Photography Graduate Showcases Female MP in National Exhibition

Work by a photography graduate from Farnborough is featured in the 209 Women project, now exhibited at Portcullis House, Westminster, from 14 December 2018 – 14 February 2019.

The aim of the 209 Women Project is to take over parliament with 209 new photographic portraits of all female MPs, shot exclusively by female photographers, and make it free and open to the public.

Photographer Ally Robinson graduated from her BA Honours in Photography at University Centre Farnborough in 2015, and photographed Jo Churchill MP for the inspiring project.

Ally said: “I feel very proud to be part of such a huge undertaking. I hope that this collection of images will become a historical document, and that in years to come we will see huge change”.

Jo Churchill was Ally’s first choice of MPs to photograph, as Ally grew up near her hometown. Ally added that:

“We met in the summer in London before the MPs went on summer recess. We went to the House of Commons for our first shoot but I had always planned to do the final shoot on location in Bury St Edmunds, in Jo Churchill’s constituency where its history is steeped in agriculture.”

“The sofa used in the final images was brought locally from a second hand furniture shop and was placed in a wild part of Jo’s garden. I wanted her to become part of the natural surroundings, as the countryside is so important to many of Jo’s constituents.”