Words Nell Card
Photography Rachel Ferriman and Mass Collective
Film Gene Limbrick, Tom Sandford and Gianluca Giordimaina

Mass Collective is a creative cohort of four professional architectural photographers: Luke O’Donovan, Henry Woide, Francesco Russo and Luca Piffaretti. Alongside their own work, this year they launched their inaugural mentorship scheme. Their goal is to champion new voices in the field, creating a cultural shift in architectural photography, where the authorship of the images we use to understand our buildings and our cities fully reflects the diversity of the communities that live within them.

The scheme is open to young people aged 20-30 in London and from underrepresented backgrounds in the creative industries. Last spring, four mentees were selected; each was awarded a project grant and a year of free mentoring sessions, masterclasses and the opportunity to stage an end-of-year exhibition. We heard about the scheme through our long-time collaborator Rachel Ferriman – an architectural photographer with over a decade of experience in the industry.

We wanted to get practically involved in the scheme, and Rachel’s quiet mastery of the subject and generous approach to her craft made her the ideal guest tutor for this year’s cohort. Together with Mass Collective, we started to hatch a plan that would provide an enriching hands-on experience for this year’s mentees.

Happily, The Modern House has no shortage of shoot locations to choose from. When Pheasants came to market, we knew we had landed on a special setting for the mentees to explore. (It’s no coincidence that Pheasants was the vision of an endlessly creative couple. Their daughter Lucy Williams, herself an artist, generously opened the door to her parents’ boundary-pushing world.) Conceived as a country villa for the 21st century, Pheasants immediately inspired: “Just for the mentees to be able to experience a building like this, for them to read it and interpret it with their photos – it's a great experience for them,” says Luke, co-founder of the collective.

This year’s mentees are Justine Sauri White (mentored by Luca Piffaretti), Mark Woulfe (mentored by Francesco Russo), Takenya K. Holness (mentored by Luke O’Donovan) and Iman Dagnoko (mentored by Henry Woide). They boarded a train from London to Henley-on-Thames one misty morning in March where they were met by Luke, Henry and Rachel. “I think with each of the mentees, there was something that stood out about them,” explains Luke when asked about the selection process. “It wasn’t necessarily because they were the most technically proficient ... Rather, we saw something individual in each of them that we thought could be amplified through this programme … It was more about, how can we find new perspectives, how can we find something different, and how can we give them the skills to build and showcase that to the world?”

Rachel eased the mentees into the session with a warm-up exercise. They were encouraged to move through the house and gardens and simply respond to their first impressions. Using a hand-held camera so they could work quickly, they were asked how the space made them feel and how might that be conveyed through their imagery. Rachel suggested they pay particular attention to doorways and open views, before going on to explore the atmosphere of Pheasants, documenting the lighting, colour and materials apparent throughout the space, and focusing on the views both in and outside the building. “It’s been wonderful for us to work with Rachel, who’s worked in the industry for over a decade, producing some really incredible work for The Modern House in that time,” says Luke. “To share that very practical experience of what it's like to work on a brief for a client, to represent the house – I think it's something that's directly transferable to what the mentees would be doing if they choose to pursue a career in this industry.”

After several hours with their cameras, the mentees selected a handful of their images to critique with the team. “Seeing the four photographers’ own unique perspectives shape their image making at Pheasants was brilliant,” says Rachel. “They produced really impressive and beautiful work in a short time on location, each responding very differently ... It was very special to be able to visit Pheasants together, a home of such craft and consideration, and I can’t wait to see what creative journeys the four participants take in the future.”

When asked what he hoped the mentees will take from the day, Luke replied: “I think for them, it's just the experience of coming to a place like this and knowing that their vision is valid. We want [the mentees] to have a license to put their own spin on it. We always want to encourage that.”

Justine Sauri White

Justine is studying an MA in Environmental Architecture at the Royal College of Art and has always been a “hobbyist photographer.”

“I was particularly interested in how on-site construction methods were used at Pheasants – especially for the steel staircase. I'm also interested in the pushback from the local community, and how the house sits with its wider environment next to the Thames … [The building] manipulates its environment in interesting ways, creating new compositions that I find really fascinating.

“Hopefully after my MA and the Mass Mentorship, I’ll find a line of work that combines environmental science, architecture and photography, as well as other disciplines.”

Mark Woulfe

Mark studied architecture in Dublin and Edinburgh, and combines his work in architecture with photography.

“While I love architecture, I realised my favourite part of it wasn't the detailing or the construction, it was more the overall idea and visual language of a building. I’ve always been drawn to image-based media, so architectural photography makes sense to me.

“I have no formal training in photography, but I’ve just bought a tripod and got my first tilt-shift lens. Luke and Henry have been showing me how to use them, and it’s been amazing to have Rachel here … Having someone here who's just so talented and practiced and experienced, helping us navigate our way through the house, is invaluable.

“What I find most interesting about the house are the gaps between the solid structure and the surrounding environment. The highlight for me is the tree that is semi-external, semi-internal. That’s a really beautiful moment.”

Takenya K. Holness

Takenya studied contemporary photography at Central Saint Martins. She is a photographer interested in documenting multiple perspectives on Jamaican heritage and Black British culture.

“A lot of my work is rooted in community and culture and documenting Jamaican architecture.

“I think I've always been interested in people and space, and I thought architectural photography would be a good way to combine my interests and investigate how cultural identity influences the built environment.

“I have no experience in the architectural world, I think all I can hope for is that I leave the Mass Mentorship with more knowledge about the industry. Already I feel like I've learned so much about what it takes to be an architectural photographer.”

Iman Dagnoko

Iman is in her final year of study at the Architectural Association. She is currently documenting the lives of people at Trellick Tower in west London.

“I’m interested in capturing how people engage with spaces – how they appropriate it and reinterpret it. I’m also interested in the archival aspect of photography – in creating a visual record of how a space evolves over time and through use.

“At Pheasants, I was struck by how the form of the building imposes itself on its surroundings but on closer inspection, you can see how nature has been incorporated into different elements of the design.

“I’ve definitely gained some insight into what it means to be an architectural photographer, rather than just being an architect who occasionally takes photographs.”

The Mass Mentorship is an education programme for young people aged 20–30, supporting emerging talent from underrepresented backgrounds and championing new voices in architectural photography. An exhibition of new perspectives on architectural photography showcasing work produced by this year’s mentees will take place between 28th May and 1st June at Art Forward Gallery, 12–14 Whitfield St, London W1T 2RF. The mentees’ work will also feature in a zine (£10), which is available for pre-order via the Mass Collective shop.