About Us

Learn more about the whys, the whats and the hows of what we do.
A man adjusts a light stand in a photography studio while a group of people watch.
Five people stand in front of a white background in a studio. They are all smiling. The person on the left is wearing glasses and a white t-shirt with a blue drawing on it. The person next to them is wearing a white shirt and a red beaded necklace. The person in the middle is wearing a black shirt with a colorful graphic on it. The person to the right of them is wearing a black shirt with a white stripe going down it. The person on the far right is wearing a teal shirt over a pink shirt and a black hat.

Our Why

We use photography as a tool for positive change. For many, a lack of financial resources, opportunities or industry connections means that a career in photography is out of reach.  We also use photography as a skill for life — an educational and developmental tool that’s also a positive way to build confidence and connections. We do this through our rolling six-month training programme, public engagement programme and educational workshops.

What We Do

We understand how difficult it can be for emerging creatives to access the spaces, people, and knowledge needed to support and grow their careers. Alongside our programme, we host public events open to all, including educational workshops where photographers can enhance their knowledge, build technical and professional skills, and connect with other creatives. We are also an Arts Award Supporter and have an outreach programme that works with schools and other organisations. Additionally, we run an annual photography competition and grant for our community to participate in.
See Annual Report
A group of people sit in a circle in a photography studio listening to a woman who is standing and speaking to them. The studio has a large window, lighting equipment, and bookshelves.

Our Story

A group of trainees stand and pose in an office smiling and holding certificates. The certificates are brown and have illustrations on them with names written on them. The people in the photo are diverse and dressed in casual clothing.
01
How we were founded

The Photography Foundation was created in 2019 by two friends, Dom and Mikael. With Mike's entrepreneurial background and Dom's extensive experience in the photography industry, they recognised the importance of merging their skills and dedication to making photography and the industry more accessible and representative.

02
Establishing our charity

In 2019, they received the keys to the Shoreditch studio and began putting a team together while kitting out the new space. By the summer of 2020, the TPF team had five members of staff on board and welcomed its first cohort of trainees.

A white sign with black text that says "TPF Studio Ltd, The Photography Foundation" mounted to a brick wall.
A group of people walk across a pathway in front of a tall building and a green building with large windows. There are cable cars in the background.
03
Finding a new home

Throughout 2021, the team continued to grow, welcoming more new members of staff and more sets of trainees. In early 2022, the Foundation made the decision to begin a new chapter and relocate from our beloved Shoreditch studio to the Design District in North Greenwich, a new permanent home for creatives south of the river.

04
Growth in the community

Since September 2022, we have delivered a diverse range of workshops, talks, and events while steadily growing our cohort of trainees. We have become an Arts Award Supporter and have begun delivering workshops in schools and other youth organisations. Our goal is to keep expanding and to forge partnerships with like-minded organisations and individuals.

A diverse group of people seated in a room with orange walls and wooden bookshelves, attentively listening to a speaker.

Our Offerings

A group of people sitting around a table engaged in arts and crafts, cutting and gluing images from magazines. Various tools and materials are scattered on the table.
At the Foundation, we provide a variety of opportunities for our creative community to participate in. Our four main offerings include our core photography training programme for young adults, our public events programme, our photography competition, and our photography grant. Additionally, we offer volunteering opportunities, which you can learn more about by heading to our volunteering page!

Core Training Programme

We run a six-month photography training programme that provides a supportive and inspiring environment for 18-25-year-olds with limited to no experience in the industry to take their professional photography to the next level.

Public Programme

We host regular events, including talks, workshops, and networking events that are open to all ages. Through our public events programme, we aim to create a safe space that encourages creative learning, ensuring that photography and creative careers are accessible to everyone.

Grants

For our grant, we partner with Limi London, a grant-giving charity, to offer an annual photography grant for a social documentary project lasting up to 12 months. One grant of £2,500 will be awarded each year, and the application is open to anyone who wishes to apply.

Awards

Our photography awards provide prizes to professional and amateur photographers across various categories. Through these awards, we aim to support both emerging and established photographers while also raising funds for the work we do.

Meet the Team

Say hello to the people behind the curtain. We may hail from different countries, backgrounds and industries but we have one important thing in common: we all want to make society a little more equal, and we think the Foundation is one way to do that.

Mike is one of the co-founders of the Foundation and focuses most of his time on the overall strategic management of the Foundation, leaning on his corporate and entrepreneurial background.

Mikael Johansson
Founder & Trustee
he/him

Dom is one of the co-founders of the Foundation and focuses his time on running our competition and grant alongside Mikael, as well as partnerships and sponsorships for the Foundation.

Dom Graham-Hyde
Founder & Trustee
he/him

Bella is responsible for the creative and strategic direction of all the Foundation's streams of work. She manages the team's growth and works on key strategic partnerships.

Bella Okuya
Associate Director
she/her

Etienne oversees our educational provision including our 6-month core training programme, mentoring, and outreach.

Etienne Bruce
Education & Training Manager
she/her

Alia assists and helps coordinate our educational provision including our 6-month core training programme.

Alia Romagnoli
Education & Training Coordinator
she/they

Shilonite oversees the production and development of all our physical and digital content.

Shilonite Simon-Mathurin
Digital Content Creator
she/they

Abi looks after the top-level operations and admin functions at the Foundation, including finance, HR & compliance.

Abi Smith
Charity Operations Manager
she/her

Lewis manages the overall operations for the Foundation while ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the studio spaces.

Lewis Kille
Operations Manager
he/him

Elli is responsible for overseeing the development of our public events programme, volunteers and other areas of community engagement at the Foundation.

Elli Dimaki
Events & Engagement Manager
she/her

Rokhaya supports and assists in the production and development of our digital content and online presence.

Rokhaya Doucoure
Digital Intern
she/her

Mark assists and helps coordinate our educational provision including our 6-month core training programme.

Mark Norton
Temporary Education & Training Coordinator
he/him
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The Photography Foundation is a registered charity (England & Wales)
Charity number: 1187723

© 2024 The Photography Foundation. All rights reserved.
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