Celebrating Mike Hawkridge FRPS

On 14 May 2025, Club Secretary Mike Hawkridge was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS) for his panel of images depicting passengers on the London Underground Victoria Line.

The prestigious Fellowship distinction requires applicants to submit a body of work consisting of 20 or 21 images, along with written Statement of Intent and a Presentation Layout in genres such as Landscape, Documentary, Contemporary and Natural History photography. Mike was supported along the journey by fellow photographers in the club’s Distinctions Special Interest Group (SIG) - a group for members wishing to gain recognition from the RPS at all levels.

Mike’s body of work explores the human behaviour and social interactions seen in the doorways of London Underground trains on the Victoria Line, observed from the platform when the train doors are open. Each image in the sequence tells a story, and these stories change as the day progresses and the mix of passengers evolves; from the brief calm of the early morning, through the morning rush hour, the less busy off-peak period with its shoppers and tourists, the evening rush hour, and finally to the end of day when seemingly “anything goes”. The sequence of 21 images was presented to the RPS assessment panel in a line 18ft long, to resemble an underground train with its doors open.

Mike said … “Over many visits to London spread over several years, I was aiming to capture candid observations at different Victoria Line stations, taking my photographs at various times of day as I went about my business. I wanted each image to depict a slice of life, unwittingly portrayed by the people standing in the train doorways. It was only when I started this project and began to pay serious attention to the “goings on” in the underground that I appreciated the huge variety of the scenes played out in the train doorways every day. By the time I’d finished, I’d accumulated quite a collection of these doorway images beyond the 21 needed for the Fellowship assessment and it was not easy to make the final selection. Throughout this project I had to keep in mind the London Underground rules for personal photography, which are quite strict and impose a time limit of 15 minutes of photography at any one place.”

Mike added…  “I have always been passionate about my photography and am absolutely thrilled to have been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society; it’s a great honour.”

The entire SPC community takes immense pride in congratulating Mike on this well-deserved distinction. His achievement reflects not only personal excellence but also the spirit of excellence we strive for as a club. Bravo!

To view all of the panel images at high resolution CLICK HERE. There is a link to more information about shooting the panel.

Squeezing In

Face-off