2017: A Year In Review

As 2017 stumbles towards the finish line, puffed out, running on fumes and in a state of political shell-shock, it's time for my annual photo round-up.

The year started in a chilly but fun style from the roof of Westminster Abbey, for the annual New Year's Eve firework display over the London Eye. Having shot the event from a variety of different positions, this one certainly wins for a unique perspective.

As a newcomer to the Getty team in late 2016, I had to learn the ropes with a big emphasis being put on finding features and interesting stories to cover. With this in mind, I trundled over to Whittlesea for the Strawbear festival, in which a Daddy, Mummy and Baby "Strawbear" are paraded through the town, along with the usual Morris dancers, Mummers and assorted traditional folk.

A freezing fog alert had the nation's photographers out on the streets in the early hours to capture some atmospheric pictures. I got some good shots of the area around Parliament and Westminster, but my personal favourite was of this optimistic tourist as she took a photograph of the Thames from Tower Bridge.

Politics reared its head early on in the year with Brexit campaigner Gina Miller going to the Supreme Court, as she successfully challenged the Government over Article 50. A brief moment outside the court building gave me a chance to summarise the day's story in one picture.

My next favourite of the year wasn't connected to any particular news, other than being asked to have a look at daily life in the City of London. Standing outside the Bank of England, I found a gap between two stationary buses and waited to see if anyone of interest would wander along. Thankfully, two perfect candidates strolled into shot.

I travelled to Malta in February for an EU summit, looking for anything to illustrate the relationship between Theresa May and the European leaders. A brief stop-off at a church during a walkabout saw me crawling around on my knees in front of the group, trying to get an angle that worked.

My editor asked me to have a look at London Fashion Week in February, but to find a different angle on it. Knowing how good many of the fashion photographers were, I knew it'd be hard to produce a totally unique set, but it did free me up to look at the event without being tied to the activities on the runway. Randomness outside combined with a ghost on the catwalk made my final list of the year. More from the set can be found here.

Ahead of the unveiling of a monument in March to those who fought in recent wars, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, I was sent to gather a set of portraits of young veterans who had been injured or affected during their service. Of the final selection, this portrait of former Royal Marine Commando Pete Dunning, standing outside "F.O.B. Dunning" in Wallasey, was my favourite. Despite losing both of his legs in a blast in Afghanistan, Pete went on to be a part of the British ski team at the Winter Paralympic games. The row of boots by his door makes the shot for me.

In a political re-shuffle, the Treasury announced that it would end the Spring Budget, reducing the announcement and number-crunching to a single annual event. In an attempt to add a splash of colour to this usually drab affair, I found myself at the top of a ten-rung stepladder poking my lens through the potted plants hanging from a lamp post opposite the door.

At the end of March, I headed to South Africa to try to illustrate the growing divide in the class system, particularly within the black community. The first image was taken at South Africa Fashion Week, and illustrated the metropolitan lifestyle enjoyed by the latest generation of black South Africans. The second image was the one that I felt summed up how much the country has changed. Photographing a rugby match at a school in Johannesburg, I looked through the crowd of supporters and found this moment of close friendship that, a few years ago, would not have been possible. For more of this assignment, head over here.

Next up, a trip to the island of Chios in Greece for the annual Rocket War in Vrontados. Tens of thousands of homemade rockets, fired horizontally, at your neighbour's church. Insanity, I tells ya. More images from this startling event can be found here.

In April, British Prime Minister Theresa May chose to take advantage of a perceived unstoppable lead and called a snap election. Despite starting with such confidence, the plan backfired and, spoiler alert, she managed to lose seats, despite winning the election. The main focus for many wasn't a coronation of the Maybot, but the rise of Corbynism. Attending an event in Hebden Bridge, everyone was massively caught off-guard by the sheer numbers of people who turned out to hear him speak. The room originally booked ended up being briefly used before the bearded one took to a balcony. The looks of hope and adulation in the crowd were a sign of things to come.

In the midst of the political hype, the country's attention was dragged north, to Manchester, following the horrific terror attack in Manchester.

Meanwhile, back in PoliticoLand, Theresa was having a stinker of a time. During my time on the Conservative election battle bus, we stopped off for a planned speech and Q&A at a business near Plymouth. These things are usually very controlled affairs with the calibre of question normally aimed at the speaker around the "You're doing such a good job, how can we ensure you get another four years?" level. This time, it didn't go to script. The business owner and party PR team squirmed as the staff threw increasingly difficult questions at her regarding her policies, until it genuinely looked like she was ready to give up on stage.

Sadly, again, the campaigning was brought to a rapid halt with the terror attack on London Bridge.

Following the massive police operation to secure the area, gather evidence and get London Bridge open again, it was the London commuters that made my favourite image. Photographing the morning rush on the first day of normality, a woman had chosen to carry the Union Flag as she crossed the bridge. Mixed in with the blue sky and every-day look of the rest of the commuters, it stands out as a favourite.

The election ran its course and on polling day, it was quite a turn of events to see Obi Wan Corboni grinning wildly as he approached the booth, while across the country, the MayBot frizzled and sparked in a decidedly weak and wobbly manner as she placed her card in the box. Politics, eh?

As the country was beginning to recover from the tragedies both on London Bridge and in Manchester, reports came through of the horrific blaze at Grenfell Tower in West London. Covering the story presented so many sad scenes and strange visual juxtapositions. Driving towards the estate, the blue sky, warm weather and queues of early-morning commuters at bus stops clashed with the enormous plume of acrid smoke rising from the Grenfell Tower. After rushing around the area, I found myself in the adjacent tower, watching as emergency crews rushed in and out of the flaming building. Changes in the wind saw the full force of the smoke hit myself and the other photographers on the balcony, forcing us to hide behind a fire door. In a gap between the waves of smoke, I got the chance to see a man being rescued from the block who had previously been waving from a window, and was presumed to have been killed. A very small piece of good news in a horrific day.

A month later, I returned to see how the community was fairing. As is normal in this situation, the media were no longer quite as welcome as before, but what angered the residents most was the tourists. As I passed the sports centre, a group were posing for a photo in front of the burnt out shell, smiling for the photograph. The residents nearby quickly approached them, pointing out their heartless behaviour was not appreciated.

In early July, I was sent to Hamburg for the fisticuffs and water-cannon baths that can only mean it's a G20 summit. For more images from the G20 riots, head over here.

Next up, I strapped on my finest Union flag vest and headed to the Costa Del Sol, in search of the "Brexpats". With Brexit negotiations in full flow, Getty wanted to see how those who had chosen to live abroad, yet retained their British passports, were doing. After a few visits, I finally earned a bit of trust in the Eurobar and was able to chat to the regulars and get some photos of them as they enjoyed the easy life.

Towards the end of July (busy month!), I was sent to Belgium for the 100th anniversary of the battle of Passchendaele, the monstrous First World War battle which saw the deaths of nearly half a million people. While some parts of the anniversary were thought-provoking, others such as the "Passchendaele Experience" field had an unfortunate Disneyland feel to them, with re-enactors playing stereotypical stiff upper lip characters, as they warned of the approaching "Hun". While it gave some visitors a chance to see the layout of the trenches, it didn't work for me. The image of a family walking on the pathway next to an English trench illustrates the theme park feel.

On a quiet day, I decided to shoot some stock to illustrate various elements of online life, from social media brands, through to aspects of privacy. Among the ideas I came up with, I ended up grabbing one of the Getty Images entertainment desk staff and projecting a map of the internet onto her face in a darkened office. A typical Wednesday.

A staple element of the British media photographic calendar is the exam results, usually illustrated by an attractive blonde girl, leaping into the air outside the public school she attends. To try to break the routine, I headed to an inner-city school in London to see the results being received. Amidst the tears and anger from those who hadn't done as well as they'd hoped, I found these two gents, sucking on cigars and celebrating their success.

I've covered the Notting Hill Carnival many times before, but I always get there too late for the J'ouvert procession. This year, I made it my main priority, getting there bright and early, ready to be painted bright and swirly. For a deeper splash of colour, check out my full post here.

September brought the annual DSEI arms fair to London's ExCel centre and, with it, the chance to marvel at how arms dealers and weapons buyers from all over the world are happy to have their pictures taken as they browse the latest development in Kevlar-piercing ballistics. Having said that, my favourite picture was snatched before an officious security guard told me that I wasn't allowed to photograph the meeting that was taking place inside an armoured vehicle. It looks like it's going well.

Despite losing the election, Corbynmania continued to flourish with a massive outdoor rally being held in a park in Brighton, ahead of the annual party conference. The evening light, spotlights and adoring onlookers gave it an almost American feel.

Another job that crops up annually is the Judges service in Westminster Abbey, where hundreds of members of the judicial elite gather to mark the start of the legal year. Being in the presence of so many wigs is quite a startling experience, especially for a bald guy like me. Shooting on a 500mm lens from a raised platform, this judge gave me a nice expression just as she crossed a pool of light.

The Frieze Art Fair is always a safe bet for making unusual street photography-style imagery. Among my favourites this year was this woman who appeared to be stuck in the middle of that age old quandary; protest or chips?

In October, I headed back to South Africa to shoot a feature on controversial rhino farmer John Hume. While 80% of his process, including breeding, protecting and caring for rhinos, is approved of by animal lovers around the world, the final part where he trims the horn and sells it, has seen him become less than popular. Story aside, it was quite something to be so close to these magnificent animals and to witness the trimming process first hand. If you want to see more horn-based imagery, the full post can be found here.

Saint Helena. What can I say? A brilliant island in the middle of the Atlantic with a somewhat notorious airport, my nine days of island life injected a sense of Zen into my soul that I'll hopefully never lose. Amazing people (such as "Huggy Bear", below), fascinating sights and a memorable assignment. If you want to see more images of isolated island idealism, follow this link.

2017; tagged and bagged. Thanks to Getty Images for giving me such a great first full year with the Editorial team in London.