Acclaimed photographer chooses one memorable picture from every year after travelling the world to capture a decade of triumph and tragedy
August 10, 2012
A man and boy watch the sun set behind the Olympic rings on Day 14 of the London 2012 Olympic Games
Jeff says: Every photographer wants to cover the Olympics because there are so many good pictures of sport you can potentially take.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get that job. I had to do the news side of things, which was very difficult.
I went for a walk round the Olympic Park with my longlens camera.
I was doing a picture of the Olympic rings then this man appeared in the background holding a child.
It was the perfect position.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2013
A marcher shows his passion in Edinburgh as thousands of pro-independence campaigners parade through the capital in the second of three large demonstrations held ahead of the referendum for Scottish Independence in 2014
Jeff says: This was one of the big marches in Edinburgh in the build-up to the Scottish independence referendum the following year. I wanted to stay away from the usual pictures of politicians but Scottish independence was the most important political story of the decade. He was probably playing up for the photographers but it’s a nice photo. Lucky guy having that body, right enough. I wouldn’t be shy if I looked like that!
FEBRUARY 20, 2014
Anti-government protesters continue to clash with police in Independence Square, Kiev, despite a truce agreed between the Ukrainian president and opposition leaders. After several weeks of relative calm, serious violence had erupted between riot squad officers and protesters, who were calling for the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych over corruption scandals and an abandoned trade agreement with the European Union
Jeff says: I could have put more graphic and awful pictures here, but this is one of the most iconic pictures. It just shows the chaos of what happened.
Some guy’s throwing a Molotov cocktail, and it’s happening about 20 minutes before the police broke through the lines and that's when people started getting shot.
Did I feel in danger? Oh God yes. There was a conveyer belt of bodies coming past us away from the front line. It was probably the most dangerous situation I’ve ever been in.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2015
A man holds his crying child close to him as migrants force their way through police lines at Tovarnik station, in Croatia, for a train to take them to Zagreb. Migrants are crossing into Croatia from Serbia two days after Hungary sealed its border with Serbia, the majority of them want to reach Germany, amid divisions within the European Union over how to manage an ongoing crisis
Jeff says: I took this one round about the same time as the “breaking point” picture, which was used by UKIP, but I prefer this one. Plus I don’t want to be remembered as the breaking point guy.
There were so many better photographs. You can see the desperation on this man’s face. They were waiting in this train station the whole day in the sweltering heat, trying to get onto a train to Germany. I just remember the terror in his face as well as the child’s.
FEBRUARY 23, 2016
Nurse Pauline Cafferkey enters an isolation tent before boarding an RAF Hercules at Glasgow Airport to be flown to the Royal Free Hospital, in London, to be treated for Ebola. Thankfully, she survived and last year gave birth to twins
Jeff says: Quite often you get sent to these types of jobs and all you end up with is a picture of an ambulance. It becomes a nothing picture. This one was obviously different.
I couldn’t believe it, really. I remember my boss at the time saying it looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.
For Ebola to come back to our shores was a huge deal. Pauline was transported in an RAF Hercules aircraft. It reminded me of the movie Outbreak.
MAY 1, 2017
Demonstrators confront police on the annual May Day workers’ march in Paris as violence flared during the rally held close to the Place de la Bastille, where protesters shouted “Fascists out!”
Jeff says: This was a bizarre story. I was doing a feature on the far right in Europe at the time. I ended up being in Paris and was asked to have a look at the May Day demonstrations, but to not expect anything. I thought I might get a wee artistic photo. Then, in true French rebellion fashion, it all started kicking off and the police were getting hit by Molotov cocktails. I usually take a gas mask, the tear gas was flying. This guy went up like a firework. Insane.
MARCH 1, 2018
A woman makes her way through the snow in Balloch during the freezing front dubbed the Beast from the East that combined with Storm Emma coming in from the south-west to bring snow and sub-zero temperatures, causing chaos on roads and shutting schools. Red weather warnings for snow were seen in the UK for the first time
Jeff says: I’m really proud of this picture. I couldn’t get the car out the drive, the car just lifted itself up, so I was stuck in two feet of snow. I went out in Alexandria to do some shots and saw a girl covered in snow, looking like she’s walked out of the Arctic Circle. I took the picture and she walked by me and said: “Was that a good picture?” It was and made a few front pages the next day.
OCTOBER 19, 2019
Police clash with demonstrators in Barcelona after a week of protests over the jail sentences given to separatist politicians by Spain’s Supreme Court. Nine Catalan pro-independence leaders received varying jail terms for sedition, in relation to the 2017 independence vote
Jeff says: Another year where we’ve had protests all over the world. This one sticks with me because it’s similar issues to what’s happening in Scotland in a way, but Catalonians are being a lot more forceful than Scots.
The police, for whatever reason, were just not holding back. I thought their approach was so heavy-handed. It’s just a good protest picture, though – the expressions on their faces, especially.
I got hit by a rubber bullet over there. The lump still hasn’t gone away.