Jane Stockdale

Date
8 April 2009

Jane Stockdale is a photographer who can effortlessly capture a mood. A natural ability to be in the right place at the right time is a must for any successful documentary photographer and Jane epitomises that.

We caught up with her after the G20 march in London a week ago today, where she took a jaw dropping set of photos that will either make you wish you were there, or thank your lucky stars you weren’t.

Why were you at the march?
Im a freelance photographer so was documenting what was going on at the G20 for a newspaper and a magazine. But also I think its really important to document.

What was the most shocking thing you saw?
A baby fast asleep snoozing through the whole thing. I was a bit worried for the little one!

Were you pro or against the march?
Definitely pro – I think the right to protest is a cornerstone of a democracy and it holds our elected leaders accountable for their actions. Also protests can highlight different issues in the media and get people thinking. One thing I think is a shame though is how a message can get lost in violence. Anyone can throw a punch or smash a window to get attention. But when you have that attention you better have something good to say.

Do you do much documentary photography?
I love documentary photography and capturing real honest shots of whats going on. I’ve worked on quite a mix of projects, for example I did a big project on the G8 in Rostock a couple years ago for Lodown magazine and also a documentary project about the work of the UN trying to stop the illegal smuggling of weapons getting into Lebanon. But then I also photographed the England Football team training for Umbro the few weeks ago and did a project documenting family days out for the guys at creative agency LOVE – so a real mix

What would you march against?
I marched against the invasion of Iraq and also Israel’s attack on Gaza. I think in situations like this its important to make a stand. Also I think its ridiculous that someone like Sir Fred Goodwin, the ex-head of the Royal Bank of Scotland, should be allowed to keep a £703,000 a year pension even though he presided over the worst banking collapse of our generation. With big power comes big responsibility and big rewards but also I think he should be accountable for his mistakes. He should do the right thing and give it back.

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About the Author

Alex Bec

Alex joined as director in 2008 and oversees the commercial side of The HudsonBec Group which includes It's Nice That, Anyways, Lecture in Progress and If You Could Jobs. Contact him to discuss working with us on sponsored content, commercial partnerships, media partnerships and commissioning work.

alex@thehudsonbecgroup.com

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