Hold Still Reminds Us We're All in This Together

Over four months ago, the Duchess of Cambridge launched Hold Still, a photography project in collaboration with her patronage the National Portrait Gallery. to reflect the sense of community, acts of bravery and kindness amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It was reported the Duchess was eager to focus on the "human story of lockdown" through three themes: Acts of Kindness, Your New Normal and Helpers and Heroes. Kate and her fellow judges had the difficult task of selecting 100 final images from almost 32,000 submissions to showcase in a digital exhibition.

The curated images were revealed tonight, encompassing the tender moments, frustrations, times of joy and sorrow, courage and sense of community we've all experienced and seen over the past six months.

Kate recently revealed she was "overwhelmed" by the response to the campaign, adding: "Hold Still aims to capture a portrait of the nation, the spirit of the nation, what everyone is going through at this time. Photographs reflecting resilience, bravery, kindness -  all those things that people are experiencing." Kate noted the "quality of the images has been extraordinary, and the poignancy and the stories behind the images have been equally as moving as well". The Duchess added: "I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has entered and taken part. And a big thank you to my fellow judges. I hugely appreciate the time and dedication that they have shown towards the project."

The Duchess was joined by National Portrait Gallery director Nicholas Cullinan; writer Lemn Sissay; Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer for England; and photographer Maryam Wahid. 

There's a video of the judges discussing their choices on the NPG's website.

Discover ‘Hold Still’ ‑ a community photography project launched by The Duchess of Cambridge in collaboration with @NPGLondon, as we unveil the final 100 images!https://t.co/QQRovlZKU7

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) September 14, 2020

To mark the launch, Her Majesty released an incredibly warm message in support of the exhibition. The Queen wrote "It was with great pleasure I had the opportunity to look through a number of the portraits that made the final 100 for the Hold Still photography project. The Duchess of Cambridge and I were inspired to see how the photographs have captured the resilience of the British people at such a challenging time".

Royal correspondent Roya Nikkhah reports Kate showed the Queen a number of images at Balmoral last month. They included The Look of Lockdown (the first image in the post) which was described by photographer Lotti Sofia as "a representation of our daily dose of daydreaming that we do while we watch the world go by without us." and Everyday Hero featuring Richard a postman who cheered up those on his round by delivering the post in fancy dress :)

The exhibition is now live on the National Portrait Gallery's website. It's interesting as so often with exhibitions one particular image will stand out to us in some way. With Hold Still, each one captures an emotion which deeply resonates. Let's take a look, beginning with 'Be Safe Daddy X' by Ceri A. Edwards. Ceri wrote: "This picture was originally a piece of work set for our daughter during lockdown. Poppy struggled with her dad having to go to work, as a paramedic throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and she worried about him each time he left to go to work. Poppy loves a cuddle and this happened to be a special moment between them just before my husband left to go on a night shift."

I adore the creativity from students studying at Maiden Erlegh School. Their portraits are a response to their feelings on life at the moment. They are all aged 13-15.

Children and their experiences throughout the pandemic feature prominently in the exhibition. As working with children is Kate's key area of focus, I suspect these photos appealed to her. In 'Empty', Julie Thiberg photographed her son Leo during a shopping trip to Sainsbury's. "I happily got a big trolley and was surprised at how easy it was to get a parking space, only to find the Sainsbury's superstore completely empty – only a few oils, spices and clothes and toys were left. My son Leo had just turned three years old and didn't understand what was happening at the time. Although he did pick up that our shopping trip was very different on this day. As a parent, I probably experienced silent panic and a fear that this type of shopping would be the new normal. I decided to take the picture to remember a unique day that would be the start of a long and challenging time."

'School' by Marcela will strike a chord with parents all over the world who adopted new roles as teachers this year. "During lockdown, my mum had to become a primary school teacher for my brother. This moment captures one of the few times my brother was eager to do his homework. Through this photograph, I wanted to convey a warm feeling of when family is together."

'Rainbow' is a gorgeous shot Helen Pugh took of her daughter during lockdown when children all over the UK painted rainbows. Helen described it as "a moment of home, fringed by fear and uncertainty".

'Thank You' by Wendy Huson from Liverpool is another snapshot of childhood experiences during lockdown. "Our little girl, Amelia, has Down's Syndrome and raises a lot of positive awareness on social media under Amelia May Changing Attitudes. On the 12 May 2020 I (mummy) made Amelia a very simple nurse's outfit and then took the picture in our kitchen to celebrate International Nurses Day. Amelia's aunty and cousin (mother and daughter) are both amazing nurses and Amelia has seen a lot of nurses in her short life."

Children adapted to learning in new environments. Claudia Burton's 'Higher Learning' shares a glimpse of her son studying on their small outdoor space. "We live in a 2-bedroom, third floor flat in London. Space is limited, and with schools closed we tried to make as much use as possible of the outdoor space that we have."

Parents and children had the opportunity to spend more time together than ever. Jamal Yussuff Adelakun shared a photo of his daughter for 'I Can't Breathe', the last words of an unarmed man Eric Garner before he was killed in 2014. Jamal wrote: "My daughter and I have bonded and created previously when it comes to photography, but never before have we both used the medium of photography to talk about racial injustice or racism. For me, this was a new way to have that conversation with her."

An unbridled moment of joy in 'The First Kiss' by Ali Harris and Leigh Harris Lincoln.

Because even in the darkest days this year, happy memories were made. 

Those moments separated by glass that told us we were closer than ever.

To finally reuniting following loss and tragedy such as the heartbreaking 'Where's Grandpa?' "The moment when my daughter, Gaby, could embrace her grandmother, Teri, for the first time, together with her mother Vanessa, a month after her grandfather Kevin FitzGerald died from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) at the Royal Brompton Hospital on 19 April 2020. 'Where’s Grandpa?', they whispered as they cried. Then Gaby, without hesitation, smiled and pointed to the trees outside the window where he had spent his last weeks, comforted by the view of St Mary Abbots Church, where he had been baptised 66 years earlier."

Those on the front lines were there for all of us every single day reminding us with their bravery and selflessness that we're all in this together.

People like former soldier and HART paramedic Dave Thorpe worked tirelessly with the Hazardous Area Response Team. Paramedics work alongside the other emergency services at the centre of serious incidents or threats to public health.

To all the medical staff who assured children like Hanna they were in safe hands.

To carers like Fabiana who provided a lifeline to people like Jack. I immediately recognised the photographer's name, Karwai Tang, and was fascinated to hear the story behind the photo. "As a photographer, I had the privilege of being given the opportunity to follow a care worker visiting a client during the pandemic. They do an amazing and underrated job, and I wanted to highlight this. I felt this image captured the caring and compassionate side of caring. Fabiana, who cares for Jack, was with him in his room. She says: ‘I care for him and he makes me happy in these terrible times. The first thing he says to me, when I open the door, is 'I am so glad to see you', and with that he makes all the hard work we have been doing worthwhile. With the lockdown, there can be no family visits, so we are the only people he sees all day. It is my job to make him feel better even if only for a few minutes, to make sure he is clean, fed and he has taken his medication. I make sure to make a few little jokes to make him laugh a bit. I love what I do, I love my job, I love caring for the elderly."

And those working the night shift to ensure essential food and supplies were stocked. In 'Just One More Night Shift': "My brother sits down before each shift with a coffee that has two teaspoons of honey in. He walks between 18,000 and 30,000 steps every shift and is on his feet for more time every day than I am in a fortnight. He has been working 12-14 hour night shifts, up to 7 days in a row in our local supermarket. I do not think he envisioned this when he started his role in the summer of 2017. Then again, nobody did. What began just as a part time job to supplement his income during university has now become an essential role for the functioning of our small town in west Wales. Despite already graduating, he feels compelled to give everything he has got to keep the store running even if it means he spends his days off just trying to catch up on sleep, and as the weeks are crawling by, I can see the dark lines under his eyes becoming more permanent."

'Spiderman in Stockport' brought smiles and joy.

Because during this pandemic, yes our heroes do wear masks...

And no matter how long the day, they do so with a smile.

That's why we were so proud to come together as a nation and clap for every single person on the front line. Gladys and Jack, a couple in their 90s, encouraged their neighbours to come out and clap every week.

Writing in The Sunday Times a fortnight ago, the Duchess said: "I hope that the final 100 images will serve to showcase the experiences and emotions borne during the pandemic here in the UK, pay tribute to the awe-inspiring efforts of all those who have worked to protect those around them, and provide a space for us to pause and reflect upon these truly extraordinary times."

I think you'll agree, they do just that. Hold Still is a wonderful, timely project reminding us we're still all in this together. 

I'll leave you with the poignant words of Hayley Evans who took the deeply moving image of her grandparents, 'Forever Holding Hands'. "My grandparents, Pat and Ron Wood, were married 71 years ago on St George's Day. In May 2020 they were admitted a week apart to the Covid ward at Worthing Hospital. At first they were nursed separately, but were soon reunited. Kind staff pushed their beds together and gave them their own room. They spent their final days exactly where they were meant to be and exactly how they had spent the last 71 years…together. Pat passed away in her sleep, lying next to her dear Ron, and he followed her five days later. Together, forever holding hands. They appreciated the tiny things and took nothing for granted. The ability to touch when they had so little left was a gift. It was the only way to show their love and devotion. I took this photo with gloved hands looking through a visor. It gives me so much comfort to know, in a world where we have to distance ourselves from each other, that they had everything they ever wanted in the palm of their hands. This was the last time I saw them."

Click here to view the full exhibition.