UK photographer Simon Roberts calls for public to send in photographs for The Election Project

Ahead of the UK May 6 election, photographer Simon Roberts is asking members of the public to be part of the first UK mass political photography project of its kind.

© Simon Roberts, Election Gallery, The Election Project

Documentary photographer Simon Roberts has been commissioned as the official Election Artist by the Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art to follow the campaign activity up to Election Day and to generate works of art based on his experience. Work will be exhibited in Portcullis House and will also enter the Parliamentary Art Collection as a historic record of the event. Roberts says:

“Alongside my own photographs, I’m calling for members of the public to contribute their own photographs of political activity in their area. The submitted photograph will be displayed on The Election Project online gallery and some will be exhibited in the House of Commons later in the year. The General Election is, by definition, a democratic process. Your contributions will add a vital collaborative and democratic dimension to the project.

“If you have a photograph relating to the 2010 UK General Election you can upload, email or text it. Your photographs could be of anything that is connected to the election: local party members canvassing on your street, images of the battle buses, campaign posters, crowds gathering listening to political speeches, campaign hustings in the village hall, election photo calls or photographs related to local issues that you feel should be addressed by those candidates canvassing for your vote. There is no ‘correct’ photo, so please send them in.”

UPLOAD TO: The Election Project

EMAIL: pics@theelectionproject.co.uk or TEXT: 07541 380 888

You can see some examples of work submitted already in the gallery here and there’s a three-minute BBC interview where Roberts discusses the project and shows us his Ebony 5×4 plate camera. “It’s not particularly portable,” he says. “It’s old school  but it takes fantastic pictures.”