Welcome to the Jungle is a French online magazine that sets out to improve working life, discussing the future of work with experts and sharing practical advice from people who have been through it.
Last year, Welcome to the Jungle asked me to visit John Ferguson at his home in Ipswich, Suffolk and photograph him for the magazine. As a fellow photographer, I will admit it was a little intimidating to take on a commission for someone so well regarded.
John is a professional photographer and video director based in London and Suffolk, specialising in commercial location and studio portraits. He has a distinctively elegant style and has worked across editorial, corporate, and commercial projects, as well as advertising and marketing for a list of high-profile clients. Alongside that, he has been working on long-term projects with national and local charities.
I was keen to meet John and learn about his work, and I was not disappointed. His passion for using photography to draw attention to important social issues came through in everything he showed me. It was an honour to photograph such a dedicated artist.
I arrived at John’s townhouse early on a cold winter morning. His home sits in a lovely spot, surrounded by local parks and trees. John welcomed me warmly and showed me his studio, filled with photographs from a long career.
Over coffee, John told me about the personal projects that have meant the most to him. One that stood out was his series on albinism, which set out to challenge the stereotypes and misconceptions around the condition. He spoke about how hard it was to find people with albinism willing to be photographed, and how rewarding it was to share their stories.
He also showed me some of his commercial work, including portraits of well-known musicians and actors and campaigns for major brands. He approaches each assignment with the same care and attention, whatever its profile.
We then set up the shoot. John was completely at ease in front of the camera, despite usually being the one behind it. We spent a few hours exploring the surrounding countryside and the Ipswich waterfront for interesting locations.
The final photographs came out beautifully. It was a privilege to work with such a talented photographer, and I hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed taking them. You can see more of my portrait work too.
You can read the article here: “John Ferguson on photographing forgotten stories“.
Commercial photography
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