Imperial – Outreach at 50 project
Every now and then a project comes along that takes you back to why you picked up a camera in the first place. Outreach at 50 did exactly that for me.
Professor Robert Winston — clinician, scientist, and long-standing champion of science communication and outreach
Imperial College London have been running their outreach programme for half a century (which makes me feel both young and old at the same time…), and to mark the anniversary I was asked to create a series of environmental portraits of the people who make it all happen. Over the course of a year, I photographed fifty subjects — staff, students, alumni, and teachers — each one with their own story, their own space, and their own spark.
This is my favourite type of photography. No pyrotechnics, no elaborate set builds — just me, a subject, a bit of space, and that brilliant, unpredictable dance between photographer and sitter. That’s always been the joy of portraiture for me: working a person out, nudging them this way and that, and slowly finding the version of them that feels honest. Sometimes it’s in the laugh you weren’t expecting, sometimes in the moment they relax and forget the camera is even there.
It reminded me how much fun it is to play that game — all my time at The Independent on Sunday was full of these portraits, looking for ways to shape an image that feels like the subject. There’s something really satisfying about the challenge: can I, in a single frame, say something real about who this person is.
Sir Robin Grimes — Professor of Materials Physics; specialist in nuclear energy and science diplomacy.
Miina Ruohonen — former Community Engagement Manager for Imperial Outreach, leading volunteering and civic-engagement work.
Vittoria Dessì — 4th-year Civil Engineering student, Student Ambassador and outreach advocate supporting STEM Potential, Summer Schools and the Maker Challenge.
Jad Marrouche — alumnus and outreach contributor, formerly part of the Pimlico Connection tutoring scheme.
Vanessa Madu — PhD student in Modern Statistics & Statistical Machine Learning at Imperial; researching ocean surface currents.
The portraits were eventually brought together in an exhibition at Imperial College on Exhibition Road. Walking into the space and seeing the images lining the walls was a proud moment — not just for me, but for everyone whose stories and faces filled the room.
Outreach at 50 celebrated with a special exhibition at Imperial College on Exhibition Road — bringing together portraits, stories, and the people who’ve shaped five decades of inspiring young minds.
A huge thank you to the team at Imperial who made this project such a joy to be part of. In particular, Ellie Cawthera, whose vision and energy pulled it all together so brilliantly, and also Melanie Bottrill and Corrine Hanlon for their support every step of the way. It really was a team effort — and I’m very proud to have played my part.
