Before // After

What does performance do to a person?

It's a deceptively simple question. But after years of photographing performers - and a lifetime of watching them - I've witnessed a visible answer on their faces.

I've spent my life in and around the performing arts, and over all that time I kept noticing the same thing: people who've just come off stage look fundamentally different from the people who walked on. Not just relieved, or tired, or elated. Something deeper. Something that speaks to what performance actually does to us - the way it binds us together, makes us feel less alone - and it's written all over their face, if you know how to look.

Before and After sets out to capture that. Using paired portraits taken immediately before and after performers take the stage. Across disciplines, venues and communities, from stand-up comedy to classical dance, from professional stages to community halls, I want to make visible the transformative power of shared creative experience, and explore what it tells us about the role of art in human life. The results so far have been consistently striking.

The project is currently in active development, grounded in research into arts and wellbeing. I'm looking for venues, performers, festivals and arts organisations who'd like to be part of the next phase, as well as anyone who's just curious and wants to know more.

If that's you, I'd love to hear from you.

Black and white portrait of a man with slicked back hair and a mustache, wearing a collared shirt.
Close-up black and white portrait of a man with short hair looking directly at the camera.
A black and white close-up portrait of a man with a shaved head and full beard, looking directly at the camera, wearing a light-colored shirt.
Black and white portrait of a man with a shaved head and beard, wearing a textured sweater.
Black and white portrait of a man with short, dark hair wearing a crew-neck shirt.
Close-up of a woman with curly hair, wearing large glasses and hoop earrings, looking directly at the camera, in black and white.
Close-up black and white portrait of a man with short, combed hair, facial hair, and a serious expression, wearing a checked shirt.
Black and white portrait of a woman with short hair wearing a military uniform and cap, looking directly at the camera.
Black and white portrait of a man with a beard, short hair, and a calm expression, wearing a dark shirt and a necklace, against a patterned background.
Close-up black-and-white portrait of a young woman with light skin, freckles, a nose piercing, and wavy hair tied back, against a cloudy sky background.
Black and white portrait of a man with a beard and styled hair, wearing a collared shirt, standing in front of a background with handwritten text.
Black and white photo of a woman with a fake mustache, wearing a dark turtleneck and with braided hair, standing against a plain wall.
Black and white portrait of a young woman with short dark hair and a septum piercing, wearing a tank top, outdoors with a cloudy sky in the background.
Black and white portrait of a middle-aged man with a beard, mustache, and short hair, wearing a military-style coat with epaulettes.
Black and white close-up portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length hair wearing a black turtleneck.
Black and white close-up portrait of a young woman with dark hair styled in braids, wearing a nose ring and a plain white t-shirt, looking directly at the camera.
A black-and-white portrait of a bearded man with glasses, wearing religious robes and a black stole, standing against a plain background.
A black and white portrait of a man with a beard and styled mustache, looking directly at the camera, with a wooden textured background.
Black and white portrait of a man with curly hair, a beard, wearing a white shirt and a black tie, standing outdoors with a cloudy sky in the background.
Black and white portrait of a young man with short hair and a beard, looking directly at the camera, standing against a wooden background with partially visible handwritten text.
Black and white portrait of a soldier wearing a military cap and a striped scarf.
Black and white portrait of a young man with styled hair, wearing a buttoned shirt, facing forward. Background is a plain wall.
Close-up black and white photo of a smiling Caucasian woman with long hair tied into ponytails, wearing a dark top.
A black-and-white portrait of a woman with short, wavy hair and light-colored eyes, wearing a collared shirt with lace and embroidered details, looking directly at the camera.
Black and white photo of a smiling woman with her hair pulled back, wearing a turtleneck shirt.
A woman with short curly hair lying on a wooden surface, smiling slightly at the camera, in black and white.
Black and white portrait of a man with curly hair and a beard, wearing a patterned sweater and a light-colored shirt, standing against a textured wall.
A black and white photo of a man with glasses, facial hair, and short hair, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression.
A black and white portrait of a young woman with braided hair, wearing earrings and a textured top, against a plain background.
Close-up of an older woman's face in black and white, showing a serious or unhappy expression, with long hair, glasses on her head, and visible wrinkles.
Black and white close-up photo of a man with a beard wearing a baseball cap and casual clothing.
Black and white close-up portrait of a woman with curly hair and striking makeup, including dark lipstick and eye makeup, wearing a collared shirt and earrings.
Black and white close-up portrait of a man with glasses, short dreadlocks, a beard, and freckles, looking directly at the camera.
Close-up black and white portrait of young man with curly hair and light skin, wearing a collared shirt, looking directly at the camera with a slight smile.
Close-up black and white portrait of a young woman with long, wavy hair and a slight smile.

BEFORE

&

AFTER

Black and white close-up of a smiling man with styled hair, wearing a patterned shirt and quilted jacket.
A man smiling with his mouth open, showing teeth, in black and white, standing against a blurred light background.
Close-up black and white portrait of a smiling African American man with a beard and shaved head, wearing a light-colored T-shirt.
Black and white close-up portrait of a man with a beard and bald head, eyes closed, slight smile, wearing a knitted sweater.
Black and white headshot of a smiling man with short, styled hair, wearing a collared shirt, against a plain background.
Close-up black and white photo of a woman smiling, wearing earrings shaped like the letters U and T.
A smiling man with a beard and mustache, wearing a plaid shirt.
Black and white portrait of a smiling young woman in a vintage military uniform with a hat, wearing earrings, in front of a plain background.
A smiling man with a beard and mustache, short hair, wearing a dark shirt, in front of a textured background.
A smiling woman with curly hair and a nose ring in a casual T-shirt, outdoors.
Black and white portrait of a man with a beard, mustache, and slightly curly hair, smiling, with a handwriting background.
A woman with curly hair, smiling and showing teeth, wearing a patterned blouse and earrings in black and white.
A smiling woman with short, dark hair and a nose ring, wearing a tank top, outdoors near water.
Black and white portrait of smiling older man with a beard and mustache, wearing a collared shirt with a scarf around his neck.
Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing a black turtleneck, with a blurred background.
Black and white photo of a smiling young woman with short dark hair and a nose ring, wearing a light-colored t-shirt, outdoors with a blurred background.
A smiling man with glasses, beard, and clerical collar, wearing a white robe and black sash, against a plain background.
A black and white portrait of a man with long wavy hair, a full beard, and mustache, wearing a V-neck shirt, looking at the camera with an expressive face.
Black and white portrait of a man with messy hair and a beard, wearing a white shirt and black tie, against a painted brick background.
A young man with short, wet hair, light-colored eyes, and a beard, smiling at the camera. He's wearing a fur-collared jacket and a black shirt, with a textured background behind him.
Black and white photo of smiling young man with glasses and short hair, wearing a t-shirt, against a plain background.
Black and white portrait of a young man with wet, tousled hair, wearing a buttoned shirt, standing against a light-colored brick wall background.
A smiling woman with long hair in black and white.
A black and white photo of a woman smiling, with short curly hair, standing outdoors with a bright sky background.
A woman with curly hair smiling and laughing in black and white.
A black and white photo of a person with pointy elf-like ears, curly hair, and earrings, smiling widely, wearing a cape or cloak, with a background featuring some handwritten text.
A black and white photo of a smiling man with curly hair and a beard, wearing a patterned sweater.
A black and white photo of a man with glasses, a beard, and braces smiling at the camera in front of a wooden background.
Black and white photo of a young girl with braided hair, a bow in her hair, smiling in front of a brick wall.
Close-up black and white portrait of an elderly woman with long hair, wearing hoop earrings and a nose ring, looking directly at the camera.
Close-up of a man with long hair and a beard, smiling, wearing a cap with a logo, black and white photo.
Close-up black and white portrait of a woman with curly hair smiling.
Close-up black-and-white photo of a smiling man with glasses, dreadlocks, and a goatee
Black and white close-up photo of a smiling man with curly hair, wearing a collared shirt.
Close-up of a young woman smiling with one eye slightly squinting.
Get in touch
Get in touch
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