life professional photography magazine.
Thanks to the kind donations of those who took part, we raised over £300 from the doorstep portraits for the volunteers’ materials. Since then, kit has been distributed to Bolton ICU and Northwest Ambulance Service.