Sisters Seen 19/12/25
Sisters Seen is a self-initiated, collaborative portrait project created by members of AOP’s F22 group. What makes the F22 community special is its spirit of solidarity: a unique network of women photographers who choose to champion one another rather than compete. Instead of rivals, we are collaborators, supporters, and advocates for each other’s success.
The concept for the project began with the super talented portrait and documentary photographer Anne-Marie Michel. We live only a few streets apart in Walthamstow and often meet to share ideas, talk through projects, it seemed very natural for us to be the first pairing to try out the idea of being a model and a photographer
It was December freezing cold, daylight disappearing almost as soon as it arrived. We decided my studio would be our location. Anne-Marie photographed me first. She envisioned a simple, graphic backdrop and clean flash lighting. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel the usual anxiety of being in front of the camera. Instead, I found myself genuinely enjoying the experience—watching her work, noticing her process. As I relaxed, something shifted. We reached a level of understanding, collaboration, and trust that’s rare among peers.
Once she was finished we swapped roles. With LED lights set up and the last traces of daylight fading, Anne-Marie sat on an old Ikea stool, dressed in her signature black. I photographed her keeping the environment very simple.
Afterwards, we reviewed the images together—discussing, comparing, and noticing which ones resonated with both of us. It felt like a true dialogue, expressed through photographs instead of words.
At its core, the Sisters Seen portrait project is a simple but powerful idea: women photographers photographing each other. It’s not just a series of portraits—it’s a creative exchange, a peer-to-peer reflection, and a collective act of visibility. An invitation to be seen, and to see each other, with honesty and generosity.
RPS 40% project 9/01/26
Yvette was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on 5 September 2025. She was previously Home Secretary from July 2024 and is the first woman in British political history to have served in both roles.
Yvette served as Shadow Home Secretary from 2021 and chaired the Home Affairs Select Committee in Parliament between 2016 and 2021. She served in the last Labour Government between 1999 and 2010, including as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Pontefract and Castleford in 1997.
As you can imagine, arranging this portrait took some time, given Yvette’s schedule. It’s mid-January, there’s snow in the forecast, and I’ve spent the past couple of days liaising with her team to discuss possible locations. I catch an early morning train to Wakefield; it’s cold but still no snow, and I get the feeling the day might fall into place.
Yvette has chosen The Tigers Rugby League Football Club as the location, a site firmly rooted in her constituency. The stadium is in the middle of a refurbishment, with new seating and facilities being installed. Even so, it has real charm—a grounded, down-to-earth character. Ali, from Yvette’s team, kindly collects me from the station and drives me to the stadium so we can take a look around before she arrives.
The sky is grey and the air sharp, but the light is even, which helps. After walking the grounds, I focus on the new seating area on the far side of the stadium. When Yvette arrives, she’s wearing a Tigers scarf with black and amber patterns. It fits perfectly with the surrounding rows of black and orange seats, the orange ones spelling out “Tigers.”
We talk about the stadium and her memories of bringing her family to matches over the past thirty years—where they preferred to sit, and how they would watch the game while keeping an eye on their young children. We spend twenty minutes or so taking the portrait and looking out over the pitch. Yvette’s enthusiasm for the club makes me think more deeply about the venue’s history and the strength of its ties to the local community.
After the session, a member of her team gives me a lift back to the old mill where the constituency office is based. It’s still a working mill, home to several other businesses. Before heading back I have lunch in the tearoom at the mill, enjoying a small glimpse into the everyday life of some of the constituents Yvette represents.