Here’s a couple of screen grabs – and the link to the gallery is here.

Guardian Development :: Bangladesh for MAF :: 1

Guardian Development :: Bangladesh for MAF :: 2

Guardian Development :: Bangladesh for MAF :: 3

Guardian Development :: Bangladesh for MAF :: 4

Guardian Development :: Bangladesh for MAF :: 5

[and it was the most viewed item on the development pages in the previous 24 hours... which is nice]

Richard Hanson :: photographer

hansonphoto.co.uk

It was a fantastic project to work on – over a year of visits, documenting each stage of the refurb, really nice.  I’ll maybe repost some images from the project on this blog at some point, as the original website is down now.

One of the things I’d wanted to do was record as many of the people who worked on the project – to make it more than just the building and acknowledge the human side of the process.  So I did a series of portraits of the workers against white backgrounds, in a little bit of an homage to Richard Avedon’s style.  I’ve posted three sets of two portraits each on the website (hansonphoto.co.uk/build), but here they are too:

Vestry Hall Burngreave Worker Portraits - 1 :: photos copyright: Richard Hanson

Vestry Hall Burngreave Worker Portraits - 2 :: photos copyright: Richard Hanson

Vestry Hall Burngreave Worker Portraits - 3 :: photos copyright: Richard Hanson

Vestry Hall Burngreave, before restoration :: Photo copyright: Richard Hanson

Here’s the building close to its opening:

Vestry Hall Burngreave, 2007 :: photo copyright: Richard Hanson

Richard Hanson :: photographer :: Sheffield

hansonphoto.co.uk

I was on staff at Tearfund, who were heavily involved in the launch of Jubilee 2000 (now the Jubilee Debt Campaign), the campaign to cancel unpayable debt in developing countries at the turn of the Millennium. We were offering as much support as we could, and I was able to photograph a number of their events – including Muhammad Ali’s February 1999 visit to London as an ambassador for Jubilee 2000.

It was one of those extraordinary days that live with you for ever.  We started with a photo call in the park by the Palace of Westminster – Ali holding hands with children from around the world, with banners asking for freedom from the chains of debt.  As he bent down to be at the same level as the children, he rocked over onto his back – his Parkinson’s was already well developed, and although he still moved with echoes of grace, his balance wasn’t what it had been.  Immediately the photographer from one of the Red Tops held his camera up, calling ‘not shooting’, and we all pointed our cameras skywards – a profound moment of respect for and solidarity with Ali. There were no camera phones, nobody live streaming anything – and shortly Ali was back on his feet, and we got the pictures we needed.

I had all-areas access, as the official Jubilee 2000 photographer, and followed the entourage inside a private event in Brixton (much to other photographer’s irritation).  I sat in the front row of a tiny crowded room as Ali entered – a totally electrifying moment, the room on it’s collective feet chanting ‘Ali, Ali, Ali’, and he stood and quietly accepted the praise.  I’ve only been in the presence of someone who can physically change the air in a room a couple of other times – Bill Clinton was another – an almost shocking experience in such a tiny space. Ali handed out Islamic tracts that he’d autographed throughout the day – basic ‘what is Islam?’ leaflets, which were guaranteed to be kept (and even possibly read) because of his signature.  A colleague’s husband made a significant donation to Jubilee 2000 for mine…

Muhammed Ali in Brixton 1999 :: photo copyright: Tearfund for Jubilee 2000

And then outside, in an open top car, driving through Brixton with photographers and cameramen running alongside, and rather bemused crowds trying to see what was going on.

Ali in Brixton :: Photo copyright: Tearfund for Jubilee 2000

Ali at Westminster :: Photo copyright: Tearfund for Jubilee 2000

Later on there was more, including a quieter conference time with Jubilee 2000 leaders and board members, and a memorable group shot – something happened that’s only happened once or twice ever, where I was invited to have my picture taken with Ali (by his own photographer). For years after I would carry that picture with me (despite the fashion disaster of a jumper I was wearing that day) in case of trouble with militia or soldiers when I was traveling – everyone knows Ali, and just the fact you’ve met him changes how people respond to you. If I lay my hands on it, I’ll post it here as an update.

Champion boxer Naseem Hamed was at this later part of the day, and my picture of the two of them together made the Sunday Express that weekend:

Muhammad Ali and Naseem Hamed in the Sunday Express :: photo copyright: Tearfund for Jubilee 2000

One of the most frequent questions I get asked, particularly when I work in schools, is ‘have you ever met anyone famous?’. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown get shrugged off, but Ali?  He always gets a response.

Richard Hanson

Photographer

hansonphoto.co.uk

Remember Haiti.

Today is the second anniversary of the devastating Haiti earthquake that left over 200000 people dead and millions displaced and homeless.

Singer songwriter Paul Bell, coincidentally also Sheffield-based, has released a single, ‘While we sleep tonight’, available today on iTunes, which is raising money for Tearfund’s work.

The video for the single features images from the Tearfund ‘Haiti: Beyond the Rubble’ exhibition, featuring my photographs.

Paul and I will be on BBC Radio Sheffield at around 11.20 today.

Singer-songwriter Paul Bell and BBC presenter Rony Robinson at BBC Radio Sheffield for Haiti interview :: photo copyright Richard Hanson

Tearfund have a press release about Haiti here.

There’s obviously a lot about Haiti on the web at the moment. Here’s the Guardian pictures and story, but there’s a lot more out there. My Guardian gallery of pictures from the exhibition is here.

Richard Hanson :: photographer

Sheffield

hansonphoto.co.uk

Collapsed supermarket, Port au Prince :: March 2010 :: photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

I’m thinking of my friends in Haiti at the moment, and praying for them too.  It’s a year since I was last there, and I’m thinking a lot about the country and it’s future today.

Here’s some simple portraits of three of the people who I’ve spent time with over the past couple of years.

Jeneuse with the first new pair of red shoes she's bought since the earthquake :: July 2010 :: Port au Prince :: Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Quinet in front of his home where his wife and daughter died :: March 2010 :: Port au Prince :: photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Evelyn, who survived three days of being buried after the earthquake, with her grandmother :: Port au Prince :: July 2010 :: photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

If you want to support the work of an organisation that is having an impact in Haiti, do give to Tearfund.  If you’re interested in supporting disaster relief in general, the DEC respond to every major disaster, and distribute the money to the organisations best placed to use it well.

Richard Hanson

I had the privilege (even thought I’m a Newcastle fan) of meeting Mr Radford three years ago for a Guardian feature on third round Saturday, visiting him in his home where he was making a dolls house for his grand daughter. He was incredibly welcoming and gracious, and wrote a lovely thank you letter after I’d sent him a print – one of those jobs which sticks in the mind for being so nice to have done. In the end I think the paper used one of him working on the dolls house, but I like the clarity and simplicity of this one.

Former Hereford Town footballer Ronnie Radford :: shot for the Guardian :: copyright Richard Hanson

Lighting is one Lumedyne head in a softbox (small 60cm square) to camera left, ambient light balanced to get the three lights above the dolls house to still have some colour.

And here’s the YouTube clip:

I’ve just watched that again – it really is the most incredible goal given the conditions!

Richard Hanson :: photographer

Sheffield :: UK :: world

hansonphoto.co.uk

Tarnished earth :: 1

Tarnished earth :: 2

Makes Sheffield look a little bleak too!

Richard Hanson :: photographer :: Sheffield

hansonphoto.co.uk

The Old Chapel, Hawes. With two Cubes.

But there was another, more important reason for visiting – the amazing gents toilet:

Hawes' Gentlemen's Toilet

Now happily placed on the tribute to public toilet architecture pages of my website here.

In our fifteen minute walk out for cheese, we managed to encounter snow, hail, rain and sunshine (and the muddiest 1/8th of a mile public footpath I’ve ever been on) – which makes future visits a tempting proposition.

Here’s the waterfall:

Waterfall in Hawes. With snow.

And there’s a church as well…

The Anglican one in Hawes. There's a Methodist one too. And a Friend's graveyard...

I’m sure we’ll be back soon…

Pakistan 2011

In early August I went to Pakistan with Tearfund, to look at how the relief work was going after the massive flooding the year before.  It was possibly my favourite trip of the year – there was a great Tearfund team on the ground, and things seemed to be going really well.  Here’s some pics:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Haju Pakhar, widow, at Saleh Jath village – she had a great pair of glasses, a new house (nearly), and a lot of energy…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Lots of people working shots – they always makes for interesting pics, as long as you can avoid getting whacked on the head…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Building new houses at Saleh Jath village, rebuilt with help from Tearfund.  All these new houses were on slightly raised ground to try to stop the next flood having as dramatic an impact – as with these houses (below) in Mohammed Parari village, UC Jaar.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

All the materials were stored in central depots and pre-cut to size, before being shipped out to the villages where new houses were needed, and almost built as ‘kit houses’.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Installing a Tearfund hand pump in Kaider Bux village, UC Jaar.  I loved the way the piping seemed to take on a life of its own, and started snaking around the well-head site.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Building new latrine for Haji Noor Mohammad, Obhayo Machi village.  Once on site, the buildings (here a latrine) could be put up in a few hours.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Tearfund distributed sunflower seeds to these farmers as a quick-growing income generating crop shortly after the floods. After harvesting the sunflowers, they have reinvested the profits into buying rice to plant as a more sustainable long-term development solution.

Here, tenant famers prepare rice seedlings for transplanting to more spacious fields. Ali Muhammad (foreground in vest with cigarette), and family helpers at Mohammed Pareri village, UC Jaar.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Tenant farmers picking cotton, which is grown with fertiliser provided by Tearfund, Shoro Village, Kotri.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

PEP school, Shanti Nagar village

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Two village elders in Master Sadiq village, UC Jaar.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Haji Gol Mohammad, who walked 80km with his livestock after the flood, Mohammed Pareri village, UC Jaar.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Children playing in water, Mohammed Parheri village.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Portraits 2011

Almost all of  my work is about people – who they are, what they do, where they do it.  This is a selection of portraits from the past year, ranging from authors to electrical engineers, Olympic chiefs to film producers, and quite a lot of the rest of us too…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for SHU

I photograph a lot of speakers for Sheffield Hallam University, and they’re always interesting people – above is Sheffield’s retired Bishop Jack. Below is the remarkable Will Self:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for SHU

Below is advertising guru Sir John Hegarty:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for SHU

In July I spent a great couple of days with Fourth Wall Creations on Manor Park, photographing some of the residents there:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for fourthwallcreations

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for fourthwallcreations

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for fourthwallcreations

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for fourthwallcreations

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for fourthwallcreations

I photographed students and staff at Oak Hill College in London for their advertising and prospectus – a chance to use another new piece of lighting kit which I’ll do a separate post about sometime soon, but here’s a few of my favourite images from that shoot:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Oak Hill College

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Oak Hill College

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Oak Hill College

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Oak Hill College

Places 2011

Architecture and commercial landscapes that I shot in 2011:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for SHU

Park Hill flats in Sheffield, just before their reopening this summer, as part of a story on Sheffield Hallam students winning an award for their design work on interiors for one of the refurbished flats.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for SHU

The rather splendidly named Corker Bottom in Sheffield.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Sheffield City Council

Street architecture for one of Sheffield City Council’s regeneration teams.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for RIBA/SHU/SCC

Shot for the ‘Forgotten Places’ design project.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Oak Hill College

‘This town has dragged you down’ – Preston…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for me

Tate Modern – shot as a test on a day out at exhibitions…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

And finally in landscapes – this is the Jacmal road at Tom Gato in Haiti back in January.

Bangladesh 2011

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for MAF

Fuel manufacture in Khulna, Bangladesh.

I was going to put more from Bangladesh, but there’s something interesting in the pipeline for that, so I’ll leave it for a few days, and post about it once it’s public.

Hope you’ve enjoyed these two look-backs at last year – maybe time to start looking at this one…

Links

Tearfund

Sheffield Hallam University

MAF

Oak Hill College

Fourth Wall Creations

Richard Hanson :: photographer :: Sheffield

hansonphoto.co.uk

2011 – it’s been fantastic year of work – lots of interesting people and places, some still to come in terms of being seen (especially the month of work with Sheffield Children’s Hospital, which will be exhibited in early 2012 in Sheffield).  And there have been some great developments regarding training and new types of work coming up next year, of which more later. But for now, here’s a selection of my favourite pictures from the year, broken down into themes…

Haiti 2011

Haiti, post-earthquake, filled a large part of 2010 for me, and 2011 continued that. I was in Haiti for much of January, working with Tearfund covering the anniversary of the quake, and reporting on their relief and development work.  The body of work from Haiti over my three visits was exhibited in London (June) and Sheffield (October), complete with radio and press coverage, and the opportunity for a lot of the stories to be heard more widely.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Still one of my favourite shots from the exhibition.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

This was a very quiet moment, with someone whose story we didn’t use in the end, but enough to say it was a very moving afternoon.  And in a totally different part of Port au Prince to where we’d been used to working.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

This is in AFCA camp in Port au Prince which I visited again and again – I like the massive contrast in the light, and the slow but still busy feel to the work going on.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

And continuing a theme of quiet moments in troubled places, this is Camp Adokken in Port au Prince, one of the fairly large camps that are spread across the city – not huge, but some thousands of people living under plastic.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Faith is a profound part of Haitian life, and churches have been a significant part of the response to the earthquake – this one is up in the hills above Leogane, and uses a school building for their services.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

In a house in Port au Prince, with most of the family still living mainly outdoors, due to the structural damage, another quiet moment of normality reasserting itself.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Where does all the rubble go? A lot of it seems to end up near the sea, on vast dumping grounds like this, where it gets picked over again for anything salvageable.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

One of the things I love about the pace of an overseas trip is that there are often periods of waiting, while a journalist does interviews.  People tend to relax a bit, and become less aware of you (or at least less bothered), which makes for little interactions with the people who are still hanging around too.  This is at Bethel church, after the service, a good hour north of Port au Prince. As is the shot below, which is also one of my exhibition favourites – in fact, shooting this was what started me thinking there might be an exhibition in the pictures I’d been making in Haiti, as it didn’t feel as though it would be an editorial shot, but still felt as though it worked for the story…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Politics 2011

There’s always a bit of politics…  Some of it is commissioned, a little is on spec:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for SHU

Visit of House of Commons Speaker the Rt Hon John Bercow MP to Sheffield Hallam University.  He was visiting sixth form politics students, as well as delivering an evening lecture for the public and was really excellent – very engaged with and interested in the students, and someone who made you feel as though it was worth engaging with politics…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for TES

A lot of pension and income angst this year too – this was the NUT annual conference in Harrogate, where they voted for strike action.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson

And more of it here – this is the TUC day of strike action at the end of November, with maybe 10000 people outside the City Hall in Sheffield.  Thankfully, no riots in Sheffield (I’ve been there, done that, and have no desire to repeat the experience…).  But I think there’s a significant likelihood (!) of some more marches like this next year, at least.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for SHU

Polly Toynbee, Guardian columnist and political author came to speak at Sheffield Hallam University, during Sheffield’s ‘Off the Shelf’ literary festival.  I often only get a few minutes with people at these events, but she’s someone I always find very thought provoking to read, and it was great to meet her.

Education 2011

A lot of my work is in schools, colleges and universities, photographing for magazines, prospectuses and publicity or working with young people to enable them to tell stories visually.  There’s a lot of interesting things I’ve shot this year that are very specific to the school, but here are a few of my favourite education pictures from this year.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson

A lot of the challenge of photographing in schools is becoming part of what’s going on, so that you’re not a massive distraction. This is in a school in Birmingham – I love the concentration, and the smiley star…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson

Same place, lots of energy…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson

And a preparation for Royal Wedding celebrations.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson

Rather closer to home, these chickens are looked after by pupils at an inner-city primary school as part of an eco-club. One of those slightly risky photo shoots where your head seems to be a good target for chicken-beaks, and everything’s rather slippier than perhaps it could be…  Really nice story though!

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Leadership Focus

This isn’t the picture that was used in the end, but I like the way the wide use of technology in this Blackpool primary is shown in this portrait of the head – the light’s quite fun too…

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Oak Hill

Working with adults in a university setting is a slightly different pace and offers a lot more control.  This is for Oak Hill College’s prospectus and website – I’ve been photographing for them for maybe fifteen years, and I’m constantly working with them to create new ways of telling their story.  I started out on film, and with the new generation of Nikons (this is on a D3s), I can shoot even in the lecture theatres using available light. I did a whole additional set of shots on my 24mm tilt shift lens too, to throw particular parts of the image into focus, and these have been used on their website.

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Oak Hill

I also spent a couple of days up in Bradford, working with pupils to illustrate what they were hoping to go on and study at university – great fun to work with all their creativity!

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for CBC

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for CBC

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for CBC

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for CBC

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for CBC

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for CBC

And finally for this post, a bit more education from trips too.

Firstly, Haiti again – lessons continuing during this rebuild in Port au Prince:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

And after the tuck shop opens after lessons, near Leogane:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

We visited quite a range of schools in Pakistan in August – this one was my favourite:

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

Photo copyright: Richard Hanson :: shot for Tearfund

I’ll post some more in the next couple of days – some people, landscapes, Pakistan and Bangladesh. But for now, Happy New Year, enjoy the next twelve months, may they be full of peace, surprise, joy and hope!

Links:

Tearfund

Sheffield Hallam University

Off the Shelf

Oak Hill College

The Guardian

hansonphoto

richard hanson :: photographer

sheffield :: uk :: world

hansonphoto.co.uk