Polly Tootal’s photography tells the stories of landscapes and of the people who inhabit them—how they came to be there and where they’re going. Her award-winning series Somewhere in England (2010-2015) saw her create large, highly detailed studies of anonymous landscapes that emphasise architectural structure and the lay of the land. Her editorial work has seen her travel further abroad, from the bright heights of Singapore to the rapidly developing suburbs of Istanbul, to the desert motorways of the UAE and the hanging gardens of Espai Verd. Her landscape studies and portraiture display a sensitivity to composition and an overall sense of composure. This is an approach she honed while studying under the Magnum photographer Mark Power. A style necessary to illustrating the sometimes pressing, always inspiring stories of people being brought together and connected.
Polly Tootal has lived and worked in London since graduating from Editorial Photography at the University of Brighton. Her landscape studies have been awarded the Prix Du Public Vile D’Heres Photographie 2015 and The Association of Photographers Award – Landscape Series 2010. She has been commissioned to depict the connections between people and place for clients such as Airbnb, Ink Global, and Air France, and fashion and lifestyle brands LVMH, Monocle Magazine and Madame Figaro magazine. Tootal presents regularly in solo exhibitions, group shows, and at art fairs throughout Britain, Europe, and North America. Notably, she exhibited at the Palazzo Rialto as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2014. Prints of her work are held in private collections in the USA, Europe, and the UK.
'Polly brings a sense of mystery and wonder into all areas of her work. Her graphic compositions emphasise the almighty industrialisation of our world, while her quiet portraits remind us of our delicate and vulnerable humanity. This interesting dichotomy is a welcome new visual voice in the industry.' Gem Fletcher.
Projects
- Life Framer - Winner Street Life CompetitionWe’re delighted to present the results of our Street Life theme, judged by the legendary conceptual documentary photographer Philip-Lorca diCorcia. As the French pioneer Doisneau described, the streets are the stage on which daily life plays out uncensored – an infinite playground of interest for the observant, and our view onto the trends defining our times, be they cultural, social or political. We all walk them, and yet it takes a special eye – not to mention photographic and creative skill
- Editorial - ‘The Hands That Built This City’ published in Wordt Vervolgd, Amnesty, NLMy photography tells stories of landscapes and of the people who inhabit them - how they came to be there and where they are going. The Hands That Built This City shot in March 2018 and 19 is a photographic story looking at the people who make up the large and growing workforce of the UAE. I am most interested in where the workers live, far away from the cities they are building, in the dusty streets of the labour camps - now their ‘home’. Here there are strictly only male communities who live t
- BBC 'In Pictures' FeatureFocusing on overlooked communities, this landscape series made during the lockdown is a document of how the streets of north and east London reflect the crisis within them. Looking at urban space located around the ring road A406 and surrounding areas I search for images which contain a social critique of these times.
Projects credited in
- Equal Lens: meet 100 women photographersAn equal shot for women photographers After looking through the books of over 70 leading commercial photography agents, we found that women accounted for less than 25% of those represented. This isn’t because of a lack of talent, or a lack of desire from agents, creative agencies or clients. It’s a structural problem that must be addressed with big collective actions, such as an industry-wide commitment to always include women photographers on the lists that clients and agencies select from.119
Work history
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PhotographerPOLLY TOOTAL Photographer
London, United KingdomFreelance
Polly Tootal’s photography tells the stories of landscapes and of the people who inhabit them—how they came to be there and where they’re going. Her award-winning series Somewhere in England (2010-2015) saw her create large, highly detailed studies of anonymous landscapes that emphasise architectural structure and the lay of the land. Her editorial work has seen her travel further abroad, from the bright heights of Singapore to the rapidly developing suburbs of Istanbul, to the desert motorways of the UAE and the hanging gardens of Espai Verd. Her landscape studies and portraiture display a sensitivity to composition and an overall sense of composure. This is an approach she honed while studying under the Magnum photographer Mark Power. A style necessary to illustrating the sometimes pressing, always inspiring stories of people being brought together and connected.
Polly Tootal has lived and worked in London since graduating from Editorial Photography at the University of Brighton. Her landscape studies have been awarded the Prix Du Public Vile D’Heres Photographie 2015 and The Association of Photographers Award – Landscape Series 2010. She has been commissioned to depict the connections between people and place for clients such as Airbnb, Ink Global, and Air France, and fashion and lifestyle brands LVMH, Monocle Magazine and Madame Figaro magazine. Tootal presents regularly in solo exhibitions, group shows, and at art fairs throughout Britain, Europe, and North America. Notably, she exhibited at the Palazzo Rialto as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2014. Prints of her work are held in private collections in the USA, Europe, and the UK.
Skills
- Photography
- Travel
- Location
Education
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BA(Hons) PhotographyThe University of Brighton
- Brighton, United Kingdom
Awards
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Prix Du Public Ville D’Hyeres Photographie 2015FIMPAH: Féstival International de Mode et de Photgraphie à Hyères
Winner of the public award at the 30th International Festival for Fashion and Photography Hyères, France.
Every Spring in the South of France, the Festival spotlights young promising artists in the fields of fashion, accessories and photography.
The festival proposes diverse exhibitions, professional panel discussions and three competitions. The competitions showcase 10 fashion designers, 10 accessories designers and 10 photographers selected by a jury of professionals in each field. The work of the chosen candidates is presented to the jury and the public in either fashion shows (designers) or group exhibitions (accessories designers, photographers).
On the last days of the month of April, as every Spring since 1998, the villa Noailles will once again become the epicenter for emerging photography.A
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Association of Photographers Assistants Award, Landscape Series Winner 2010AOP Awards