A globally recognised humanitarian and commercial photographer with over 25 years’ experience capturing stories around the world.
Biography
Jonathan Banks is an award-winning British photographer with over twenty-five years’ experience of humanitarian, editorial and commercial photography. He is as comfortable photographing in a shanty town in Africa, as at a garden party in a Royal Palace, or on a trawler in the Atlantic. Banks collaborates with charitable organisations and NGOs documenting important humanitarian campaigns with human rights concerns. Banks studied under the prolific artist John Blakemore and graduated from the University of Derby with a BA hons in Photographic Studies. He cut his teeth in editorial photography freelancing for The Telegraph newspaper and magazine plus various agencies.
Banks has photographed in over seventy different countries, documenting subjects as diverse as mask dancing festivals in Burkina Faso, the effects of the Chernobyl disaster in the Ukraine and the aftermath of 9/11 in New York. His international experience includes working in security impaired areas, where his communication skills and sensitivity allow him to capture subjects in the most challenging situations. He is the longest serving British Red Cross photographer and has exhibited work in support of International Alert and TASSC International. Combined with his creativity and technical know-how, this enables him to deliver award-winning images.
Banks’ photography has been widely recognised by numerous awards including FOTO8, Humanity Photo Awards, Sony World Photography Awards, World Press Photo and the Siena International Photography Awards.
His work has been widely published and featured in several books including the Red Cross’ landmark publication “Reaching Vulnerable People Around the World”. His photography of the health program in Rwanda was published in the 2015 book “Tubeho Neza – Transforming Lives Through Enterprise”.
Banks has exhibited his photography globally including notable shows at the European Parliament, on the Times Square screens in New York, as part of the Exposure Awards at the Louvre, Paris, at the “Beauty of Humanity” Art Basel festival in Miami and as a solo exhibition at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC. His work has been described by one critic as “responsible documentary photography that lacks the predatory or voyeuristic perspective that often plagues the genre.”
Exhibitions and Awards
2023
- Exhibited at the “Lens op de Mens” Festival – Selected as a featured photographer.
- Exhibited at “The Art of Existence” exhibition, curated by “The Holy Art Gallery” in London
- All About Photography – Honourable Mention
- International Color Awards – Two Honourable Mentions and four Nominations
2022
- Exhibited “Portraits of Resilience” solo exhibition at the Phillips Collection, Washington DC
- Selected as a featured Artist on the INFLUX Gallery website.
- Inducted into the INFLUX Gallery Hall of Fame
- International Color Awards – Three Honourable Mentions and four Nominations
- Black and White Spider Awards – Honourable Mention and two Nominations
- Whalebone Magazine Photo Contest – Honourable Mention
2021
- Exhibited “Portraits of Resilience” at the Venice International Art Fair: “Fragmented Identities”.
- Exhibited at Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah, UAE
- Inducted into the SIENA Awards Hall of Fame
- World Report Award 2021 | Documenting Humanity – Finalist
- World Press Photo Awards – Special mention for being in the top 24%
- Lucie Foundation “Portrait Project” – Finalist
- One Eyeland Awards – Finalist
- Selected for “The Best of the Best Photographers” One Eyeland book Vol. 10
- Pollux Awards – Three Honourable Mentions
- International Color Awards – One Honourable Mention and three Nominations
- Black and White Spider Awards – One Honourable Mention and two Nominations
- Tokyo International Photo Awards – Honourable Mention
2020
- The British Photography Awards – Shortlisted
- Motif Collective Photography Awards – Shortlisted in three categories.
- International Color Awards – Two Honourable Mentions and four Nominations
- Black and White Spider Awards – Two Honourable Mentions
- TZ International Photography and Art Community Awards – Finalist in four categories
- Moscow International Foto Awards – Honourable Mention.
2019
- Exhibited at the Siena International Photography Awards festival in Siena, Italy
- Exhibited at the “Lens op de Mens” Festival – Selected as a featured photographer.
- Siena International Photography Awards – “Photographer of the Year” 2019
- Lugano Photo Days International Photography contest and festival – Shortlisted
- International Photography Awards – Honourable Mention
- British Photography Awards – Shortlisted
- Motif Collective “Portrait” photography awards – Second Place
- International Color Awards – One Honourable Mention and three Nominations
- Black and White Spider Awards – Two Honourable Mentions and one Nomination
- Motif Collective photography awards – Shortlisted
- Tokyo International Photo Awards – Honourable Mention.
2018
- Exhibited “Portraits of Resilience” at the Open Society Foundations in Washington DC
- Selected as a Nikon ambassador featured photographer on the Polish Nikon website.
- Selected for “The Best of the Best Photographers” One Eyeland book Vol. 8
- International Color Awards – Two Nominations
- Black and White Spider Awards – Two Honourable Mentions and three Nominations
2017
- One Eyeland Awards – Winner in two categories
- Lensculture Portrait Awards – Honourable Mention
- All About Photography Awards, Minds Eye – Shortlisted and exhibited
- International Color Awards – Winner in Architecture Category plus three other Nominations
- Black and White Spider Awards – Three Nominations
- NCVO photo Awards – Shortlisted
2016
- Exhibited at the St James’s Cavalier creativity centre in Malta as part of the Sony World Photography Awards program.
- Exhibited at Tonnara di Marzamemi in Sicily, Italy as part of the Sony World Photography Awards program.
- HIPA – Shortlisted
- Magnum Photography Awards – Highly Commended
- Lensculture Visual Storytelling – Highly Commended
- Lensculture Portrait Awards – Highly Commended
- International Color Awards – Four Nominations
- Black and White Spider Awards – One Honourable Mention & four Nominations
- NCVO photo awards – Shortlisted
2015
- Exhibited at Somerset House, London as part of the Sony World Photography Awards.
- Exhibited at The Beauty of Humanity Art Basel Miami.
- Exhibited in the Louvre as a winner of the Fifth Annual Exposure Awards.
- Exhibited at the Norma, Aeroporto di Catania, Italy as part of the Sony World Photography Awards
- Sony World Photography Awards – Shortlisted in the Campaign category
- Lensculture Earth Awards – Highly Commended
- 1X Photo Awards – Winner of the People’s Choice Award, Documentary category
- Black and White Spider Awards – Two Nominations
- International Color Awards – Three Nominations
- Gloden Camera Awards – Shortlisted
2014
- Exhibited on the screens in Times Square, New York one of the largest collaborative creative projects ever staged organised by See Me Take Over.
- PX3 Awards – Gold Winner
- PDN World In Focus Travel Competition – Second Place
- International Color Awards – Nomination
- International Loupe Awards – Bronze
- ND Awards – Honourable Mention
- TZ International Photography Awards – Finalist
2013
- Exhibited at the See Me Exposure Exhibition in New York.
- Humanity Photo Awards – Shortlisted
- World in Focus Photography Awards – Finalist
- International Kontinent Awards – Second Place and an Honourable Mention
- International Loupe Awards – Bronze
- ND Awards – Honourable Mention
- Black and White Spider Awards – Three Nominations
2012
- Exhibited “Different Faces, Shared Hopes. The Human Side of Conflict” in collaboration with International Alert in Yerevan, Armenia.
- Exhibited as part of the Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society.
- Exhibited in collaboration with International Alert in “Media and Modern conflict: A role for Peace” exhibition at the SW1 Gallery.
- PDN World in Focus – Winner
- Artists Exposure Awards – Finalist
- Black and White Spider Awards – Two Nominations
2011
- Exhibited in collaboration with International Alert at the Tour & Taxis and EU Parliament in Brussels.
- PX3 Awards – Honourable Mention
- International Color Awards – First Place, an Honourable Mention and a Nomination
- Black and White Spider Awards – Two Nominations
2010
- Exhibited at the FOTO8 Summer Festival in the HOST Gallery, London.
- Foto8 – Winner of People’s choice Award
- PDN Top Knots Award – Winner
- International Photography Awards – Two Honourable Mentions
- Creative Asia Awards – Bronze
- Nikon Africa Awards – Second Place
2009
- Travel Photographer of the Year – Second Place
- International Aperture Awards – Silver and Bronze
- PX3 Awards – Honourable Mention
- International Photography Awards – Honourable Mention
Clients
Commercial
Microsoft
Sanofi
Amazon
Wilding McArdle Wilson
BAE Systems
Emirates
Buckley Gray Yeoman
Heatherwick Studios
CallisonRTKL
Gensler
EPR Architects
Hoare Lea
Turner Townsend
FLOS
Lendlease
JLL
Overbury
isg
InterGen
DRAX
Nando’s
Sainsbury’s
Yamaha Music Europe
YASA Motors
Hamleys
Downing Street
Crown Estate
Humanitarian
British Red Cross
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Alert
Comic Relief
Torture Abolition And Survivors Support Coalition International
Farm Africa
Alzheimer’s Society
DelAgua
Street Child World Cup
Compass Collective
The Queens Green Canopy
University of Cambridge
Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights
The Babylon Project
Every assignment is different, and, as such, is approached uniquely. Whether you represent a global corporation, editorial magazine, or charity, I am always on the lookout for new creative partnerships.