July 2024 marked a worrying milestone, as the hottest month in recorded history, forcing us to confront unsettling questions about the future. The pleasure of summer days at the beach is now overshadowed by the looming threat of deadly heatwaves. The simple pleasure of an autumn walk in the rain is tainted with anxiety, as we wonder if the rain will escalate into destructive hailstorms or catastrophic floods. The accelerating changes are stripping away these moments, replacing them with uncertainty and a sense of loss.

Raphaël Neal vividly recalls the day he photographed Tom for his 2021 series, New Waves, the subject of the portrait that won the 2022 Portrait of Britain award:

‘I have a very fond memory of this photoshoot. It was during that moment of freedom between the two lockdowns in 2020. Tom, [his sister] Kat and I collaborated on creating a portrait for my ‘New Waves’ series - a collection of portraits of teenagers and landscapes inspired by global warming issues. For this picture, I was thinking about that insane heatwave in the UK in Summer 2019. I remember that afternoon in Croydon where everyone in the street was sweating, it felt both amazing and worrying. ‘Beauty’ and ‘Danger’ were the two words that I kept in mind while producing this series, which I tried to keep as less political as possible. It’s just heat, sweat, pleasure, danger.’

Raphaël Neal, born in Orsay, Paris, Île-de-France in 1980, is a French photographer who is now based in the United Kingdom. Since 2005, his photographic work has been widely published and exhibited. In addition, Neal frequently collaborates with bands such as The Divine Comedy, My Brightest Diamond and Evergreen, creating music videos that complement their sound with his distinct visual narrative.