DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS FROM ePHOTOzine

L-R: Ian McKellen, Love, London, 2023; Chappell Roan, Fashion: Chanel Haute Couture, New York City, 2025; Isaac Julien and Queen Conch Shell, London, 2023; Miriam Margolyes, Clapham Cream Teas, London, 2023 / Image Credit: National Portrait Gallery

 

The National Portrait Gallery has announced full details of Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends, a landmark new exhibition from acclaimed British photographer Tim Walker. Running from 9 October 2026 to 7 February 2027, the show brings together 250 specially created portraits made over five years, capturing Queer activists, storytellers, performers and icons including Ian McKellen, Chappell Roan, Isaac Julien and Miriam Margolyes. Curated by Susanna Brown, the exhibition traces over fifty years of Queer history and culture, from the campaigners of the Gay Liberation Front through to today's changemakers, before closing with a bold exploration of fashion, performance and fairy tale reimagined through a Queer lens.

 

From National Portrait Gallery:

Today the National Portrait Gallery reveals details of a major new exhibition created by renowned photographer Tim Walker, presenting a body of new work celebrating Queer culture and life. The project is the result of five years of connecting with Queer people and their allies in Britain and beyond and marks a decisive shift in Walker's artistic focus.

Walker rose to prominence in the 1990s with his unique style of fantastical photography. Since then, his fashion pictures and portraits have graced the pages of magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, W, Love, Another Man and i-D. He has published seven books and staged solo exhibitions at museums around the world, while his short films and projects with musicians have won international acclaim.

Curated by Susanna Brown, the exhibition engages with the historical gallery setting, presenting both unsung heroes and established giants of Queer history. Designed by Walker's longtime collaborator Shona Heath with support from the National Portrait Gallery, Walker spotlights some 250 activists, social workers, nightlife performers, musicians and superstars in a spectacular display. Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends purposefully reclaims the word 'fairy' for Walker and his sitters, resisting homophobia and transphobia with his original blend of wit, joy and sensitivity.

The exhibition opens with portraits of trailblazers who spent the 1970s and 80s bravely advocating for the right to love. They include founding members of the Gay Liberation Front and Stonewall, among them Olivette Cole-Wilson, Andrew Lumsden, Lisa Power and Tom Robinson. Walker memorialises his own 'queeristocracy' in a style inspired by sixteenth-century portraits of Tudor aristocracy by Hans Holbein the Younger and Nicholas Hilliard.

 

L-R: Andrew Lumsden (1941–2023) (after Nicholas Hilliard), London, 2023; Olivette Cole–Wilson and Blackbird, London, 2025; Sunil Gupta, London, 2023; Jill Nalder Holding a Photograph of Dursley McLinden (1965–95), London, 2023. / Image Credit: National Portrait Gallery

 

A further group of Queer changemakers, such as Ted Brown, Caroline Paige, Gilli Salvat and Peter Tatchell, are shown alongside storytellers who made Queerness visible in the late 20th century, including James Ivory and Sarah Waters. Walker invited each sitter to bring a meaningful object to their portrait session: author Jane Cholmeley presents the original shop sign from Silver Moon Women's Bookshop, founded in 1984; photographer Sunil Gupta holds his camera; and filmmaker Isaac Julien clasps a conch shell, a motif from his pioneering 1989 film Looking for Langston. Walker then photographed those working today for a better future, among them Liz Carr, Shon Faye, Francis Lee, Lady Phyll, E-J Scott, and Kae Tempest. Nearly all these portraits are set against deceivingly simple white backgrounds, in a style reminiscent of the work of Richard Avedon, whom Walker assisted in the 1990s.

 

L-R: Lady Phyll, London, 2024; Kae Tempest, London, 2023; Francis Lee, Ode to Edward Carpenter, London, 2023; Shon Faye, London, 2025 / Image Credit: National Portrait Gallery

 

The exhibition pays tribute to the many people who came together in solidarity and action in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s. Walker's photographs of nurses and healthcare professionals who developed effective treatments for the disease are displayed alongside musicians who soundtracked the era, including Marc Almond, Holly Johnson, and Jimmy Somerville. Walker explains, "The brilliance of their music boomed despite the fear of mortality and discrimination. I wanted to bring that disco to the ward, to celebrate the tireless work to spread awareness and pursue proper care and solutions."

A room at the centre of the exhibition is dedicated to large-scale portraits of post-punk collective the Rebel Dykes, inspired by Karlheinz Weinberger's photographs of 1960s biker gangs. These are accompanied by a short film in which the women reflect on the importance of community and their campaigns for nuclear disarmament, environmentalism, sex positive feminism and HIV solidarity.

 

L-R: Aphra and Jo Barwick, Siobhan Fahey and Emily Witham, East Sussex, 2024; Maartje Convens and Marin Céleste, Camfield Place, Hertfordshire, 2022; Paul O'Grady (1955–2023) and Julian Clary as the Glitter Queens, with Harry Browse, Rae and Liam Elias as the Glitter Boys, London, 2022 / Image Credit: National Portrait Gallery

 

The second half of the exhibition looks at the transformative power that fashion, makeup and performance have long held for Queer people. It features portraits of designers Jean Paul Gaultier and Michaela Stark, drag performers Paul O'Grady, David Hoyle and Midgitte Bardot, personalities Alan Carr and Sue Perkins, and actors Ncuti Gatwa, Hunter Schafer, Fiona Shaw and Ben Whishaw, among many others. International music stars and icons Björk, Lady Gaga, Boy George, Frank Ocean, and Chappell Roan are also pictured.

 

L-R: David Hoyle, Prawn Cocktailed, London, 2023; Ben Whishaw in Crystal Prism, London, 2020; Fairyland Parade, Joe Sweeney, Matthew Keller, Harry Keita, Bolly Illusion, James Corbin, Oliver-Bijan Daryoush, Jack Newman, Yos Clark and Joseph O'Rourke, London, 2023; Alex Gorey and Matías Montes (after Yannis Tsarouchis), London, 2021 / Image Credit: National Portrait Gallery

 

The exhibition climaxes with a room of staged erotic scenes which subvert fairy tales and nursery rhymes through a Queer lens. Walker contextualises these works saying, "the greatest thing I learned from the activists, storytellers and performers who make up Fairyland is how essential eroticism and humour are. It's the very heart of what we're talking about when we talk about Queerness. A place where you can desire and be desired. A place where you can be whoever you want to be."

"The Fairyland exhibition is me finally placing myself in the queer realm with confidence and greeting all the other friends who live here. Just as I learned from the queer artists who came before me, some of whom I'm lucky enough to have met and photographed here, Fairyland is me saying you are not alone. I want visitors to the exhibition to remember that your difference is your power. It is a precious and beautiful thing." 

Tim Walker, Photographer

 

"This is the most ambitious and important project of Tim Walker's career. He takes exhibition visitors on a journey that begins with protest and outrage and ends with joy. For some visitors, the content will resonate with their own lived experiences, for others it will broaden their understanding of unfamiliar subjects. It's been an honour to collaborate with him and to witness the creation of this powerful and uplifting body of work."

Susanna Brown, Exhibition curator

 

"Tim Walker's Fairyland: Love and Legends takes us on an extraordinary journey through half a century of history. It is a vivid tapestry of Tim's many inspirations and influences and presents lavish, fantastical scenes alongside intimate and singular portraits. This timely exhibition is both deeply personal and profoundly universal and we are proud to host it at the Gallery."

Victoria Siddall, Director of the National Portrait Gallery

 

The exhibition is accompanied by a new book featuring contributions written by Travis Alabanza, Susanna Brown, Russell T Davies, Shon Faye, Lisa Power and Joelle Taylor.

For more details, please visit the National Portrait Gallery website.

 

1. Why Photograph Vertical Lines?

Lines going up and sometimes out of the frame can convey a sense of growth, strength and power as well as create interesting patterns within your images.
 

2. Shoot Portrait Or Landscape?

Switching from landscape to portrait mode lengthens the frame you're working with, emphasising the length/height of the vertical lines. Turning the camera back around to horizontal format works well when you have multiple vertical lines going through the frame as you'll be able to get more in the shot and it can help create the impression that the objects you're photographing are so tall that you can't fit them all in the frame.
 

3. Straight Lines

Make sure your vertical lines run parallel to the sides of your frame as wonky, slopping lines will mean your shot lacks impact. Keep an eye out for converging verticals too. If you find you're having a problem with them try and work from higher up to put you more in line with the object you're photographing, switch to a focal length that's not as wide or you can take the shot and adjust the photo in Photoshop or another similar piece of editing software later on.

 

 

4. Framing

Putting a vertical line in the centre of the frame will cut your image in half which does create a strong impact and maybe something you like, however most of the time it's best to position the object/shape more to the left of right of the image.
 

5. Get Repetitive

Repeating patterns and symmetry works well when you have multiple vertical lines in your shots. Just remember to have a play around with the orientation of the shot to see which way emphasises the pattern you're trying to create more.
 

6. Adds Depth

When you have lots of the same object in a line, take a line of trees along a path, for example, you can stand at the top of the path, point your lens down it and you'll see the trees, or whatever lines the edge of your shot, create depth as they vanish towards the back of your image. Just remember the items creating the vertical lines need to be of roughly the same height.

 

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1. Heading To The Beach?

A popular destination when on your travels abroad or even just for the weekend when the sun's showing its face in the UK is the beach which is full of photographic potential. Even though you may enjoy yourself by the sea it's not a place that's great for your camera and other photography gear. Grains of sand can get into parts of your camera it shouldn't be in and it can scratch your lens if you're not careful. A UV filter will help stop sand scratching your lens and is a less expensive option than replacing your glass. When you're not using your kit, make sure you store it in your camera bag and if you want to change lenses, try and do it off the beach and out of the wind.

If you're planning on taking a tripod and use it in the sea, make sure you wipe it down when you get home and leave it to dry. A lens cloth can also be handy for wiping sea spray off your gear.

2. Check Temperatures

If you're venturing somewhere that's going to be particularly hot then make sure your camera equipment (memory cards, batteries etc.) will operate to the best of their ability still. You can usually find information on operational limits of specific products on manufacturers' websites and in manuals.

 

3. Going Inside And Out

An air-conditioned room or vehicle may be good for you to cool down in but if you have your camera out and take it from a cool to warm environment you'll end up with a fogged-up lens as condensation will have formed. Either ensure your gear's in your bag or just wait five or ten minutes for the lens to clear. You can wipe the lens with a lens cloth, but this could cause smears and marks that'll spoil your shot so look at your lens carefully before hitting the shutter button. If moisture gets inside your lens, ensure the outside of it is dry then leave the lens to dry out before using it.

 

4. Think About You

As well as looking after your gear, don't forget to look after yourself. It may seem obvious now, but it's easy to get away with taking photos and the small things such as reapplying sunscreen and having a drink of water can be forgotten.

 

 

5. Viewing Screens

Previewing your shot on your camera's LCD screen can be difficult when outdoors in sunny conditions. You can adjust the brightness of most screens, but this doesn't always solve the problem. You can use LCD hoods (flip-up caps) that shade screens from glare and as an additional benefit, they also protect the screen too.

 

6. Avoid Hot Parts Of The Day

Again, seems obvious and it's not always easy to do as you could be on an organised excursion, for example. However, getting up early or staying out later does have it's advantages as the light's usually better and you'll be able to avoid crowds at busy tourist sites. Don't forget your lens hood if you're heading out during the day as they can help reduce the amount of light reaching your lens.

 

7. Find Some Shade

Ideally, you should not take photographs when the sun is too high in the sky, particularly for portraits as people can end up with deep shadows under their eyes and nose. If your subject's wearing a floppy hat this will shade the face, and help create the shade you need. If not, find a shaded area that won't cause the light to appear dappled. Instead, find a shaded spot where the light's more even and they won't end up squinting.

If you're photographing a family member or a stranger who's given you permission to shoot, you can try using flash to add extra light that'll even out your scene. A touch of flash will also help create catchlights in your subject's eyes but it's much easier to just position your subject so they're facing the light source and/or use a reflector to bounce the light into your shot.
 

You've read the technique now share your related photos for the chance to win prizes: Daily Forum Competition