In early 2009 I was given an incredible opportunity by GEO magazine in Germany to collaborate with them on a GEO Special which would focus on Scotland. The Special issue was planned for publication in July 2010.
One of the proposals I made was a project I had been dipping in and out of for several years documenting the life of a family living in one of the remaining Hutchesontown tower blocks on Sandiefield Road in the Gorbals. I first met Paul and Marie I think in 2006 whilst working on a feature for the Sunday Herald on child poverty. I was really drawn into their lives and have returned over and over again to stay for a few days here and there, to take pictures of their daily struggles.
Both Paul and Marie are long term, third generation, unemployed who are completely dependent on the state , not just for financial support but for help in caring for their five children. It has been very courageous of them to open up their lives to me and to a global audience.
GEO sent a writer, Susanne Krieg, over for 10 days and I introduced her to Paul and Marie who welcomed Susanne into their lives. The resulting story, combined with my photography, was published in the GEO Special, but has also just been awarded the Hansel Mieth Award for photojournalism.
Here are some links to the background of Hansel Mieth, a German born photojournalist who became the second woman to work on staff with Life magazine in 1937, and to the award itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_Mieth
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/hanselmieth/
And if you can speak German: –
http://zeitenspiegel.de/de/aktuell/hansel-mieth-preis-2011-vergeben/
You can see the full edit of pictures here.