One of the joys of black & white photography is that its principles can be applied to myriad subjects and themes, from idyllic landscapes to gritty reportage, to wildlife, architecture, macro and beyond. A perfect example of this is The Fighting Spirit of South London, an ambitious portraiture project that depicts the personalities and sometimes troubled back-stories of martial artists and combat sports participants from south of the river.
The photographer in question, Aneesa Dawoojee, lives in Streatham, where she was born and raised, and her project goes way beyond combat sport or Bruce Lee clichés to present her subjects in an intimate and revealing light – without ever being intrusive, patronising, or pessimistic. Aneesa’s goal was to show the strength and resilience of the fighters, but also their vulnerability, and sometimes, the physical and mental challenges they’ve overcome through following their martial path. In other words, it’s a tough but uplifting story that pulls no punches.
As the images show, Aneesa, who is also a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and a Wex Ambassador, is hugely talented when it comes to working with black & white, so this special issue of AP gave us the perfect opportunity to find out more about her work.
