Reportage & documentary photography

Telling the stories of people, places and events through imagery.

Photography is great for storytelling, be it coverage of events and functions, reporting news and background issues, as a way of supporting education or chronicling histories; imagery combined with commentary can be used to document a wide range of subjects. The following images demonstrate how photojounalism and documentary photography can be used to accompany a narrative.

Bircherley Green 2020

Hertford's Bircherley Green Shopping Centre closed in 2018 and was due to be redeveloped. However, due to a rapidly changing outlook for retail, the owners decided to abandon their plans and sold the site to a hosuing developer

Bircherley Green 2010

Built in the early 1980s, the Bircherley Green Shopping Centre was virtually 100% occupied for most of its lifetime.

Demolition

The demolition of the 40 year-old shopping centre is to make way for a major redevelopment that will include homes and new shops fit for the 21st century.

Shire Hall

A Grade I listed building in Hertford Town Centre, designed by James Adam and completed in 1771. Shire Hall replaced an earlier Sessions House which had been built in 1560 and demolished in 1768.

John Briant's Clock

A clock was added to Shire Hall in 1824, supplied by Hertford bell founder John Briant. The clock is supported on iron girders and brackets, with a slate hung enclosure and roof.

Corn Exchange

The ground floor west room of Shire Hall was originally an open arcaded corn exchange until 1849.

Community Meeting

Hertford's residents have a reputation for being engaged in local issues, with community meetings frequently packed out. This meeting was organised by Hertford Civic Society and the We Are Hertford campaign to discuss the future of the town centre.

Public Engagement

Stakeholders are given a voice in community meetings, supported by local media.

Campaign Success

Locals groups like the Stop Bengeo Quarry campaign have stood up against corporate interests, taking their cases to top levels of government and forcing large companies to back down.

Marks & Spencer open new store in Stevenage

Following the demise of Debenhams, Marks & Spencer have taken over a large retail unit at Roaring Meg - a retail park just south of the town centre. The 9500 sq.ft store will employ 150 staff over two floors and is expected to open in March 2022.

Marks & Spencer Queensway store in Stevenage

M&S closed their original Stevenage store in 2015 as the building was showing its age and no longer provided the kind of environment the retailer was looking to provide. The building remained empty for six year and has only recently been partially filled.

World Music Festival

Rhythms Of The World was an annual festival that took place in the grounds of Hitchin Priory, featuring musicians, arts and crafts from around the globe.

Festival volunteers

The festival boasted six stages on a 19 acre site with a capacity of 30,000. The event was organised by a team made up of members of the local community and staffed by volunteers and contractors.

Dance

The festival featured not only acts from around the world but also local musicians and dancers.