I’m Lee Cooper, a documentary and portrait photographer based in Manchester, UK. I use visual storytelling to confront stigma and bring difficult subjects into public view with dignity and care.

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, photography is a form of reclamation, for identity, voice, and agency. Through projects such as Victorious Voices, I work with survivors to create portraits and testimony-led narratives that break silence and resist pity. The process is collaborative and consent-led: participants shape what is shared, how they are represented, and what remains private. My lens is not passive; it is participatory. The images are made with empathy, precision, and intent.

Photography first became a lifeline when I felt invisible. Now it is the tool I use to connect, to challenge, and to shift how we collectively understand trauma, survival, and recovery.

My work has been shaped by photographing across Europe and the United States, moving between cities, coastlines, and communities. That range has trained my eye for nuance: how identity is performed, how environments leave a mark, and how people hold their stories in the body. I bring that attention to every portrait I make.

I am an experienced photographer and I create images that feel real, look polished, and hold attention.

I shoot with a documentary eye and a clean editorial finish. I specialise in images that represent people and organisations with clarity, dignity, and purpose. Whether it’s a founder portrait, a live show, or a campaign moment, I’m there to capture what matters without forcing it.

Available for:

• Portraits - personal branding, creatives, founders, artists

• Editorial - profiles, features, press imagery

• Events & launches - corporate, community, talks, panels

• Gigs & live music - press shots for artists, venues, promoters

• Documentary coverage - longer-form storytelling and meaningful projects

What you’ll get:

• A straightforward, professional booking process

• Calm, confidence-building direction.

• Fast turnaround options when timing matters

• High-resolution finals plus web-ready edits, delivered cleanly and on-brand

If you need portraits or coverage then email lee@placesnowhere.com and I’ll share availability and rates.

‘Places Nowhere'- 286 Deansgate, Manchester, 2025

‘Places Nowhere' - Gallery Oldham, Oldham - 2023

'Manc of the Year' - Barbirolli Square, Manchester - 2022

‘Where We Move Together’- Manchester Photography Collective, Marriott V&A, Manchester - 2026

‘Victorious Voices’ - Challenging the Silence, Leeds, 2026

‘Victorious Voices’ - Survivor Solidarity, Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds - 2026

‘Victorious Voices’ - Sexual Violence and Health Research Day, Coventry University - 2025

‘Victorious Voices’- Viv Gordon, Gloucester - 2025

‘Victorious Voices’- 286 Deansgate, Manchester - 2025

‘Victorious Voices’ - Survivors West Yorkshire, Leeds - 2025

‘Victorious Voices’ - 92 Degrees, Manchester - 2024

'Victorious Voices' - Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, University of Glasgow - 2024

'Salford Open'- Salford Museum & Art Gallery, Salford - 2024

‘Manchester Open’ - HOME, Manchester - 2024

'MancUnity' - Manchester Photography Collective, Great Northern Warehouse, Manchester- 2024

'In Manchester’- Barbirolli Square, Manchester - 2022

'Submerged Spaces' - Submerged Studio, Manchester - 2022

‘Together’ - Inch Gallery, Altrincham- 2022