Photographing a national awareness campaign for a cause that’s close to my heart.
A National Campaign with Personal Significance
World Haemophilia Day, held annually on 17th April, is organised by the World Federation of Hemophilia to raise awareness and bring together the global bleeding disorders community. This year, I was commissioned by Aurora Healthcare Communications to document part of a UK-wide campaign to light up civic landmarks in red.
For me, this was more than just a photography job. Haemophilia has had a tragic impact on my own family. My cousin, who had haemophilia, was one of the many people in the UK affected by the contaminated blood scandal — receiving an NHS transfusion infected with HIV. He passed away when he was in his early twenties and I was even younger. So when I was approached to photograph this important event, I didn’t hesitate. It was an honour to be involved.
Capturing Leeds in Red
The brief was to photograph three key buildings in Leeds as they were lit up in red: Leeds Town Hall, Leeds Civic Hall, and Leeds City Museum.
To do the buildings justice, I visited at sunset and stayed through twilight — using both handheld camera gear and my drone to create a mix of stills and aerial footage. There were a few challenges on the night: Millennium Square’s bright street lighting made it harder for the Civic Hall’s red lights to stand out, and the Town Hall was surrounded by hoardings, which meant I had to shoot from the back and from above.
The standout image for me was the drone shot of the Town Hall glowing red. From the air, it almost appears like the heart of the city, with roads radiating from it like veins. It felt like a fitting metaphor for the campaign’s message.
Drone Video Production
Alongside the stills, I also created a drone video to help showcase the three illuminated landmarks in context — giving a broader sense of the campaign’s scale and visibility across Leeds.
Post-Production and Finishing Touches
The Leeds City Museum lights had unfortunately been set to the wrong colour on the night, but I was able to gently correct them in post to bring the tones closer to the intended red. Minor adjustments like this are sometimes essential in public lighting events — especially when multiple parties are involved in coordinating the visuals.
Reflections on the Shoot
While I’ve worked on many drone and architectural photography projects, this one has stayed with me. The connection to my cousin and the wider haemophilia community made this work deeply personal. I’m grateful to Aurora for trusting me with the task and proud to have contributed to a campaign that carries such meaning.
If you’re planning a charity awareness campaign, or need photography and drone work to support a visual storytelling project, feel free to get in touch — I’d love to help.
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