These portraits were commissioned by GoFundMe as part of a series of featured case studies highlighting people behind fundraising appeals. The subjects - “GoFundMe Heroes” - covered a wide range of causes: education, healthcare, small business ideas, charitable initiatives and personal challenges.
The brief was to create images that could sit comfortably on the platform alongside written stories: photographs that were clear, respectful and human. In practice, that meant finding ways to show what someone was raising money for while still leaving room for straightforward portraiture.
Some stories lent themselves to literal representation and documentary-style photography: I had Astrid wrapping presents and writing cards (she was raising money to buy Christmas gifts for children in temporary accommodation). Roy, a student fundraising to attend Oxford, was photographed “studying” on campus.
For appeals which could not be illustrated directly, the commission was straightforward, environmental portraiture: a person first, not a problem to be solved.
The challenge was to humanise fundraisers, to accompany and support their appeals. GoFundMe commissioned multiple shoots, returning to the same approach across very different subjects. The work was used to accompany online features and campaign material, helping give faces and context to appeals that rely on trust and empathy.
