British cinematographer, photographer and director Adam Docker recently announced that his portrait “Leila” has been shortlisted for Portrait of Britain 2025, one of the UK’s largest annual public photography exhibitions, run by 1854 Media (the publisher of the British Journal of Photography).
A portrait of a seemingly overwhelmed Sudanese woman wearing a turquoise toub will be featured in the upcoming Portrait of Britain Vol 8 photobook, published by Bluecoat Press and sponsored by WePresent, the arts platform of WeTransfer. The book will showcase 200 shortlisted portraits taken in 2025 and will be available for pre-order soon.
From this shortlist, 100 winning images will be selected and announced in January 2026. These winning portraits will be showcased across the UK on digital JCDecaux screens in high streets, shopping centres, and major transport hubs. As the UK’s largest annual photography exhibition, Portrait of Britain 2025 will see the winning works displayed nationwide in a month-long digital exhibition in partnership with JCDecaux UK.
Docker’s portrait “Leila” is part of a documentary produced by Fable called Liela’s Journey, directed by Tom Newman for Waging Peace UK, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan and Liela’s escape from the war. The documentary has been selected for the Activists Without Borders Film Festival. Leila is a London-based Sudanese activist and humanitarian. Learn more about her here pob25shortlist.1854.photography/#gallery-2-36.
London-based Adam Docker is a versatile filmmaker with over 25 years of experience. He has travelled to and filmed in more than 90 countries, working across documentaries, factual programming, sports, branded content, commercials, and music videos. His creative vision drives compelling commercial, brand, documentary, and music video work. In addition to being a passionate cinematographer, Adam has produced and directed award-winning documentaries, earning Kinsale Shark Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Short, and Best Sound Design for What’s Wrong with Raymond?. He is also an accomplished photographer, winning The Independent Photographer’s People Award in 2022 and the 1854 Media & British Journal of Photography’s Portrait of Humanity Awards in 2021 and 2023.
Run by 1854 Media, a multi-award-winning digital media platform that sits at the intersection of photography and everything, Portrait of Britain is a celebration of identity; an opportunity to rejoice in the diversity of a changing nation. The British Journal of Photography is the world’s oldest photography title (est. 1854), and their awards are among the most viewed photographic exhibitions in history.
For more information, visit 1854.photography/awards/portrait-of-britain.
