Working Lancashire

A photographic project documenting the people, skills and communities that make Lancashire what it is.

I’m currently developing a personal photographic project called Working Lancashire, which I am working towards my Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society (LRPS).

The project is an exploration of the people who work, create, repair, grow, build and contribute to their local communities across Lancashire, particularly around Bacup, Rossendale and the surrounding areas.

Rather than simply photographing businesses and workplaces, I want to show the people behind them — the skills they have developed, the tools they use, the places they work and the pride they take in what they do.

From traditional trades and manufacturing to independent businesses, community projects, markets, crafts and agriculture, Lancashire has a fascinating mixture of old and new. Its industrial heritage is still visible, but so are the people creating something new within those same communities.

People. Place. Process.

These three ideas form the foundation of the project.

People — the individuals who keep local businesses, trades and community projects going.

Place — the workshops, shops, markets, farms and community spaces that provide the setting for their work.

Process — the hands-on skills, routines and small details that reveal what goes into the finished product or service.

I’m particularly interested in photographing people as they work, rather than creating conventional portraits. The aim is to make photographs that tell something about both the individual and the environment around them.

The project

Working Lancashire is an ongoing project, and I'm currently building a collection of photographs from a variety of local businesses, trades and community organisations.

I’m looking for a diverse range of subjects, from traditional craftsmanship and engineering to horticulture, hospitality, markets and community work. The intention is eventually to select a small series of photographs that work together as a cohesive body of work.

The final selection will form my LRPS panel, but the project itself is intended to go beyond the distinction. I hope it will become an evolving record of the people and places that make this part of Lancashire unique.

Following the project

This page will develop alongside the project, with photographs and stories added as the series progresses.

If you run a local business, trade, workshop or community project and think you might have something that would fit Working Lancashire, I’d love to hear from you.