As Ed Miliband won an historic Labour leadership contest against his brother David in 2010 freelance photographer, Jon Parker Lee, was there to capture the moment of sibling rivalry and love.
The inconic image shows the Miliband brothers in a firm and almost confrontationally close embrace; however, somehow the tenderness of family shines through.
With ten years in the game, and an upcoming exhibition to celebrate his decade of professional photography, Jon sees the image as his most significant to date.
“The most important moment for me was when Ed Miliband won the party leadership and I captured a good image of him and his brother, David,” he told MM
“They are like chalk and cheese politically but it was a good moment. One was expected to win and one wasn’t so it was interesting to know who would become leader of the labour party.
“I was the only photographer in the right area so I got a great spot and I took in everything that occurred. It was a political shift and such a nice moment to capture.”
The 37-year-old, who originally started out as a copywriter, has captured a vast array of eclectic images that span from the political arena to the youth of council estates.
Jon told MM that he has always loved photography and worked tirelessly to build up a list of contacts in the industry.
Ten years is a solid landmark to take stock and look back over your achievements, right from the early days of licensing to getting into press photography and witnessing a world of change.
Jon has captured a diverse range of pictures, an assortment which brings extra meaning to the term ‘no two days are the same’.
He said: “It’s so competitive now, that’s the nature of the press business and it gets more and more difficult each year. I have still kept my hand in the commercial side though.
“Over the years I have captured the weird and wonderful.
“There are all sorts in there from the late Seamus Heaney to youngsters being turfed out of council homes.
“There is always something for everyone. Some people look at the political and historical side and some like the entertaining side.”
Jon has always been based in the Manchester area and shoots throughout the north of England.
As well as taking shots in the safe surroundings of conference halls Jon also ventures into dangerous territory and was put himself in the middle of the action during the Manchester riots
“You don’t really think too much about it, you just do it,” he said.
“I had been around all day taking pictures and I got a call saying that people are fighting on Piccadilly.
“You really have to be careful in terms of keeping your phone hidden under your jacket.
“As I was walking down the street I had metal bolts thrown at me because people saw me taking pictures but I just got on with it.”
As with most jobs technology has brought about a dramatic shift in the way that photographers do their work.
Keeping up with the fast paced digital world is essential but Jon admitted that he sometimes yearns for the analogue days of old.
“I still miss film because it was so quick and easy,” he said
“I liked the simplicity of it all because I wasn’t engaging with a computer, but nowadays I am spending so much time on the computer, forever sitting there for hours on end and unfortunately you don’t get that instantaneous thing these days.”
Jon has captured a world of glitz and glamour but has also trodden the sink estates and has conversed with the residents about the hardships of life in deprivation.
He said: “You’ve got to build up a relationship with these people and you need to treat each person gently because life is so difficult for them.
“People are actually opening up to you so there’s a real need to have a good rapport with them.
“I think it is 50% having a technical skill and 50% having a good manner.”
Jon Parker Lee’s exhibition takes place at Manchester’s 2022NQ gallery from November 22 – December 8.
Image courtesy of Jon Parker Lee, with thanks
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