Beautifully considered portraiture from photography duo Hill & Aubrey

Photography partnership Hill & Aubrey has been working together for two years. The duo, made up of Tim Hill and James Aubrey, first met as photographic assistants for other fashion and portrait photographers. “We started helping each other out on our own shots with no real intention of working together,” the pair says.

After shooting the same subjects for various projects due to “non-existent budgets”, they soon realised their styles and approaches created a wonderful synergy. “As our work continued to develop our interests cross over more and more so it just made sense for us to work as a partnership,” the photographers explain.

From the basketball courts at London Fields to an archery club in Sherwood Forest, the pair cast a critical eye over the UK and use their fashion editorial cum documentary style of photography to marry physical spaces with their social contexts. “We always start with character and environment, and we like to celebrate the things in front of us to create simple imagery that stands as cultural documents,” explain James and Tim.

Their subjects vary from people they’ve met naturally to those cast through agencies, but nonchalant stares tie Hill & Aubrey’s images together. Softly lit in a tranquil mix of muted colours, there’s a naturalness to all of their shoots. “We just really love travelling around and meeting people, trying to capture something of their lives in the pictures we take.”