Jane Stockdale

Jane Stockdale is a photographer who can effortlessly capture a mood. A natural ability to be in the right place at the right time is a must for any successful documentary photographer and Jane epitomises that.

We caught up with her after the G20 march in London a week ago today, where she took a jaw dropping set of photos that will either make you wish you were there, or thank your lucky stars you weren’t.

Why were you at the march?
Im a freelance photographer so was documenting what was going on at the G20 for a newspaper and a magazine. But also I think its really important to document.

What was the most shocking thing you saw?
A baby fast asleep snoozing through the whole thing. I was a bit worried for the little one!

Were you pro or against the march?
Definitely pro – I think the right to protest is a cornerstone of a democracy and it holds our elected leaders accountable for their actions. Also protests can highlight different issues in the media and get people thinking. One thing I think is a shame though is how a message can get lost in violence. Anyone can throw a punch or smash a window to get attention. But when you have that attention you better have something good to say.

Do you do much documentary photography?
I love documentary photography and capturing real honest shots of whats going on. I’ve worked on quite a mix of projects, for example I did a big project on the G8 in Rostock a couple years ago for Lodown magazine and also a documentary project about the work of the UN trying to stop the illegal smuggling of weapons getting into Lebanon. But then I also photographed the England Football team training for Umbro the few weeks ago and did a project documenting family days out for the guys at creative agency LOVE – so a real mix

What would you march against?
I marched against the invasion of Iraq and also Israel’s attack on Gaza. I think in situations like this its important to make a stand. Also I think its ridiculous that someone like Sir Fred Goodwin, the ex-head of the Royal Bank of Scotland, should be allowed to keep a £703,000 a year pension even though he presided over the worst banking collapse of our generation. With big power comes big responsibility and big rewards but also I think he should be accountable for his mistakes. He should do the right thing and give it back.