Front / May 2026

Front is a study of small, everyday businesses in Andover and the people who keep them running.

I began photographing shopfronts, curious about places I regularly passed but knew very little about. 

I wanted to look beyond the assumptions we sometimes make about these businesses, so I started knocking on doors, introducing myself and asking people if they would take part. 

Almost everyone said yes. What began with buildings soon became about the people inside them.

I spent time in barber shops, convenience stores, vape shops and phone repair shops. These businesses provided affordable goods and services. Spending time there helped me understand their part in the everyday economy of the town.

There was also a level of personal care that can be hard to find in larger corporate stores. Customers knew the people behind the counter, and the people behind the counter knew their customers. There was time for a conversation, and people looked out for one another.

Conversation became as important as making photographs. I returned with prints, got to know people and was invited back. The work grew through those relationships, with portraits, interiors and details of the working day.

I hope these photographs give others a reason to look a little closer too.