Dave Imms photographs the uniformed ATC cadets of North London

Wandering down Crondall Street in Shoreditch, east London, photographer Dave Imms had his interest piqued by a sign for the ATC 444 squadron. “I was on my way back from a job somewhere and I saw the sign. It just made me laugh,” says Dave. “I used to be in the ATC in Brighton. It’s quite a disciplinarian thing and having it somewhere as cool as Shoreditch made think ‘wow, I wonder what those cadets look like.’”

The Air Training Corps (ATC) was founded in 1941 in order to provide training for young men who might wish to join the Royal Air Force when they reached 18. Currently there are over 1,000 squadrons across the UK with more than 30,000 cadets aged between 12 and 20. “There are so many distractions for young people, I thought that the ATC could only be a good thing and decided to shoot some portraits of the young cadets,” says the photographer.

David was unable to shoot the 444 squadron, but after negotiations with the air command he was able to visit 9F squadron in Islington and take a series of portraits. The tightly framed photographs are united by the cool greys and blues of the uniforms. With little direction from the photographer the cadets were allowed to pose how they wanted. “My assistant commented on how they looked a bit like a school photo when we were doing them,” says Dave. “That was an accidental charm that fell into place, probably because they are school kids wearing a very serious outfit, essentially a military outfit. Given what they are doing as cadets, they just behave in a particular way. They were shot at the squadron base, one of their seniors was checking them as they came in, adjusting their ties etc. So I think they fell into rank in front of the camera.”

The series currently stands at 19 portraits and the photographer has plans to visit more squadrons, including the 444, to continue the project. “The first shoot was last month,” he says. “There are at least three more squadrons I would like to meet and give an impression of all the cadets that attend.”