Lee Cooper
I am a Manchester-based portrait and documentary photographer.
My work explores people, place, identity and lived experience. Moving between carefully constructed portraits and observational documentary photography, I am drawn to the details, relationships and everyday environments that reveal something deeper about how people live and understand themselves.
Human connection sits at the centre of my practice. Whether I am working with an individual, documenting a community or developing a long-term personal project, I approach photography as a collaborative process built on curiosity, trust and attentiveness. My images combine emotional intimacy with a strong sense of place, creating work that feels both personal and socially engaged.
I am the creator of Victorious Voices, an ongoing project bringing together portraits and testimonies from survivors of child sexual abuse. I also founded Manchester Photographers Collective (MPC), a creative community that brings photographers together through exhibitions, photo walks and opportunities for collaboration.
Across all my work, I use photography to make people and experiences visible without reducing them to a single story. I aim to create images that recognise complexity, preserve individuality and encourage a closer, more thoughtful way of looking.