Photo credit: ©2020 Thaïs Verhasselt
This year, an image from my project “Seeing Changes” was shortlisted alongside other 441 images for the National Portrait Gallery’s Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2021. There were a total of 5,392 images submitted that represent the very best in contemporary portrait photography. Sadly, I didn’t make it to the finals, but I’m very proud of this accomplishment! Particularly with an image from this project that I’m very fond of.
The National Portrait Gallery’s Photographic Portrait Prize, sponsored by Taylor Wessing since 2008, is one of the most competitive photography awards in the world. Since the competition began in 1993, it has established itself as one of the leading photography competitions in the world.
The National Portrait Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. Founded in 1856, its aim is to promote through the medium of portraits the appreciation and understanding of the people who have made and are making British history and culture, and the appreciation and understanding of portraiture in all media.
“Seeing Changes” is a photography project in which I explore how a supportive environment can change a young person's life forever. The series includes portraits of students and staff from the Waltham Forest College in London who took part in a personal development programme run by the Prince’s Trust.
The Prince’s Trust supports young people who often come from difficult backgrounds or are at risk of exclusion. Some of the students have dealt with trauma, have had problems with the law or have experienced mental health issues that have affected their self-confidence and their outlooks for their future.
The Waltham Forest College is located in Walthamstow, an area of East London with a rich industrial heritage. After the Industrial Revolution, it was famed for its manufacturing companies that included manufacturers of transport, arms and photographic equipment. However, post-war and up until the 2012 Olympic Games the area faced many challenges such as high levels of crime, poverty and deprivation.
Since the 2012 Summer Olympics, this part of London has become increasingly gentrified and property prices have skyrocketed which has contributed to a change in the local economy and demographics. Still, Walthamstow remains one of the most ethnically diverse areas in London.
Noora, from the series Seeing Changes © 2020 JC Candanedo
The college was built in 1938 in response to a demand for qualified labour for the industries in the area. One of the most notorious manufacturing companies of the time was Barnet Ensign, LTD, one of Britain's most successful camera-makers.
Barnet Ensign were the makers of the Ensign cameras, one of the most popular cameras of its time in the UK. The building where these cameras were produced stood three blocks from the College up until the 60’s when the factory was closed. The company never recovered after the building was bombarded during the Blitz in WWII.
All the portraits of this project were taken using an Ensign Ranger camera produced a decade after the college was built. This creates a direct link between the importance of Walthamstow in the history of photography, the place that the Waltham Forest College holds in the industrial heritage of the area and the work that the Prince’s Trust is doing in shaping the future of today’s youth.
Once the film was developed, I wanted to give a voice to all the participants so I asked them to write directly on the negatives and tell me their experiences of taking part in the programme. Due to the sensitive nature of some of their personal stories, I assigned the negatives at random so that no one wrote on their own portrait. This way, their personal experiences were kept anonymous.
While working on this project, I also led some of the workshops and offered mentorship to the students. I can honestly say that seeing their lives change from when they started in the programme to when they finished, knowing that we’ve contributed to the look of accomplishment in their faces, has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life.
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