This Field Note documents a commissioned editorial photography assignment for The Times, covering the sudden closure of a Bright Horizons nursery in Beckenham following the sale of the HSBC sports ground to Crystal Palace Football Club. The assignment was commissioned for that day’s edition.
The brief centred on Charlotte Sivvery, a 41-year-old teacher from Beckenham, photographed during nursery pick-up. The closure had left working parents scrambling to find alternative childcare, with local nursery places already oversubscribed. Alongside portraits of Charlotte, I was asked to document the nursery and the surrounding site, providing photographs that could establish both the personal and physical context of the story.
Working to a same-day deadline meant responding quickly to the situation as it unfolded. The portrait also required particular sensitivity: Charlotte wanted her baby to remain anonymous, while the brief specifically called for her to be photographed holding her child. The resulting image keeps the baby present within the frame, but carefully avoids revealing their identity. The photograph therefore communicates the reality of Charlotte’s situation without compromising her child’s privacy.
The wider set combines environmental portraiture with documentary details of the nursery and its surroundings. These images establish the setting and provide visual context for a story that extends beyond one family to the wider consequences of the nursery’s closure and the redevelopment of the site.
The assignment required a balance of speed, observation and discretion. Producing a strong editorial image within a live news deadline while remaining attentive to the privacy of the people involved. The portrait was published in The Times alongside Ellie McDonald’s report, “Cricket club and nursery hit for six by HSBC sale.”
